all 6-foot-6, 322 pounds of him
Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:37 amhttp://www.kinston.com/sports/red-59101 ... -zone.html
Pirates' nose guard helping in red zone
Needing his offense to muscle up at the goal line, East Carolina coach Skip Holtz turned to his bull.
And the Pirates finally got past the red.
Holtz, ECU’s fifth-year coach, twice inserted defensive lineman Linval Joseph — all 6-foot-6, 322 pounds of him — as a blocking back in red zone situations Saturday at Marshall. The move resulted in much-needed short-yardage progress and helped lead the Pirates to a 21-17 Conference USA win.
ECU, which had struggled mightily to finish drives, found the end zone in all three trips inside the Thundering Herd’s 20-yard line.
“To get the ball into the red zone three times and put three touchdowns on the board, obviously, was the difference in the game,†Holtz said.
Joseph, a junior nose guard from Gainesville, Fla., certainly helped. A former high school running back, Joseph said he approached Holtz last week with the idea of helping out in the backfield.
“He took me up on my offer, and I’m glad we put some points on the board last week,†Joseph said.
Joseph cleared the way for a 1-yard Brandon Jackson scoring run in the first quarter. He plowed another hole for Dominique Lindsay’s 3-yard plunge in the second.
Joseph also blocked for Lindsay on a fourth-and-2 play from the Marshall 33-yard line, resulting in a first down.
The red zone successes followed a week in which the Pirates focused on finishing. Entering Saturday’s game, they had scored just five touchdowns in 14 trips inside the 20.
ECU quarterback Patrick Pinkney said Joseph is a welcome addition to the offense as the first-place Pirates (3-2, 2-0 C-USA) visit league foe SMU this week.
“I think a lot of people don’t want a part of that,†Pinkney said. “He’s a big body. He’s like a bomb. He puts holes in the line.â€
For now, Joseph said, blowing up defenses is all he plans to do on offense. The team leader with two sacks and 5 1/2 tackles for loss, he said he’s not entertaining thoughts of plowing across the goal line with the ball under his arm.
“It don’t matter as long as we score as a group and we win,†Joseph said.
“I’m a body, and if I can help the offense, I’m here to help them.â€
Pirates' nose guard helping in red zone
Needing his offense to muscle up at the goal line, East Carolina coach Skip Holtz turned to his bull.
And the Pirates finally got past the red.
Holtz, ECU’s fifth-year coach, twice inserted defensive lineman Linval Joseph — all 6-foot-6, 322 pounds of him — as a blocking back in red zone situations Saturday at Marshall. The move resulted in much-needed short-yardage progress and helped lead the Pirates to a 21-17 Conference USA win.
ECU, which had struggled mightily to finish drives, found the end zone in all three trips inside the Thundering Herd’s 20-yard line.
“To get the ball into the red zone three times and put three touchdowns on the board, obviously, was the difference in the game,†Holtz said.
Joseph, a junior nose guard from Gainesville, Fla., certainly helped. A former high school running back, Joseph said he approached Holtz last week with the idea of helping out in the backfield.
“He took me up on my offer, and I’m glad we put some points on the board last week,†Joseph said.
Joseph cleared the way for a 1-yard Brandon Jackson scoring run in the first quarter. He plowed another hole for Dominique Lindsay’s 3-yard plunge in the second.
Joseph also blocked for Lindsay on a fourth-and-2 play from the Marshall 33-yard line, resulting in a first down.
The red zone successes followed a week in which the Pirates focused on finishing. Entering Saturday’s game, they had scored just five touchdowns in 14 trips inside the 20.
ECU quarterback Patrick Pinkney said Joseph is a welcome addition to the offense as the first-place Pirates (3-2, 2-0 C-USA) visit league foe SMU this week.
“I think a lot of people don’t want a part of that,†Pinkney said. “He’s a big body. He’s like a bomb. He puts holes in the line.â€
For now, Joseph said, blowing up defenses is all he plans to do on offense. The team leader with two sacks and 5 1/2 tackles for loss, he said he’s not entertaining thoughts of plowing across the goal line with the ball under his arm.
“It don’t matter as long as we score as a group and we win,†Joseph said.
“I’m a body, and if I can help the offense, I’m here to help them.â€
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