In early December of last year, the East Carolina football team traveled to Tulsa, Okla., as a massive underdog.
Today, the Pirates make the same trip as defending Conference USA champions in search of a second title.
With three-fourths of the regular season elapsed, the 5-4 Pirates begin a critical three-game stretch at 8:15 tonight in Tulsa that will decide whether or not they will represent the East Division in the C-USA title game for a second straight year.
ECU lost last week to Virginia Tech, but the Pirates were on a two-game win streak in C-USA before that and stand alone atop the East at 4-1. Tulsa, meanwhile, lost a wild affair to Houston, 46-45, last weekend and fell to 2-3 in the West.
The Pirates practiced through the rain-soaked remnants of a tropical storm through the middle of the week, and ECU head coach Skip Holtz said it was a tough assignment for the scout team to replicate the up-tempo offense of Tulsa.
?The thing that?s really hard to from a defensive standpoint is to simulate their offense, the speed at which it comes at you,? Holtz said of the Tulsa attack, which ranks third in C-USA with an average output of 416.2 yards per game. ?You can?t go as quick (in practice) as what they?re going to see.?
The ECU defense which dismantled the Golden Hurricane?s high-scoring offense in last season?s 27-24 victory is perhaps better than last year?s, and its many seniors have all played vital roles in making the Pirates the league?s best in terms of total defense (334.8 yards allowed per game).
Free safety Van Eskridge has made a team-high 68 tackles and has three interceptions. Eskridge and fellow senior safety Levin Neal have teamed to form the backline of the Pirate defense, and each has made five pass breakups.
?He?s a guy that I love playing beside, a hard-nosed guy,? Eskridge said of Neal, a transfer from N.C. State. ?He gives it his all and he?s very intense. He played a lot of football at N.C. State before coming here, and I think that helped him out a lot in stepping right in and making the transition. He?s a guy that you can count on.?
In front of them, senior linebackers Nick Johnson (65 tackles, two INT), Jeremy Chambliss (53 tackles, two sacks) and Chris Mattocks (52 tackles) have been solid in backing ECU?s veteran front four.
The Tulsa attack is fueled by Texas transfer quarterback G.J. Kinne, a sophomore who has already proven to be a threat through the air (1,832 yards, 15 touchdowns) and on the ground (277 yards, four TD). Against Houston, Kinne went for 334 pass yards, 100 rush yards and four total touchdowns.
?He is really starting to come into his own right now, and he is a huge part of that offense and what they?re doing,? Holtz said of Kinne. ?He accounted for about 450 yards of offense all by himself (against Houston).?
Kinne?s primary pass targets are sophomore Damaris Johnson (39 receptions, 711 yards, two TD) and senior Slick Shelley (24-458-4). Johnson?s 209 all-purpose yards per game rank him No. 1 in the nation entering tonight?s kickoff.
Kinne is the Golden Hurricane?s second leading rusher behind junior Jamad Williams (304 yards, TD).
On the other side, senior quarterback Patrick Pinkney (1,682 yards, eight TD) represents an ECU offense still hoping for big plays and likely needing them today.
While the Pirates? rush attack has been bolstered by senior Dominique Lindsay (639 yards, three TD), the hot-and-cold pass attack will need to be better tonight than it has for much of the season.
?I?m disappointed with the productivity in the passing game,? Holtz said, noting another lackluster performance in the Pirates? 16-3 loss to the Hokies. ?(Virginia Tech) put us in a lot of pressure situations and came after us with bump-and-run. They played man and we had to make some throws.?
Holtz said the Pirates have made some strides, but are still not in rhythm consistently when they do throw the ball.
That has played a large role in Pinkney?s 10 interceptions this season.
?The difference between throwing it to the front shoulder or the back shoulder (of the receiver) is the difference between a completion and an interception,? Holtz said. ?Throwing away from the defender is what you?ve got to do, and you?ve got to be pinpoint.? Junior receiver Dwayne Harris (50 receptions, 566 yards, three TD) continues to be the Pirates? main weapon. Seniors Alex Taylor (23-216) and Jamar Bryant (21-200-2) will need to make their presence felt in order for the ECU offense to keep pace.
The Tulsa defense is led by sophomore defensive back DeAundre Brown (76 tackles, INT) and senior middle linebacker Mike Bryan (72 tackles).
As a defensive unit, the Golden Hurricane ranks seventh in C-USA, allowing 425 yards per game.
?Schematically, they give you a lot of confusing looks,? Holtz said of Tulsa?s shifting three- and four-man fronts on defense. ?The difference between three-down and four-down is another linebacker that you have to account for. They more or less have two strong safeties and three linebackers, and they?re the top four or five tacklers on the team.?
Tulsa has won five of the eight meetings between the two programs, but are an even 2-2 at home against the Pirates.
The Hurricane has played in three of the last four C-USA championship games, beating UCF in 2005 before losing to the Knights in 2007 and the Pirates in 2008.
Today, the Pirates make the same trip as defending Conference USA champions in search of a second title.
With three-fourths of the regular season elapsed, the 5-4 Pirates begin a critical three-game stretch at 8:15 tonight in Tulsa that will decide whether or not they will represent the East Division in the C-USA title game for a second straight year.
ECU lost last week to Virginia Tech, but the Pirates were on a two-game win streak in C-USA before that and stand alone atop the East at 4-1. Tulsa, meanwhile, lost a wild affair to Houston, 46-45, last weekend and fell to 2-3 in the West.
The Pirates practiced through the rain-soaked remnants of a tropical storm through the middle of the week, and ECU head coach Skip Holtz said it was a tough assignment for the scout team to replicate the up-tempo offense of Tulsa.
?The thing that?s really hard to from a defensive standpoint is to simulate their offense, the speed at which it comes at you,? Holtz said of the Tulsa attack, which ranks third in C-USA with an average output of 416.2 yards per game. ?You can?t go as quick (in practice) as what they?re going to see.?
The ECU defense which dismantled the Golden Hurricane?s high-scoring offense in last season?s 27-24 victory is perhaps better than last year?s, and its many seniors have all played vital roles in making the Pirates the league?s best in terms of total defense (334.8 yards allowed per game).
Free safety Van Eskridge has made a team-high 68 tackles and has three interceptions. Eskridge and fellow senior safety Levin Neal have teamed to form the backline of the Pirate defense, and each has made five pass breakups.
?He?s a guy that I love playing beside, a hard-nosed guy,? Eskridge said of Neal, a transfer from N.C. State. ?He gives it his all and he?s very intense. He played a lot of football at N.C. State before coming here, and I think that helped him out a lot in stepping right in and making the transition. He?s a guy that you can count on.?
In front of them, senior linebackers Nick Johnson (65 tackles, two INT), Jeremy Chambliss (53 tackles, two sacks) and Chris Mattocks (52 tackles) have been solid in backing ECU?s veteran front four.
The Tulsa attack is fueled by Texas transfer quarterback G.J. Kinne, a sophomore who has already proven to be a threat through the air (1,832 yards, 15 touchdowns) and on the ground (277 yards, four TD). Against Houston, Kinne went for 334 pass yards, 100 rush yards and four total touchdowns.
?He is really starting to come into his own right now, and he is a huge part of that offense and what they?re doing,? Holtz said of Kinne. ?He accounted for about 450 yards of offense all by himself (against Houston).?
Kinne?s primary pass targets are sophomore Damaris Johnson (39 receptions, 711 yards, two TD) and senior Slick Shelley (24-458-4). Johnson?s 209 all-purpose yards per game rank him No. 1 in the nation entering tonight?s kickoff.
Kinne is the Golden Hurricane?s second leading rusher behind junior Jamad Williams (304 yards, TD).
On the other side, senior quarterback Patrick Pinkney (1,682 yards, eight TD) represents an ECU offense still hoping for big plays and likely needing them today.
While the Pirates? rush attack has been bolstered by senior Dominique Lindsay (639 yards, three TD), the hot-and-cold pass attack will need to be better tonight than it has for much of the season.
?I?m disappointed with the productivity in the passing game,? Holtz said, noting another lackluster performance in the Pirates? 16-3 loss to the Hokies. ?(Virginia Tech) put us in a lot of pressure situations and came after us with bump-and-run. They played man and we had to make some throws.?
Holtz said the Pirates have made some strides, but are still not in rhythm consistently when they do throw the ball.
That has played a large role in Pinkney?s 10 interceptions this season.
?The difference between throwing it to the front shoulder or the back shoulder (of the receiver) is the difference between a completion and an interception,? Holtz said. ?Throwing away from the defender is what you?ve got to do, and you?ve got to be pinpoint.? Junior receiver Dwayne Harris (50 receptions, 566 yards, three TD) continues to be the Pirates? main weapon. Seniors Alex Taylor (23-216) and Jamar Bryant (21-200-2) will need to make their presence felt in order for the ECU offense to keep pace.
The Tulsa defense is led by sophomore defensive back DeAundre Brown (76 tackles, INT) and senior middle linebacker Mike Bryan (72 tackles).
As a defensive unit, the Golden Hurricane ranks seventh in C-USA, allowing 425 yards per game.
?Schematically, they give you a lot of confusing looks,? Holtz said of Tulsa?s shifting three- and four-man fronts on defense. ?The difference between three-down and four-down is another linebacker that you have to account for. They more or less have two strong safeties and three linebackers, and they?re the top four or five tacklers on the team.?
Tulsa has won five of the eight meetings between the two programs, but are an even 2-2 at home against the Pirates.
The Hurricane has played in three of the last four C-USA championship games, beating UCF in 2005 before losing to the Knights in 2007 and the Pirates in 2008.
