ECU Hosts Navy In Final Non-Conference Game
November 03, 2010 | Football
Nov. 3, 2010
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Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Information
ECU Game Notes 
| Navy Game Notes
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina will close out its 2010 non-conference schedule when it welcomes Navy to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. regionally-televised matchup. The Pirates will try to bounce back from a 49-35 setback at UCF last week and extend their home winning streak to eight straight when they meet the Midshipmen. ECU, which is 5-3 at the eight-game mark for the third consecutive season, will also attempt to reach bowl-eligible status for the fifth-straight year. The Pirates will follow the Navy tilt by opening a two-game C-USA road swing at UAB Thursday.
The Series
Navy leads 1-0 ... The Midshipmen racked up 403 rushing yards and cashed East Carolina's only turnover into seven points to post a 28-23 victory in the series and season opener between the two teams at Annapolis, Md., Sept. 2, 2006 ... Navy's ground total still ranks among the top 10 ever recorded versus the Pirates ... The two athletic programs were rivals as members of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) for a handful of years beginning in 1985-1986.
ECU-Navy ... The Second Of Four
Saturday's matchup against Navy is the second of a four-game series, which as previously mentioned, was initiated in 2006 ... The Pirates and Midshipmen are scheduled to meet again next year in Annapolis before closing it out back at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in 2012.
Pirates Against The Armed Forces
The Pirates' eight wins against Army (8-0 series record) and lone setback to Navy represent the only meetings East Carolina has had against the nation's military academies who annually compete for the Commander-In-Chief Trophy ... ECU has never faced Air Force since beginning its football program in 1932 ... In addition, the Pirates are 19-5 all-time against the I-AA military schools, posting a 12-4 mark against The Citadel and a 7-1 clip vs. VMI.
ECU Against The Independent Ranks
In similar fashion, the Pirates' 8-0 record against Army and its 0-1 slate versus Navy mark ECU's only action against I-A independents.
Ruffin McNeill Against Navy
While Saturday's matchup will represent Ruffin McNeill's first meeting against Navy as a head coach, there was one (1-0) other occasion where he faced off against the Midshipmen ... While serving as Texas Tech's defensive tackles coach and special teams coordinator, McNeill's Red Raiders posted a 38-14 win over Navy at the 2003 EV1.net Houston Bowl at Reliant Stadium ... B.J. Symons passed for 497 yards and four touchdowns to lead Texas Tech offensively, while the Midshipmen piled up 289 rushing yards in Navy's first bowl appearance in seven years.
Another East Carolina-Navy Connection
Current ECU inside receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick and Midshipmen defensive coordinator Buddy Green both served as head coach at FCS-member UT-Chattanooga ... Green, who led the Mocs' program from 1994 to 1999, hired Kirkpatrick as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 1998 ... Two years later, Kirkpatrick was promoted to the top position (2000-2002) after Green left UTC to become the defensive coordinator at N.C. State.
At Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium - 4-0 In 2010
East Carolina's all-time record at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium is 159-79-1 (.667) ... The Pirates opened the facility on Sept. 21, 1963 with a 20-10 win over Brian Piccolo and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in front of 17,000 fans ... Before its current 4-0 mark in 2010, ECU also won 10 of 12 home matchups in 2009 (6-1) and 2008 (4-1) ... ECU has turned in 36 winning seasons at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, including 13 "perfect" ledgers (the last in 1995/5-0).
A Familiar Feeling
East Carolina's loss to UCF last week dropped the Pirates' record to 5-3 at the eight-game mark for the third-straight season ... A closer look (*bowl):
| Year | Record | Game 9 Opponent | W/L | Record | Remainder |
| 1999 | 7-1 | UAB | L | 7-2 | *2-1 |
| 2000 | 5-3 | Houston | W | 6-3 | *2-1 |
| 2001 | 5-3 | Cincinnati | W | 6-3 | *0-3 |
| 2002 | 3-5 | UAB | L | 3-6 | 1-2 |
| 2003 | 1-7 | Memphis | L | 1-8 | 0-3 |
| 2004 | 2-6 | USF | L | 2-7 | 0-2 |
| 2005 | 3-5 | Tulsa | L | 3-6 | 2-0 |
| 2006 | 4-4 | UCF | W | 5-4 | *2-2 |
| 2007 | 4-4 | UAB | W | 5-4 | *3-1 |
| 2008 | 5-3 | Marshall | W | 6-3 | *3-2 |
| 2009 | 5-3 | Virginia Tech | L | 5-4 | *4-1 |
| 2010 | 5-3 | Navy | - | - | - |
Another Case Of Déjà Vu
With their setback to the Knights in Orlando last week, the Pirates also fell to 4-1 to begin Conference USA play for the fourth consecutive year ... There's been only ECU squad to open the C-USA slate perfect through five (2001).
Let's Talk All-Purpose
Among all-purpose performers, senior inside receiver Dwayne Harris ranks fourth among FBS players with a 176.5 ypg average ... He has already clipped the 200-yard milestone on three occasions this year (230/USM, 260/NCSU, 289/UCF) ... A closer look:
| No. | Name (class/pos) | School | G | Yds | APY/G |
| 1. | LaMichael James (So./RB) | Oregon | 7 | 1,327 | 189.6 |
| 2. | Trent Richardson (So./RB) | Alabama | 8 | 1,454 | 181.8 |
| 3. | Randall Cobb (Jr./WR) | Kentucky | 9 | 1,619 | 179.9 |
| 4. | Dwayne Harris (Sr./WR) | East Carolina | 8 | 1,412 | 176.5 |
| 5. | Eric Stephens (So./RB) | Texas Tech | 8 | 1,359 | 169.9 |
Truth Vs. Reality
The perception of ECU's spread offense is one of quick strikes, yet the Pirates have nine TD drives of 10+ plays in `10 - two more than the entire `09 season.
Living Like A Pirate ... On Defense
The Pirates have forced nine turnovers in the last three games (N.C. State, Marshall, UCF) after netting only one takeaway in the previous three tilts ... On a related note, ECU has picked off six passes in the last three outings after going without an interception in three consecutive contests.
