Keys to the Game Wednesday, September 4, 2013 By Kevin Monroe

ECU vs. Florida Atlantic
Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013 • 7:30 pm
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (cap. 50,000)
TV: Fox Sports 1

By Kevin Monroe
©2013 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

Florida Atlantic started the season with a 34-6 loss to Miami (FL). FAU managed just a pair of field goals against the Hurricanes. That game was played last Friday night and game two versus the Pirates is on Thursday night. The Owls are one of a few teams in the country that won’t play on a Saturday until week three. That is important because playing weekday games keeps teams from getting in a normal routine.

East Carolina can defeat the Owls in this Conference USA opener for both teams if it performs well in these key aspects of the game:

CONTAIN DUAL THREAT QUARTERBACKS

FAU came into the season with three possible starting quarterbacks. Sophomore signal caller Jaquez Johnson got the nod last week against the Hurricanes. Johnson and true freshman Greg Hankerson can both run and throw the football. Last week, ECU struggled against a dual threat quarterback in Old Dominion's Taylor Heinicke. Neither of the FAU QBs passes with the accuracy of Heinicke, but their athleticism still presents a challenge. The ECU defensive lineman will need to do a better job of getting pressure and keeping the quarterback in the pocket. The linebackers will need to get the QB down on blitzes and stay in their lanes when dropping for passes. The defensive backs will have to be disciplined and stay in coverage as long as possible in case the QB scrambles free.

MORE BALANCED OFFENSIVE ATTACK

The Pirates lit the field on fire with their passing game last Saturday. Quarterback Shane Carden has never looked so polished and poised as he did against ODU. Completing 85% of passes attempted for 5 touchdowns with no interceptions is no ordinary feat. Both freshman receivers, Davon Grayson and Isaiah Jones, scored touchdowns. Justin Hardy proved once again that he is one of the top receivers in the country with a 16-catch, 191-yard performance. If the Pirates can just repeat 80% of that production on Thursday they will be in good shape. The running game was a different story. ECU didn’t run the ball very often and when it did, it was pretty much held in check by the Monarchs' front seven. The Owls' defense will be better than ODU's and the Pirates will have to find a way to get the running game going. Tay Cooper showed flashes of his greatness and new running back Corey Hunter also looked good with the few carries he had.

REDUCE THE INFRACTIONS

The Pirates piled up penalties last week, drawing nine flags for 85 yards. Just a season ago, East Carolina was one of the least penalized teams in the country. Old Dominion only had four penalties for 35 yards. To achieve the success the Pirates are planning to achieve this season, they can’t afford to have another game with so many penalties.

BOTTOM LINE

Florida Atlantic will come into this game hungry for a victory. The Owls had several key players banged up a week ago and should be getting a few of them back. They went 3-9 last season but had a reasonably solid first showing to kick off 2013 against perennial power Miami. In spite of the loss, FAU displayed talent on both sides of the ball. The Pirates will need to score touchdowns rather than settle for field goals and must play better defensively. This game will be tough, but another one that ECU should win if it plays well.

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PAGE UPDATED 09/04/13 03:08 AM.