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GAME DAY WEATHER |
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The forecast for East
Carolina's noon kickoff
against Temple at Lincoln
Financial Field in
Philadelphia is calling for
50 degrees and cloudy skies
with 72 percent humidity and
a 20 percent chance of
precipitation. North winds
are projected to be 10 miles
per hour. Slight changes
during the American Athletic
Conference game, which will
be shown on the ESPNews
network, include an increase
in temperature to 51
degrees, 71 percent humidity
by the end of the contest, a
zero percent chance of rain
at 4 p.m. and North winds
increasing to 12 miles per
hour. (Filed by Al Myatt) |
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Full-size radar loop |
Scientific
forecast |
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College Football Playoff
Rankings |
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Released date: Oct. 28, 2014 |
1. Mississippi
State 7-0
2. Florida State 7-0
3. Auburn 6-1
4. Mississippi 7-1
5. Oregon 7-1
6. Alabama 7-1
7. TCU 6-1
8. Michigan State 7-1
9. Kansas State 6-1
10. Notre Dame 6-1
11. Georgia 6-1
12. Arizona 6-1
13. Baylor 6-1
14. Arizona State 6-1
15. Nebraska 7-1
16. Ohio State 6-1
17. Utah 6-1
18. Oklahoma 5-2
19. LSU 7-2
20. West Virginia 6-2
21. Clemson 6-2
22. UCLA 6-2
23. East Carolina 6-1
24. Duke 6-1
25. Louisville 6-2) |
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Official College Football
Playoff Website |
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FOOTBALL |
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'Body of work' will matter
at the end |
There is a reason the FCS
football playoff and NCAA
basketball tournament
committees do not publish
weekly polls. College
Football Playoff organizers
state the early rankings are
to “condition the public”
prior to the final Dec 7
rankings. ...
More from Greg Vacek... |
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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
guest this week was
ECU outside
receivers coach Dave
Nichol (right):
Replay
show... |
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How good is ECU? |
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GREENVILLE — East Carolina
became bowl eligible for the
eighth time in the last nine
seasons with a 31-21 American
Athletic Conference football win
over Connecticut at
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on
Thursday night. The Pirates
improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0
in the American Athletic
Conference ...
More from Al Myatt... |
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PURPLE
HEART: East
Carolina
coach and
alumnus
Ruffin
McNeill
joins in on
the fight
song in
front of the
"Boneyard"
in
Dowdy-Ficklen
Stadium
after the
Pirates'
hard-fought
victory over
American
Athletic
Conference
foe UConn. ©Bonesville.net.
[W.A. Myatt
photo] |
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View more
pix in W.A.
Myatt's
photo
gallery... |
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Audio: Ruff Post-game |
  ECU
coach Ruffin McNeill spoke
with the press after the
Pirates defeated UConn 31-21
Thursday night (recorded by
W.A. Myatt; file photo):
Select audio clip... |
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View Mobile Alpha version of this page.
By
Kevin Monroe
©2014 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
View ECU's
2014 football schedule
East
Carolina will face off against the 4-3 Temple Owls in Philadelphia
today. It will mark the first time the Pirates meet an American Athletic
Conference team with a winning record and it will also be their toughest
league test to date.
The
Owls have lost back to back American games to Houston and Central
Florida and are looking to get back on track. Temple is one of only
12 teams in the nation averaging more than 30 points per game while
giving up less than 20 points per game. The Owls have a solid track
record when it comes to red zone defense, giving up scores only 61
percent of the time. The Pirates will need to be mistake-free in the
red zone and turn each trip into points. If ECU wants to win this
game to stay undefeated in the AAC, it will need to follow this
script:
PROTECT THE BALL
I
used this key
last week and it would be appropriate to use
it every week. There isn’t anything more important than taking care
of the football. That fact is magnified this week because Temple is
tenacious at swiping the ball from opposing offenses. The Owls have
8 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries through 7 games, just shy
of 3 takeaways per game. Add in their 23 pass breakups and the Owls
are getting their hands on the football at an alarming rate. Anthony
Davis and Shariff Finch each have 3 fumble recoveries and Tavon
Young has 3 interceptions. The Pirates have done a pretty good job
of taking care of the football. The offense has thrown 7
interceptions and lost 3 fumbles this year. Quarterback Shane Carden
will need to make smart passing decisions and the ECU ball carriers
will need to wrap the ball up with an iron grip.
BE SPECIAL
Temple has been impressive on special teams with 3 punt returns for
touchdowns and 3 blocked kicks. Just last week, the Owls blocked two
UCF punts and returned one for a touchdown. ECU punter Worth Gregory
has had a really good year and was recently added to the Ray Guy
Award list. The Alabama transfer is averaging 45.6 yards per boot.
The execution in the punt game will need to be flawless today,
including covering and tackling effectively once the ball is kicked.
In the field goal kicking game, Warren Harvey has to be more
consistent. He is 6 for 11 on the year but it hasn’t hurt the
Pirates yet. However, in a tough road conference game like this that
could go down to the end, Harvey has to be dependable from start to
finish.
CONVERT, CONVERT, CONVERT
The
Pirates are pretty good converting on third down plays, moving the
chains 46 times in 96 chances, almost a 50% rate. Temple is giving
up first downs only 38% of the time. Even more impressive is the
Owls' proven ability to force three and outs. They are 17th in the
nation in that defensive statistical category. In 94 total drives by
opponents, 36 of those drives (38%) have ended in three plays and a
punt. Carden and this Pirate offense will need to be efficient
against that kind of resistance. It starts with getting 4 or more
yards on first down in order to make second and third down less
imposing. Converting in the red zone will also be paramount as the
Temple defense buckles down when backed up near its goal line.
BOTTOM LINE
Though the Pirates have played down to the level of their
competition over the last three weeks, they have fought hard, been
mentally tough and found ways to win each game. Today the level of
competition will present a much stiffer test. If the Pirates don’t
come ready to play, they will lose. If they protect the football on
offense, are solid in execution on special teams and convert third
downs and trips to the red zone, they will win.
This
one should be a good one. Expect the Pirates to rise to the occasion.
Send an e-mail message to
Kevin Monroe.
Dig into Kevin Monroe's
archives.
ECU
coach Ruffin McNeill spoke
with the media at his weekly
press conference on Monday
(courtesy of Pirate Radio
1250; Bonesville file
photo):