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Keys to the Game
Saturday, November 29, 2014

By Kevin Monroe

East Carolina at Tulsa

8:30 pm | H.A. Chapman Stadium (cap. 30,000) | TV: ESPNU

By Kevin Monroe
©2013 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

East Carolina and Tulsa will face off tonight in an American Athletic Conference contest. ECU enters this game 7-3 against a 2-9 Golden Hurricane team. The Pirates got a much needed victory over Tulane last week at home after losing back to back games at Temple and Cincinnati. The ECU defense held the Green Wave without a touchdown and the offense put 34 points on the board. It was a total team victory.

Tulane isn’t as bad as its record implies. The Hurricane opened the season with a double-overtime win over Tulane and three weeks later lost an overtime game to Texas State. Since conference play got underway in earnest, Tulsa has played just about everyone tough, leading in the fourth quarter before falling to Temple and losing only two game by more than 10 points. Last week the Hurricane rolled for 416 yards in offense against Houston, the league's second best defensive team, and went into the game's final four minutes tied before the Cougars responded with a game-clinching drive.

Had a few plays gone differently during the course of the season, the Hurricane could have easily been .500 or better.

Playing on the road could make this a tough game for the Pirates, but they should win if they follow this script:

ESTABLISH THE RUN

ECU’s running game has been very effective this season and it will need to get cranked up early tonight. The combination of Allen, Grayson & Scott overwhelmed the Green Wave a week ago and that type of performance is exactly what the coaches want to see. This offense thrives when multiple running backs with fresh legs are successful. Tulsa is giving up 218 yards rushing per game, which ranks among the worst in the conference and in the country. Running the ball early and often to keep the chains moving and put points on the board is exactly what the Pirates need to win this game.

PRESSURE THE QUARTERBACK

The Golden Hurricane has only one senior starter on the offensive line, right guard David Walton. Even though Walton is a senior, he has only 14 starts in his career. The O-lineman with the most experience is tackle Garrett Stafford with 25 starts under his belt. The Tulsa offensive line has given up 25 sacks which averages out to more than 2 per game. The Pirates are coming off of their best defensive performance of the year and they can have another good outing tonight if they can put the heat on quarterback Dane Evans. Through 11 games, Evans is competing only 56 percent of his passes and has thrown 16 interceptions.

OWN THE RED ZONE

Too often this season the Pirates have been great between the 20s and then the offense shrinks in the red zone. Warren Harvey was 2-2 on field goal opportunities last week, but he has struggled this season. ECU needs to put the ball in the end zone when it gets close and not rely on field goals.

BOTTOM LINE

This game showcases a bowl-bound team against a down-on-its-luck opponent. The Pirates are 17-point favorites and should win, but once the game starts anything can happen. The Golden Hurricane is gaining 260 yards per game through the air and can put up points. If ECU runs the football effectively, puts pressure on the quarterback and converts trips to the red zone into touchdowns, it will win.

E-mail Kevin Monroe.

PAGE UPDATED 11/28/14 03:01 AM.

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