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'Super Bowl?'
Today's contest
against Virginia
Tech will be East
Carolina's 800th
since the school
started its football
program in 1932. The
Pirates will be
looking for their
first 3-0 start
since 2008. However,
the Hokies were the
ones who spoiled a
2-0 beginning to
ECU's 2010 season. A
loss by the Hokies
would put them at
1-2 heading into
games with Marshall,
Georgia Tech and UNC-Chapel
Hill.
�This is probably
their Super Bowl,�
Tech senior
linebacker Jack
Tyler remarked this
week about the
Pirates' approach to
the matchup. �I
mean, this is a big
game for them. I�m
sure they have
Virginia Tech
circled.�
ECU coach Ruffin
McNeil encourages
his charges to keep
each challenge in
perspective. "We
have three ACC teams
on our schedule, but
for us, what I told
our team is to worry
about what we can
control," he said.
"I want to play to
get better this
week. We want to win
each game we play.
There is no such
thing as an ugly
win. I want to make
sure we keep
developing. I'm
looking forward to
playing against a
really great program
and we're looking
forward to the
challenge."
Hokies� quarterback
Logan Thomas has
adjusted to new
offensive
coordinator Scot
Loeffler. No
designed runs were
called for Thomas in
last week's 45-3 win
over Western
Carolina, which
obviously forced
Thomas to focus on
his passing. "I was
able to go
one-to-two-to-three
[in progressions].
If my third was
open, I was able to
get it out of my
hand," said Thomas.
"Say if it wasn't
open, it's my job to
make a play after
that. I'm not afraid
to run." Look for
Loeffler to insert
more designed runs
for Logan against
ECU.
Making reference to
preparing for Thomas
and noting missed
tackles by the
Pirates in the first
two games, McNeill
said, "What you
can't simulate in
practice is the
speed of the game,
no matter who it's
against. I thought
we tackled better
and that is
something we work on
it every day. I
don't watch much of
the NFL, but I
watched some and
they were still
messing up there and
they're pretty good
at it, too. We'll
keep working on it
and we'll get better
at it." The Pirates
also need to work on
penalties that
hindered drives in
their 31-13 win
over Florida
Atlantic.
Tech Coach Frank
Beamer expects and
relishes a raucous
atmosphere. �The
worst stadiums to me
are the ones where
no one cares,�
Beamer said Tuesday.
�East Carolina
people care that
Virginia Tech is
coming to town and
they�ll be loud.�
The Hokies' last two
trips to
Dowdy-Ficklen
Stadium produced
competitive
contests. They were
fortunate to escape
with
a 17-10 win
in Thomas�s first
road start in 2011.
Tech came away with
a 16-3 victory
in 2009. Beamer
isn�t taking the
challenge lightly.
"They've got our
attention and have
got our respect,"
Beamer said.
"They're a very,
very explosive
football team."
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VPI |
TALE OF
THE TAPE* |
ECU |
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51st/195.0 |
Rushing
Offense |
119th/72.0 |
|
106th/142 |
Passing
Offense |
21st/324.5 |
|
96th/337.0 |
Total
Offense |
74th/396.5 |
|
72nd/27.5 |
Scoring
Offense |
29th/41.5 |
|
27th/103.5 |
Rushing
Defense |
24th/97.0 |
|
3rd/92.3 |
Pass
Efficiency
Defense |
70th/127.4 |
|
4th/184.0 |
Total
Defense |
58th/371.0 |
|
T-41st/19.0 |
Scoring
Defense |
65th/25.5 |
|
T-58th/0.0 |
Turnover
Margin |
27th/1.0 |
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*2013 FBS National
Ranking
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TOP PERFORMERS AT A
GLANCE |
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PASSING
Comp-Att-Int. YDS.
TD |
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VPI
-
Thomas
22-57-3 259 1 |
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ECU - Carden
63-79-0 638 7 |
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RUSHING
ATT. YDS. AVG. TD |
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VPI
-
Edmunds 35
200 5.7 3 |
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ECU - Cooper 32
133 4.2 1 |
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RECEIVING
NO. YDS. AVG. TD |
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VPI
- Stanford
5 62 12.4 0 |
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ECU - Hardy 20
227 11.4 1 |
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TACKLES
UT AT TFL SACKS |
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VPI
- Tyler
7 12 1.0 0 |
ECU - Hawkins
10 4 0 0
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Schemes:
Virginia Tech
utilizes a
multiple/pro style
offensive attack
while employing a
4-2-5 defensive
alignment. ECU will
line up in a spread
offense and are
multiple on defense.
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WORTH NOTING
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�
Since the
completion
of a
7,000-seat
expansion
project in
2010 that
pushed the
stadium
capacity to
50,000, East
Carolina has
drawn
962,262
fans. An
expected
sellout
today would
push the
Pirates past
the one
million mark
in their
bigger digs.
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�
Virginia
Tech has had
pretty good
success
playing in
North
Carolina,
winning nine
of its last
11 games in
the state.
Since 2000,
the Hokies
are 17-3 in
games played
in N.C.
Those three
losses came
at the hands
of ECU
in Charlotte
in 2008,
Clemson in
Charlotte at
the 2010 ACC
Championship
Game, and
UNC-Chapel
Hill last
season at
Kenan
Stadium. ECU
has split
its last ten
home games
against AQ
BCS
opponents
and has won
four
straight �
and eight of
its last
nine � home
games.
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�
ECU has won
21 of its
last 22
games when
converting
third downs
at 50% or
higher. The
Hokie
defense has
allowed only
8 successful
third-down
conversions
in 30
chances,
which
translates
to 27
percent.
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�
Saturday�s
matchup is
the first of
an
eight-game
agreement
between ECU
and Virginia
Tech that
will go
through
2020. The
Pirates will
travel to
Blacksburg
in 2014,
2016, 2018
and 2020.
The Hokies
will travel
back to
Greenville
for games in
2015, 2017
and 2019.
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�
Virginia
Tech�s Chuck
Clark
describes
ECU�s Davon
Grayson as
�my dude�
and �best
friend.� But
if the pair
line up
across from
one another
in today�s
game, a
five-year
bond will be
temporarily
sidelined.
Clark is a
reserve free
safety for
the Hokies,
Grayson a
starting
receiver for
the Pirates.
Both are
true
freshmen
from
Suffolk,
Virginia.
With four
touchdown
receptions
in two
games,
Grayson has
been a
revelation
for ECU.
Clark, a
special
teams
starter for
the Hokies,
played some
at free
safety
during the
fourth
quarter of
last week�s
rout of
Western
Carolina.
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� Virginia
Tech
linebacker
Jack Tyler
knows more
than most of
his
teammates
about East
Carolina.
His father,
Tim, played
on the
defensive
line for the
Pirates
(�68-70) and
still likes
to tell Jack
about the
time he
chased down
Louisiana
Tech
quarterback
Terry
Bradshaw in
a game.
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�
The Hokies
have allowed
an average
of 19 points
per game,
while the
Pirates are
scoring at a
42-point
clip. ECU
has won 11
of its last
12 games
(and 39 of
45) when
scoring 30
or more
points, but
has lost 11
straight
games when
scoring 20
points or
less.
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