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East Carolina is coming off a winning season and a bowl game victory, but coach Skip Holtz said Saturday the Pirates still are seeking the one that got away.

For the past two seasons, East Carolina has come within one victory of playing for the Conference USA championship. But each time they let the opportunity slip away.

Holtz, a fourth-year coach, said Saturday he hopes those disappointing losses have ignited a fire within his team.

One thing that should help the Pirates going into this season is the extra year of experience that most of the lineup gained a year ago.

East Carolina finished 8-5 and held on for a thrilling 41-38 win over Boise State in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl last year. But the game the Pirates remember most is the 26-7 loss at Marshall that kept them out of the C-USA title game.

"When I went down the schedule with the team and I brought up Marshall, there was a groan in the room," Holtz said. "We've had lofty goals since the first year and we've been right there. They're probably a little more attainable now."

The Pirates also won't have to worry as much about their secondary, which proved to be porous last season.

"Last year we had a lot of players who just wanted to get out on the field and play," Holtz said. "This year they want to do what it takes to win. ... I hope this year that can be one of our strengths."

Junior free safety Van Eskridge said the secondary's play last season was disappointing but he and his teammates will be better this season.

Opening the season again against Virginia Tech is a challenge Holtz said his team will be ready for. In last season's 17-7 loss in Blacksburg, Va., East Carolina entered the game without starting quarterback Rob Kass, who was suspended.

GEORGIA TECH: Michael Johnson has a lot of big-play experience for a guy who has made only two starts in his first three years at Georgia Tech.

Johnson, a 6-foot-7 defensive end, is one of three starting seniors who is expected to make the defensive line a strength for Georgia Tech. The experience on the line is especially important as a young offense adjusts to new coach Paul Johnson's option offense.

Paul Johnson said he expects to have freshmen and sophomores at the skill positions on offense, at linebacker and three spots in the secondary.

The experience of the three seniors on the defensive line -- Michael Johnson and defensive tackles Vance Walker and Darryl Richard -- is notable on such a young team, but only Walker and Richard are experienced at starting.

Michael Johnson's only start in 2007 came in the Yellow Jackets' Humanitarian Bowl game. He also started only one game in 2006.

That doesn't mean Johnson hasn't played. The tall end has been a regular on passing downs, where he has made an impact with big plays. He tied for seventh in the ACC with three forced fumbles last season, giving him seven for his career, and he's had nine sacks the last two seasons.

TENNESSEE: Tennessee will have no shortage of experienced players on the field in the 2008 season, and the Volunteers think they might be the key to playing at the next level.

"We've got a little more confidence knowing how the guys around us are going to perform," senior tailback Arian Foster said at the team's media day.

The Vols' experience from 2007 ran the gamut. They won close games against South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Kentucky. They suffered embarrassing blowouts at the hands of Florida and Alabama and narrowly lost to eventual national champion LSU in the Southeastern Conference championship.

GEORGIA: Georgia coach Mark Richt's offseason of dealing with players with discipline problems continued when he announced the indefinite suspensions of two players. Richt suspended senior snapper Jeff Henson after his second alcohol-related arrest. He also suspended junior free safety Donavon Baldwin after Baldwin was injured in a fight in Athens early Saturday morning.

BASKETBALL

UNC TO PLAY KENTUCKY: Kentucky's 2008-09 schedule features matchups with North Carolina, Indiana and Louisville. The Wildcats will play at North Carolina on Nov. 18.

ARKANSAS: Arkansas basketball coach John Pelphrey will see his salary increase to $795,000 and his contract extended one year to April 2013. Pelphrey currently gets a base salary of $750,000