GAME DAY ANALYSIS
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Kevin's Keys to the
Game
Saturday, November 11, 2006
By Kevin Monroe |
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Game 10: ECU
vs. Marshall
Each week, Kevin Monroe, Sideline Reporter for the Pirate ISP
Sports Network, provides “Kevin’s Keys to The Game,”
outlining what East Carolina must do to beat its opponent.
Monroe brings a unique perspective to the task, not only as an
analyst on the radio broadcast, but also as a former defensive
back for the Pirates (1995-99). |
©2006 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
East
Carolina can defeat Marshall if it accomplishes these key objectives:
-
Emotion:
East Carolina is
playing Marshall as the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, IN,
is
poised to screen the "We Are
Marshall" movie next week. The movie, set to open nationwide on Dec. 22,
is centered on the rebuilding of the Marshall football program after
most of the team was killed in a plane crash on Nov. 14, 1970, on the
return trip home from Greenville, where the Thundering Herd had played a
hard-fought game at East Carolina. Last season marked the 35th
anniversary of the crash and the game in Huntington, WV, between the two
teams was very emotional. This Marshall team has had to relive this
event this season because of the movie and will be playing with very
heavy hearts. The Pirates must match that energy with some intensity of
their own.
-
Home Field
Advantage: The
Pirates have gotten three of their five victories this year in
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. If they want to have the opportunity to play for
the conference championship, they must protect their home field. After
winning two huge games on the road versus
Southern Mississippi and
Central Florida, the team will be
happy to be home. The crowd should be close to capacity and the weather
should be awesome. With only one more conference game on the schedule, a
road contest next Saturday at Rice, East Carolina must win this one at
home.
-
Stop the Run: Behind
the tough running of Ahmad Bradshaw, Marshall loves to move the football
on the ground. Through 10 games, Bradshaw is averaging 125 yards per
contest. The Pirates have been very strong this year versus the run, and
when they have needed to stop it, they have.
Against West Virginia, the Pirates
held two of the nation's top rushers under 100 yards. On the road at
Central Florida, the ECU defense was dominant. It will take another
outing like that to slow this tough Marshall attack. Quarterback Bernard
Morris is also a threat to run, averaging 33 yards rushing per game.
-
Protect the
Football:
Offensively, the
Pirates, if they avoid turnovers, have the ability to score on the
Thundering Herd. Marshall is giving up 28 points per game. If Brandon
Fractious can get out early running the football, ECU should be in good
shape. Marshall is giving up 150 yards per game on the ground and 243
through the air. The early rushing attack should make the passing game
flourish behind the big arm of James Pinkney and the big play receivers
of Aundrae Allison, Steven Rogers and Phillip Henry. Scoring early and
often is what it will take to win this game.
The
Bottom Line:
This is a huge game for East Carolina, one that will be a challenge
emotionally, mentally and physically. Since the Pirates entered Conference
USA in 1997, they had not until now had the opportunity to control their own
destiny this late in the season. A win over Marshall Saturday followed by a
victory at Rice next week would
lock up the Eastern Division and give
the Pirates a berth in the C-USA Championship Game on Dec. 1. It goes
without saying that this is the biggest game of the year.
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02/23/2007 10:32:33 AM
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