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11:11
Yeah, it's been over two hours since I last posed. Sue me. The fourth quarter was insane and my deadline was ultra-tight, so I had to worry about getting my game story in shape. For now, print still takes precedence over my blog (unless there are any advertisers out there looking to sponsor this blog. Good space still available at great rates! Hello? Hello?)

Anyway, it's hard to overstate the euphoria that Pirates fans were feeling after it was all over. But what I also found interesting was a comment made by some ECU backers while waiting for Skip Holtz to make his post-game comments.

"This is big," one of them said to the other. "This will establish us as a player and make us attractive to the Big East."

I don't know how likely that scenario is, but it does illustrate the position that ECU is in. Clearly, things are very much headed in the right direction under Skip Holtz. But just how far the Pirates can take things may well depend on their ability to somehow get into the BCS conversation. That means either dominating C-USA like Boise State in the WAC, or latching on to a BCS conference, like South Florida.

But really, let's save that for another day and just savor a fantastic game between two North Carolina teams. That's been a pretty rare thing lately.

Oh, and South Carolina knocked off Georgia 16-12. Good times.

8:45
This Pinkney guy was a backup? Really? You sure?
The guy's looked like, well, James Pinkney (or even better) in the last two quarters. After UNC scored (but missed the extra point) Pinkney marched ECU back for another score. He had a huge completion on 3rd and 8 to keep the drive alive, then executed a perfect option pitch on Chris Johnson's 4 yd TD run. 31-23 ECU. 5:02 to go in the third quarter.

8:25
The debate here in the press box is whether Pinkney did a masterful job of looking off the UNC D, or whether it really took him about 3 seconds to realize that Chris Johnson was all alone in the right flat. Either way, it was one of the easiest 24-yard touchdown passes you'll ever see.
24-17.

Another observation: The ECU student section across the way has been like a Brazilian soccer crowd: making noise the entire game it seems.

8:13
The key for Pinkey it appears, is to get out of the pocket. Whenever he's done that, he's been lethal. Just picked up 20 on a throw to Davon Drew after scrambing to his right.

I'd give you a score update on the South Carolina-Georgia game, but I don't want to jinx things.

7:58
You have to admire my willingness to leave this blog entry up un-edited. I'm willing to stand here and admit that I said that a guy who just went 16-of-21 for 245 yards and two touchdowns in the first half wasn't "dangerous enough." Yes, that would be ECU's Patrick Pinkney.

Yates hasn't been a slouch either. 11 of 20 for 201 yards and two TDs in the first half.

Rushing attacks? Not so much.

This doesn't bode well for deadline, by the way.

7:46
Well that was a waste of time. What's the point of playing the first half when the two teams are just going to wind up tied, anyway? Ben Hartman just bounced back from his duck hook from 30 and split the uprights from 33 yards. 17 apiece with 2 ticks left.

ECU got into position because of an interception on an awful pass by T.J. Yates. He was lucky he underthrew the pass - otherwise it would have been a Pirates touchdown.

Meanwhile, Patrick Pinkney moved the Pirates smoothly down to the 15 in 49 seconds to set up Hartman's tying field goal.

So if you're tracking the blog, the guy I said I was impressed with (Yates) made the boneheaded play. The guy I said wasn't going to cut it (Pinkney) has looked like Vince Young on the last two drives.

Halftime. Time for me to regroup.

7:31
Okay, I will now completely reverse myself. Pinkney just tossed a 15-yard TD pass to a wide open Davon Drew. It looks like ECU has spread the field a bit more, opening things up, and it's clearly helped Pinkney. He's been great on the last two drives. 17-14 Tar Heels, but this place has a very different feel to it.

7:20
They're playing Jump Around here and we're all wondering where Danny Green, the leader of the UNC hoops sideline dance crew, is. Things have thankfully (for me) slowed down. Ben Hartman just hooked a 30-yard field goal attempt, which could be a critical blow to the Pirates. Other than that Chris Johnson screen, their offense hadn't shown much until a 50-yard bomb from Pinkney to Jamar Bryant on the last drive. Alas, ECU comes away with nothing. Still 17-7 Heels.

6:59
If you want room on the T.J. Yates' bandwagon, get on board quick. He just hit Brandon Tate (pride of Cummings) on a perfect 37-yard rainbow for another UNC TD. 17-7 Heels. That's 5 TD passes in 1.5 games, if you're keeping track.

6:50
At long last, the first quarter is over. At this rate, I'll be filing my game story at, oh, 1 a.m. or so. (These are the things sportswriters think about while covering a game).

After the wild and wooly first few minutes, things have settled down. I'm impressed with the accuracy of T.J. Yates, but he's also forced a few into coverage. Not sure if Patrick Pinkney's dangerous enough to lead a lot of long drives against the UNC D. May need some more big plays - like the Johnson 78-yard screen pass - for ECU to get its points.

It'll be interesting to see - if Pinkney is struggling say, midway through the third quarter, if ECU goes to Rob Kass.

6:41
Whoa, another punt. Things starting to slow down here. Less exciting, but I'm not complaining. By the way, it was a 49-yard beauty by Terrence Brown. And by the way, it's UAB 17, FSU 10. Yes, I had FSU ranked in my preseason poll. Go ahead and laugh.

6:38
Brace yourself. Sitting down? Good. We have a ... punt! A whopping 12-yarder by ECU's Matt Dodge. Maybe the Pirates should just go for it every time. Might have to ...

6:25
Can't ... keep ... up. T.J. Yates makes what looks like a foolish throw into double-coverage, unless you place it perfectly, where only Hakeem Nicks can catch it - which was what happened. 37-yard touchdown. 10-7 Heels.

6:20
Well this one's more than living up to the hype so far. ECU makes a perfect call on a blitz, a screen pass that turns into an 78-yard touchdown sprint for Chris Johnson, who is really, really, really fast. That Pirate cannon is going to give me a heart attack. And while I'm typing this, Brandon Tate, pride of Cummings, just returned the kickoff to the 49. 7-3 Pirates

6:12
Great first play call by UNC OC John Shoop. Knowing the ECU D would be geeked, he called a bootleg that led to an easy pass from T.J. Yates to H-Back Bobby Rome. Great downfield blocking turned it into a 53-yard gain. After a 39-yard FG it's 3-0 Heels.

6:03

Color me impressed with the pre-game atmosphere here. Very, very loud crowd, particularly on the "Purple" - "Gold" - call and response cheer. Jimi's "Purple Haze" also raised a few goosebumps.

Not too much light blue in the stands that I can see. Makes you wonder whether an expansion of Kenan is such a good idea ...