|
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
©2013 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
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 03:52 AM.
|