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COLUMN: Questionable play calling hinders Pirates at Navy

The Pirates promptly squandered it with what very well may go down as the most head-scratching offensive series of the 2015 season.

East Carolina’s (1-2, 0-1 American Athletic Conference) defense forced its first stop of the game on fourth-and-long, giving quarterback Blake Kemp and company the ball back at their own 26-yard line. The offense moved the ball down the field, eventually entering Navy territory with a chance to make it a one score game.

On fourth-and-one from the Navy 41, Nichol decided to ignore conventional wisdom and go with an empty backfield. Knowing that the pass was coming, Navy sacked a scrambling Blake Kemp, stomping the only chance ECU had to make the game competitive.