PRE-GAME ANALYSIS
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Keys to the
Game
Friday,
October 16, 2009
By Kevin Monroe |
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ECU vs. Rice
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, 3:30 pm
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium
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For the fourth
straight year, Kevin Monroe, color analyst for the Pirate ISP Sports
Radio Network, provides “Kevin’s Keys to The Game,”
his weekly breakdown of what East Carolina must do to beat its
upcoming opponent.
Monroe brings a unique perspective to the task as a
member of the broadcast team and as a former star defensive
back for the Pirates (1995-99). |
©2009 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
East
Carolina can defeat Rice if it accomplishes these key objectives:
-
Have a Short Memory
Last week’s
game at Southern Methodist left
a bad taste in the mouths of the loyal subjects of the Pirate Nation.
Let’s face it, SMU was not a good team — the Pirates dominated virtually
every aspect of the contest except the scoreboard and the mental game.
Mental mistakes like throwing a post route into triple coverage or not
blocking the right person on field goals skewed the outcome. Everything
about that game takes you back to a period of football after the
departure of former coach Steve Logan and before the arrival of Skip
Holtz.
While the fans won’t soon forget last week, the players must — when you
play football you have to put the last play, the last series, the last
game behind you. The Pirates haven’t been consistent in 2009, but we
have seen flashes of their ability on offense and defense. Putting the
Mustangs behind them will be paramount if they intend to play well
Saturday.
-
Attack by Land
The one thing East Carolina did really well last week
was run the football. The Pirates rushed for 176 yards, 144 of which
came from Dominique Lindsay. Rice is giving up 256 yards per game on the
ground and ECU has the capability of having a big day if it blocks well
up front. Running the football effectively will open up the rest of the
offense for Coach Todd Fitch and quarterback Patrick Pinkney. There have
been some injuries amongst the running backs, but no matter who gets the
bulk of the carries on Saturday it will be somebody with tons of talent.
-
Get
Out Fast
The Pirates have been a fast-starting team all season. Much to the
chagrin of the Pirate Nation, the majority of this year’s scoring has
come in the first half. Rice is giving up lots of points, scoring few
and is 0-6. Odds are the Owls are going to win a football game this
season. All they need is for ECU to start slowly so they can build some
confidence and start believing in themselves. However, a quick start by
the Pirates would more than likely break the spirits of the Owls and
send them into a downward spiral. The easiest thing to do in sports is
get used to losing. Getting behind by double digits to the defending
conference champions could take Rice right out of the game mentally.
The
Bottom Line
East Carolina is by far the better team. Rice is a solid program and had
some very good talent the last few years. The Owls
beat ECU in Houston in 2006,
preventing the Pirates from claiming an East Division title. This Owls team
doesn’t have those same players and it shows. Rice has been pounded on
defense, giving up over 472 yards and 44 points per game. Offensively, the
Owls have struggled to get into a rhythm and are only averaging 16 points
per contest. ECU has the opportunity to have a bounce-back game and regain
the momentum it lost last week in Dallas.
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10/16/2009 03:15:37 AM
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