PRE-GAME ANALYSIS
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Keys to the
Game
Saturday,
December 5, 2009
By Kevin Monroe |
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ECU vs. Houston
Conference USA Championship
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, 12 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 Houston if it accomplishes these key objectives:
-
Bring Pressure
Houston has one
of the best offenses in the country. The Cougars are averaging more than
440 passing yards and over 44 points per game. East Carolina’s front
four started slow this season but have been playing well of late. Over
the last three weeks, the quarterbacks of
Tulsa,
UAB and
Southern Miss have struggled to
find enough time to find open receivers down field. Defensive ends
Scotty Robinson and C.J. Wilson and linemen Jay Ross and Linval Joseph
have shown up big. Houston quarterback Case Keenum runs a rhythm
offense. All of the Cougar passing routes are based on timing and being
in sync. Through 12 games, Keenum has thrown for 5,323 yards and 41
touchdowns. A constant pass rush from ECU's defensive front and an
occasional blitz from the linebackers or defensive backs will be the
only way to disrupt that rhythm.
-
Defend the Backend
Keenum presents a potent challenge to East Carolina's
defensive backfield, but he doesn't do it by himself. He has a large
corps of dangerous wideouts to choose from. The Cougars have 11
receivers with at least 10 receptions, led by James Cleveland with 82
catches and 11 touchdowns. The Pirate secondary is relatively young at
the corner spots, but junior Travis Simmons and sophomore Emanuel Davis
are both two-year starters who have played well. At safety, ECU starts a
pair of savvy seniors, Levin Neal and Van Eskeridge. The majority of the
group has extensive game experience. Each of them will need to have a
short memory on Saturday and rely on his coaching and technique. This
game will separate the men from the boys in the secondary.
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Attack on Offense
The most effective way to slow down an offense as proficient as
Houston's is to keep it off the field. With that in mind, East Carolina
will need to dominate time of possession. That starts with backs
Dominique Lindsay and Giavanni Ruffin and the running game. Running the
football and keeping the chains and the clock moving is the best
antidote to an opposing prolific offense. East Carolina quarterback
Patrick Pinkney will have to lead this ECU offense on solid, sustained
drives. Pinkney has been on the mark in his passing game over the last
three weeks, and that type of effectiveness will be vital against the
Cougars. This Houston defense has struggled, giving up 445 yards of
offense and 28 points per game. Both Tulsa and Southern Miss recently
scored over 40 points on the Cougars.
The
Bottom Line
East
Carolina
needs outstanding efforts from both its offensive and defensive units to
repeat as champion of Conference USA. The
18th-ranked Cougars will be favored
and are picked by most pundits to represent the league in the Liberty Bowl.
The silver lining in these prognostications is that the Pirates have always
welcomed the underdog role.
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Kevin Monroe.
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archives.
12/04/2009 01:53:14 AM
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