Keys to the Game Saturday, October 4, 2014 By Kevin Monroe

East Carolina vs. Southern Methodist

Noon | Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (cap. 50,000) | TV: ESPNU

By Kevin Monroe
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East Carolina will have a second straight home game this week when it faces Southern Methodist. The Mustangs have had a rough start to the 2014 season, going 0-4 with losses to North Texas and three nationally-ranked teams in Texas Christian, Texas A&M and Baylor. SMU has scored only one touchdown this season, against North Texas. The Mustangs' season took a turn for the worse in week two when head coach June Jones resigned. The Pirates are favored in a big way and will win this game if they follow this script:

STAY FOCUSED

Coach Ruffin McNeil preaches about the process. The team is told to play one play at a time, one quarter at a time, one game at a time. It’s all about staying focused on that one particular game and not looking ahead. It’s easy to look past the Mustangs because of their early struggles. The Pirates have to challenge themselves and not let SMU dictate how they play. The only thing ECU can control is how it plays offensively and defensively.

STEP ON THE GAS

Quarterback Shane Carden and the Pirates need to get off to a fast start and not look back. The receiving corps has been outstanding all season with only a few drops. Isaiah Jones, Cam Worthy and Justin Hardy have all had big games at different times this year. Worthy has to sit another game on suspension, but Trevon Brown has stepped up and played well in his absence. The running game has also come up big in the last couple of weeks. Breon Allen rushed for over 200 yards in the romp over North Carolina. Getting out to a quick start like they have in the last three games and keeping their foot on the pedal is imperative for the Pirates.

INTENSE PRESSURE

SMU has endured 30 sacks in its first four games. That is an average of nearly 8 sacks per game. ECU's linebacking group of Zeke Bigger, Brandon Williams, Montese Overton and Maurice Falls has been terrorizing quarterbacks all season. The Pirates' defensive line has also done a good job controlling the line of scrimmage. If ECU can put pressure on the Mustangs and produce sacks and pressures and force turnovers, it will be in good shape. The Mustangs have fumbled 11 times this year — losing 7 of them — and thrown 4 interceptions. Applying unrelenting pressure through stunts and blitzes will keep the Pirates in command of SMU's offense.

BOTTOM LINE

I know ECU fans have enjoyed playing three straight top 25 teams, but now that the Pirates are in conference play they will face some teams that aren’t on that elite level. ECU's objective should be to go out and win in impressive fashion. The Pirates should have no problem against the Mustangs if they stay focused, get out quickly on offense and maintain defensive pressure. It should be a fun day in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

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PAGE UPDATED 10/04/14 02:59 PM.