I think I am at:
18-13-1
Maryland(-7.5) over East Carolina
Game at RFK, roughly ten miles for Maryland campus. Should help ease the tension of Danny O'Brien who will be under center for Maryland. This young QB came is and has showed toughness, a strong arm and good ability to command and move the offense. Now that is the first point I'll make because it will be all about the offense tonight. See ECU gives up a lot of offense to teams. In fact ECU defense is ranked LAST in the NCAA. Let me repeat that the pirates are 120 ranked defense out 120 NCAA teams. It's not like they are play the suburbs or Oregon ducks of the world either. They gave up 76 to navy and 62 to rice. The ECU defense gives up 43 points per game, 478 yards per game and of those 220 are rushing. Those are the season numbers, the got worse as the season went on. Last five games, four of them were loses allowing an average of 55 per game. Navy, Cfla, Rice, UAB and one other. Another listed really scare you offensively? Now in comes Maryland who got stronger as the season went on. They just hammer slammed Freidgen and the offensive co is new head coach at Vandy. Talk around the terps has a lot of players hungry for this win for their coach who they feel was a little disrespected after being named coach of the year in the ACC. So the terps are motivated, they have a capable QB, a rushing game behind Williams that can get you 5.5 per rush and a WR that ECU just will not be able to cover. Home run for Maryland right? Well ECU, knows the defense stinks on ice so they help by playing good offense. This offense is lead by BC transfer Davis at QB. He has averaged 319 yards per game passing and has 37 TD's on the year. ECU can throw the ball and the terps don't exactly have lock down corners. What they do have, well they have in my opinion the most underrated linebacker in college in #33 Wujciak. This kid flies around the field, controls the defense and will be all over Davis tonight. Maryland also brings a very good safety duo into the mix. Both guys can support the run and have a good ball hawking ability. Terps have 25 takeaways on the year and 17 are picks. Maryland has not been in a bowl in two years while ECU has lost the last two bowl games. Win one for the friedge, the ECU defense can't stop anyone and the terps score easy running the ball and moving the chains. Marylands defense is fast and will be too quick for ECU to have a score for score type game. Now Davis has good numbers but when he is cold, oh boy ECU just can't move the ball. Those stretches are when Maryland starts to pull away. Davis has an injury to his non throwing shoulder so a few sacks could get him hurt and rattled, that's where #33 can make another impact in this game. Maryland plays inspired and ECU gives them all they can but they have been bad against poor teams and now they are up against a team playing well and with a purpose.
Mary/ECU UNDER 68
I think the terps control the time of possession and score on drives forcing ECU to play out of it's comfort and not be effective. I know ECU can't stop anyone Maryland is not exactly a high powered offense. I also think the total is inflated because of the defense and offensive matchup listed above. Still I like Maryland and I think ECU struggles.
Cheers
Irish