PRE-GAME ANALYSIS
-----
 |
Keys to the
Game
Friday,
November 4, 2011
By Kevin Monroe |
|
|
|
East Carolina vs. Southern Miss
Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 • 4 p.m.
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (50,000), Greenville, NC
Television: CSS/WITN
|
For the sixth
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). |
©2011 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
East
Carolina can defeat Southern Miss on Saturday if it achieves these key objectives:
PLAY
DISCIPLINED DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL
The Pirates will face their toughest conference USA opponent since
Houston on Saturday. The Golden
Eagles do everything well. Led by senior quarterback Austin Davis, they are
averaging 36 points per game. Davis is completing over 60 percent of his
passes for over 250 yards per game. East Carolina needs to be active and
alert in the secondary to defend against this very talented signal caller
and his very capable receivers. The Southern Miss rushing attach is also
stellar, averaging over 215 yards rushing per game behind a host of talented
speedy backs. They are all around 5'9" or shorter with great speed and
quickness. The ECU front seven will need to stay in their lanes and swarm to
the football when the runner shows his hand.
STAY FAST AND BALANCED
ON OFFENSE
East Carolina’s version of the spread offense is most effective when it is
run at a very quick pace. Quarterback Dominique Davis goes to the line of
scrimmage with several play options on any given down. Once that play is
completed, the Pirates have the ability to rush to the line and immediately
run another predetermined play, wait for an audible from Davis, or look to
the sidelines and get a new play from offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley.
The faster the better, because it keeps the defense from being able to
substitute or get lined up correctly. Playing at a fast tempo is just a part
of the execution — the Pirates need to be able to run the football and get
into a passing rhythm early in the game and maintain that rhythm throughout.
BE
SPECIAL
Special teams let the Pirates down in each of the last two weeks. Against
Navy, East Carolina gave up a
kickoff return for a touchdown to begin the second half. Last week against
Tulane, ECU had trouble in the
punting game with a couple bad boots from Ben Ryan. One of those punts
netted 11 yards at a time when the Pirates needed to flip field position on
the Green Wave. This week East Carolina needs to be solid in punt and
kickoff coverage and special in the return game. Because of injury, ECU has
tried several players in the kickoff return scheme but still needs for
someone to step and provide a spark in that aspect of the game. On the punt
return team, Lance Lewis has been very close to breaking one and Saturday
would be the perfect time for him to get his first special teams touchdown.
LEVERAGE THE INTANGIBLES
This game will provide many unforeseen opportunities for one team to get an
advantage on the other. Field position will be big and crowd noise could be
a factor. Staying away from injury will also be key. These intangibles and
many others will come up during the game and could make the difference in
the outcome. The Pirates need to be on the opportunistic side of these
factors.
BOTTOM LINE
East
Carolina is
in great shape in the
Conference USA standings at 3-1,
tied for the East Division lead with the Golden Eagles. The Pirates are
facing a Southern Miss team that is one of the hottest in the country after
winning six straight games. The Golden Eagles are difficult to stop and even
tougher to score on. ECU will have to play its best football to prevail. The
Pirates found a way
in Hattiesburg last season and
in Greenville two years ago.
Excellent play in all facets of the game can help ECU lend credence to the
adage that good things come in threes.
Send an e-mail message to
Kevin Monroe.
Dig into Kevin Monroe's
archives.
11/04/2011 02:21:44 AM
----- |
