Keys to the Game Thursday, November 13, 2014 By Kevin Monroe

East Carolina at Cincinnati

7 pm | Paul Brown Stadium (cap. 65,535) | TV: ESPN2

By Kevin Monroe
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East Carolina will face off against Cincinnati tonight in Paul Brown Stadium just off the Ohio River. The last time ECU took the field, it fumbled its way out of the top 25. It was a cold, windy, rainy day in Philadelphia. The Pirates never seemed to adjust to the conditions but Temple had no problem. Today’s forecast won’t include rain, but the wind and cold will be there and it will be 10 to 15 degrees colder than it was in Philly. Thanks to UConn’s upset win over Central Florida, the Pirates still control their own destiny in the American Athletic Conference.

Cincinnati has a high-powered offense that can score at any time. Defensively the Bearcats have struggled some, but in conference play they have stepped up, only giving up 11 points per game in their last three outings.

If ECU wants to keep its league aspirations intact, it will need to follow this script:

PROTECT THE BALL

This is the third straight week that protecting the football has been in my keys. Maybe deep down, I knew the Temple game was coming. Honestly, though, if you turn the ball over five times, it’s a strong indicator that you will lose the game regardless of the opponent. Breon Allen had three fumbles against the Owls and had ECU fans holding their breath every time he carried the ball. It will be imperative that the Pirates fight through the weather conditions and take care of the pigskin tonight. Shane Carden mentioned that the wind affected him some against Temple. It could be a problem tonight, but the lack of rain could help the passing game find some success.

FIND A RHYTHM

ECU rolled up over 400 yards of offense against the Owls as it usually does, but the turnovers kept the Pirates from maintaining any type of rhythm. Big chunks of yards and multiple first downs erased by untimely fumbles really stunted opportunities for points. If the Pirates are going to win this game, they will need to keep those chains moving and get into that offensive tempo that they are known for. The key to that tempo will be running the football. Being able to run the ball opens up everything for Lincoln Riley’s offense and opens the door to success on the final scoreboard. While Breon had a tough day last time out, Chris Hariston excelled, having the biggest rushing day of his career.

THIRD DOWN DEFENSE

Getting off the field on third down tonight will be huge. The Bearcats are converting an impressive 42 percent on third down. They are also averaging over 300 yards passing and 465 total yards. If the Pirates don’t get pressure on the quarterbacks or play well in the back end, they will have a hard time winning. The defensive backs struggled against Temple and will need to show up tonight in a big way. The front seven has continued to flourish for this ECU team, playing tough against the run and controlling the line of scrimmage.

BOTTOM LINE

Tonight’s game is a key one in the AAC race and the winner will be in a position to plow ahead toward the conference championship. I know that seems like a lot of pressure, but there are only four games remaining. Tonight’s game will start to separate the contenders from the pretenders.

E-mail Kevin Monroe.

PAGE UPDATED 11/13/14 03:21 PM.