Following Houston’s season-opening 48-27 loss to Oregon on Sept. 1, rumor quickly spread that Cougars star senior running back Anthony "Quick Six" Alridge had fractured his right foot during the game and could miss a few weeks.
Fortunately for the defending Conference USA champions, it was just a rumor.
Houston Chronicle writer Michael Murphy, who covers the UH beat, reported Sept. 4 that X-rays revealed no fracture. Alridge, who wore a boot to protect the foot, said the injury was "more like a sprain."
Murphy reported in his Chronicle blog (www.blogs.chron.com/cougars) Thursday that Alridge was practicing after only two days in the boot and was performing up to his usual standards. That certainly bodes well for Houston, which travels to New Orleans to face C-USA foe Tulane on Saturday. Alridge more than proved his worth to the Cougars after rushing for a team-leading 959 yards and eight touchdowns last season, and he reinforced his value by rushing for 205 yards against Oregon. He finished with 325 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns against the Ducks.
It is imperative that the speedy, elusive Alridge stay healthy this season. The Cougars (0-1) are already without the services of Alridge’s backup Randall Antoine, who was lost for the season after blood clots were discovered in his leg. Redshirt freshman Andre Kohn, who is still recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, is expected to fill the void created by Antoine’s absence, but it might take some time for Kohn to catch up to speed.
Needless to say, life without Alridge would be difficult for the Cougars.
Pinkney in the driver’s seat
Apparently, Patrick Pinkney is the right man for the East Carolina starting quarterback job after all.
Pinkney, who was named the starter on Sept. 3, made his first career start against North Carolina on Saturday, and it was nearly one for the record books.
Pinkney, the Pirates’ former third-string quarterback, completed 31-of-41 passes for 406 yards (second-most in school history) and three touchdowns to lead ECU to a 34-31 victory over the Tar Heels in Greenville, N.C. It was only the Pirates’ second win against their in-state rival in 11 tries and first win in the series since 1975.
The win would not have been possible had it not been for Pinkney’s heroics. The junior was poised in the pocket and scrambled to avoid the pressure North Carolina threw at him. He connected with seven different receivers, including Chris Johnson, who reeled in five passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns to go along with a rushing touchdown.
The 6-0, 198-pound Pinkney, named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, was everything ECU head coach Skip Holtz hoped he would be. In fact, he was more.
"He was phenomenal," Holtz told The (Greenville) Daily Reflector. "I thought he did one unbelievable job. He threw for more than 400 yards and I had no idea. I just yell at the incompletes. The pressure that was being thrown on him … I thought he went out there and handled himself with great class."
Pinkney’s superb outing means that former starter Rob Kass likely won’t see the field any time soon. Kass, a redshirt sophomore, was suspended for ECU’s season-opening 17-7 loss to Virginia Tech after being arrested Aug. 27 for driving while impaired in Greenville and was stripped of the starter’s job shortly thereafter.
No time to lose for Memphis
Heavy rain and lightning kept Memphis from completing Saturday’s game against Arkansas State, which was postponed after a 2-hour, 50-minute weather delay. The game will be resumed at 6 p.m. on Sept. 27 at Indian Stadium in Jonesboro, Ark.
Memphis, who will host Jacksonville State on Saturday, won’t have much time for rest after that game. The Tigers (0-1) are slated to play Marshall on Oct. 2, five days after playing Arkansas State.
Quote to note
East Carolina junior quarterback Patrick Pinkney received several compliments following his 406-passing yards, three-touchdown performance in the Pirates’ 34-31 win against in-state rival North Carolina, but the best soundbite might have been supplied by coach Holtz.
"That Patrick Pinkney … that little son of a gun is a competitor now," Holtz told Bonesville.net. "He’s a competitor. I said it after the Virginia Tech game, I’ve seen a side of him I hadn’t seen. We saw it again this week.
"His poise in the pocket, the way he keeps his eyes downfield, the way he sees things – he does a heck of a job the way he runs this offense. You put the ball in his hands and let him run around for awhile, he’s going to find somebody."