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American Football
Schedule |
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SATURDAY |
SMU at UCF, 12 pm (ESPNN)
Tulsa at Houston, 3 pm (ESPN3)
Tulane at ECU, 3:30 pm (ESPN3)
USF at Memphis, 4 pm (ESPNN)
Cincinnati at UConn, 8 pm (CBSSN) |
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FOOTBALL SPECIAL
FEATURE |
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Fifteen Questions for B.J.
Tyson |
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 Bunyon Devell (B.J.)
Tyson, Jr., is off
to a good start in
East Carolina's
basketball program.
Two games into the
2014-15 season, the
6' 3" freshman is
averaging 17.0
points, 5.5 rebounds
and leads the
Pirates in steals
with seven. He is
playing 23.5 minutes
per game. Tyson has
hit nine of his 10
free throws (90
percent) and 12 of
22 field goal
attempts (54.5
percent), although
he has made just one
of seven behind the
arc. ...
More from W.A.
Myatt... |
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Pictured: Freshman
guard B.J. Tyson has
hit the court
running after
attending East
Carolina for a year
before joining the
roster this season.
The Wadesboro
product leads the
team in steals and
is second in
scoring. (ECU Media
Relations photo) |
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FOOTBALL |
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Justin Hardy deserves better |
Justin Hardy has been snubbed. East
Carolina's spectacular receiver will
most likely set the all-time NCAA
record for career receptions this
week when the Pirates host Tulane.
Hardy needs just four catches to
break the record set by Ryan Broyles
of Oklahoma in 2011. ...
More from Brian Bailey... |
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MULTIMEDIA |
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Audio: The
Brian Bailey Show |
  The
Brian Bailey Show
airs on Pirate Radio
1250 on Mondays at
6:30 p.m. Brian's
guests were prep
football coaches
David Wojtecki,
Bobby Curlings, Paul
Cornwell, Sport
Sawyer, Scott
Gardner:
Replay
show... |
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MULTIMEDIA |
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Audio: Coach Ruff Weekly
Presser |
 ECU
coach Ruffin McNeill spoke
with the media at his weekly
press conference on Monday
as the Pirates prepare to
host Tulane on Saturday
(courtesy of Pirate Radio
1250; file photo):
Select
clip... |
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BASKETBALL |
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UNC-Asheville holds off
Pirates |
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GREENVILLE — UNC-Asheville's
Andrew Rowsey stands 5 feet,
10 inches but he was huge on
Sunday afternoon. Rowsey, a
sophomore, scored 28 points
to lead an 83-79
nonconference basketball win
at East Carolina. ...
More... |
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BASKETBALL |
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Pirates cruise in hoops
opener |
 GREENVILLE
— East Carolina
rolled past North
Carolina Wesleyan
99-81 to open the
2014-15 basketball
season at Williams
Arena in Minges
Coliseum on Friday
night. The Pirates
won their first game
of the season for
the 15th consecutive
time. ...
Story, photos,
post-game audio... |
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Pictured: Sophomore
forward Michel Nzege
compiled a
double-double with
18 points and 12
rebounds in ECU's
season-opening win
over N.C. Wesleyan.
The native of
Geneva, Switzerland
sat out last season
after transferring
from Winston-Salem
State. (Photo by W.A.
Myatt.) |
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Time to deal with loss |
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CINCINNATI — The schedule will
soon compact for East Carolina's
2014 football team with three
games in 13 days. The Pirates
will host Tulane on Saturday,
Nov. 22 to start the close to
the regular season. They'll play
at Tulsa the following Friday
before returning home to face
Central Florida on Thursday,
Dec. 4. ...
More from Al Myatt... |
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By
Al Myatt
©2014 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
View ECU's Football
Schedule
VIEW MOBILE VERSION OF THIS PAGE
Saddled with a two-game losing streak under adverse
conditions in the rugged American Athletic Conference, East Carolina's
football team has been looking forward to returning to competition
following a layoff from a Thursday night game at Cincinnati on Nov. 13.
The Pirates resumed practice on Sunday and have had time
to put
the 54-46 loss to the Bearcats
in perspective, a game ECU led 46-45 in the final minute after trailing
38-20 early in the second half.
"It was a disappointing loss to say the least," Pirates
coach Ruffin McNeill said. "We did a lot of things right in the game.
The fact that we got down and came back and gave ourselves a chance to
win the game was a positive. We went into that week making sure we cut
down on penalties. We did that."
After getting flagged 12 times for 120 yards in
a 20-10 loss at Temple in
the preceding contest, ECU drew just five penalties for 38 yards against
the Bearcats — a significant improvement.
"We took the ball away defensively, four of those (three
interceptions and a fumble recovery)," McNeill said. "There were some
positive things but we missed some opportunities on all three sides of
the ball. I was proud of our team, proud of our staff. Losses are hard,
especially when you invest a lot into the work. To come up short in a
game like that when you battle back is tough."
Cincinnati was the first team to outgain the Pirates this
season. The hosts held a narrow 586-572 edge in total yardage.
Bearcats quarterback Gunner Kiel completed 29 of 44 for
436 yards and four touchdowns with three picks. Kiel transferred to
Cincinnati from Notre Dame.
"He was the top quarterback in the nation coming out of
high school," McNeill said. " ... He did a good job of making plays. We
knew their quarterback (Kiel and/or backup Munchie Legaux) would have
total command of the offense. Their receivers are extremely fast. They
had a really good offensive line. That was the thing that stands out
about that team.
"I liked the way we battled back in the second half. We
made stops and did things we had to do to give us a chance to win on all
three sides of the ball. ... Time ran out on us."
The Pirates have met adverse weather conditions in their
most recent road games. The temperature was 46 degrees at Lincoln
Financial Field in Philadelphia, compounded by 15 mile-per-hour wind
from the northeast and a steady rain. ECU lost five fumbles and the game
despite outgaining the Owls 432-135 in total yards.
It was 27 degrees at kickoff in Cincinnati with southwest
winds at seven miles per hour.
"Temple was cold, which didn't really bother us, but the
rain and the wind did," McNeill said. "But no excuses, like I've said
before. At Cincinnati, we were prepared for it from equipment for the
kids to sideline operations (heated benches and blowers) as well. I
thought they handled it real well. It wasn't a factor."
The advance forecast is calling clear skies and a
relatively-mild high in the low 50s when ECU hosts Tulane on Saturday at
3:30 p.m. The Pirates have been looking forward to playing at home
again.
"I'm hoping we'll come out in full force," McNeill said.
"I'm an alum. This team loves playing for our university. I'm expecting
the fans to come out in full force. I could not find a reason why they
would not. ... We haven't played at home in 29 days so I'm expecting a
full house. It's Military Appreciation Day. I expect the stadium to be
full of excitement and electricity."
The Green Wave probably will start redshirt freshman
Tanner Lee at quarterback. Senior Nick Montana, son of former NFL great,
Joe Montana, is the backup.
"Lee has a strong arm," McNeill said. "They have a lot of
receivers. C.J. (Tulane coach Curtis Johnson) is running more of a New
Orleans Saints offense, which is where he was with Sean Payton. They use
a lot of formations. They'll use a tight end. They distribute the ball
very well. He's a young quarterback. He's 144 out of 260, completion,
attempts for 1,500-plus yards. He's doing a good job of getting rid of
the football."
Tulane
stunned the visiting Pirates 36-33 in triple
overtime in New Orleans last season as Cairo
Santos kicked five field goals.
"We watched the film and saw what they did defensively
and offensively last year and learned from that," McNeill said. "Of
course, we use it to prepare. They did a good job last year. We had
opportunities last year as well. Triple overtime at their place. Tight
game and they had a fantastic kicker."
McNeill expects to be without receivers Trevon Brown and
Jimmy Williams, who are coming back from injuries, as the Pirates look
to get back into the win column.
TV notes: The ECU-Tulane
game will be carried by ESPN3. The American Athletic Conference and
ESPN have posted that ECU's matchup at Tulsa on Friday, Nov. 28, will be
televised on ESPNU with an 8:30 p.m. kickoff.
