East Carolina Travels To Tulsa For Friday Night Tilt
November 26, 2014 | Football
| East Carolina Game 11: Tulsa | |
| Date | Friday, Nov. 28 |
| Time | 8:30 P.M. (EST) |
| Location | Tulsa, Okla. (H.A. Chapman Stadium) |
| Tickets & Parking | Game Tickets | Parking Information |
| Live Game Coverage |  Radio: WNCT 107.9FM | Pirates On Demand (Listen Live) Television: ESPNU/WatchESPN |
| Internet Options | Gametracker |
| Official Web Sites | East Carolina | Tulsa | American Athletic Conference |
| Game Notes | East Carolina  | Tulsa | The American |
| 2014 Football Statistics | East Carolina | Tulsa | The American |
| ECU Football Central | Gameday Central | Roster | Fact Book | The American | NCAA Football |
| Official Social Media Sites | |
| East Carolina | Tulsa | The American | |
| East Carolina | ECUScoreboard (In-Game Updates) | Tulsa | The American | |
| Twitter Hashtags | #ECUPirates | #ECUFootball | #TUnited | #AmericanRising | #ECUvsTULSA |
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina will close out its 2014 regular season road schedule when it travels to Tulsa on Friday for an 8:30 p.m. (EST) American Conference matchup against the Golden Hurricane. The Pirates, who are already bowl eligible (for the eighth time in the last nine years), will look to snap a two-game road skid and even its "away" record at 3-3 for the year before welcoming UCF to Greenville next Thursday. ECU's tilt against Tulsa marks the third of four non-Saturday contests this year and second-straight non-traditional meeting at Chapman Stadium - last playing on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009.
EAST CAROLINA RECORDS AND STREAKS
- Qualified for 10 bowl appearances since 2000 (eight of the last nine years) ...
- Has had at least eight wins in five of the last seven years ...
- Has won 22 of the last 25 games when scoring 30 or more points ...
- Has lost 13-straight games when scoring 20 or less points (19-14 vs. UCF in `09/last win) ...
- Has won 17 of the last 18 games when gaining 200 or more rushing yards ...
- Has held seven of last 10 opponents to less than 100 rushing yards ...
- Has won eight of the last 13 regular season road games ...
- Has won four-straight games against Tulsa (two in a row at Chapman Stadium) ...
- Has won 11 of the last 16 games vs. American Athletic Conference opponents ...
THE SERIES
East Carolina owns a 6-5 advantage in a series which dates back to 1984 ... The Pirates currently enjoy a four-game win streak, which began with a 27-24 triumph in the 2008 Conference USA Championship Game at Chapman Stadium ... ECU has won three of the five games played in Oklahoma, but the two programs have split six matchups at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
THE AMERICAN - PREVIEWING THE NEW ...
East Carolina has posted a 73-38 (.658) all-time mark against current members of the American Athletic Conference ... In addition to their 11-game series with Tulsa (6-5), the Pirates have also squared off against Memphis (15-6), Cincinnati (12-6), Tulane (11-3), UCF (9-3), Temple (8-4), Houston (7-5), SMU (3-2), Connecticut (1-0) and USF (1-4).
... REVIEWING THE OLD - CONFERENCE USA
During its 17-year membership in Conference USA (1997-2013), East Carolina produced an all-time 78-50 (.609) league record ... Overall, the Pirates completed C-USA action by winning 11 of the last 13, 27 of the last 37 and 36 of the last 49 league games ... ECU captured conference titles in 2008 and 2009 under Skip Holtz.
NON-SATURDAY MAYHEM
East Carolina is 17-20 in non-Saturday games since 2000, when it became a regular "alternative" to the game's scheduling staple ... Oddly, the Pirates have fared better on the road - compiling an 11-10 record compared to a 6-10 slate in Greenville ... In terms of days (including bowls), ECU is 4-0 on Sundays, 1-1 on Mondays, 2-1 on Tuesdays, 0-3 on Wednesdays, 6-9 on Thursdays (1-1 in 2014) and 4-6 on Fridays.
ON THE ROAD - WINS IN EIGHT OF THE LAST 13 (REGULAR SEASON)
Since becoming a conference member in 1997, East Carolina is 51-67 (.432) when playing away from Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium ... Before a 2-3 mark so far this year and a 5-2 record in 2013, the Pirates were 3-4 in 2012, 2-4 in 2011, 2-5 in 2010, 3-4 in 2009 and 5-4 in 2008 ... When the Pirates topped the Bobcats 37-20 at Tropicana Field last December, it marked "away" wins in five of seven contests during the 2013 campaign - ECU's top road ledger since a 5-1 slate in 1991 ... From a regular season standpoint, the Pirates have won eight of the last 13 road contests dating back to 2012 (5-4 in conference play, 3-1 in non-conference action).
REPEATING IN THE AMERICAN
As ECU has opened competition in the American Athletic Conference this fall, the Pirates are contending for top attendance honors there as well ... After the first 13 weeks of play, ECU has a firm lead in its new league with an average 45,491 (UCF/37,812; Memphis/33,601; Cincinnati/29,686; USF/29,650; Houston/28,311; Connecticut/28,218; Tulane/25,892; Temple/23,792; SMU/22,745; and Tulsa/20,551).
LEAGUE, NON-LEAGUE STATISTICAL COMPARISONS
In its six American Athletic Conference contests this year, East Carolina has averaged 32.3 points, 173.5 rushing yards, 350.8 passing yards and 524.3 total yards per game so far ... By comparison, the Pirates booked 43.3 ppg, 189.5 rypg, 392.0 pypg and 581.5 ypg averages in their four non conference tilts ... Defensively, ECU has surrendered 23.7 points, 77.8 rushing yards, 286.0 passing yards and 363.8 total yards in its league contests, while giving up 25.5, 120.2, 240.5 and 360.8 averages against non-American Conference foes ... Of the six interceptions East Carolina has surrendered all year, only two have been recorded by AAC opponents - one each by USF and Connecticut back in October.
SHUTOUT-FREE ... 216 AND COUNTING
ECU will enter the Tulsa game with an active streak of 216 games of not suffering a shutout - a school record (previous mark was 110 set from `71 to `81) ... The last time the Pirates were blanked was on Oct. 4, 1997 (56-0 at Syracuse) ... ECU's 216-game run currently ranks 14th among all active FBS streaks and is the 24th-longest in the all-time annals ... Florida currently sits atop the active leaderboard with 333 (began in 1988).
TAKING OFF THE (RED)SHIRT
Ruffin McNeill's "play immediately" count is currently at 21 during his ECU head coaching tenure ... A program-high nine (9) players have had their redshirts removed this year - TE Steve Baggett, OWR Trevon Brown, ILB Joe Carter, OWR Terrell Green, IWR Quay Johnson, DS Colton Oliver, DB Cody Purdie, RB Anthony Scott, ILB Ray Tillman - to join a list of 12 others beginning in 2010: 2010 (4), 2011 (2), 2012 (1) and 2013 (5).
FOURTH QUARTER CLOSURE
East Carolina has enjoyed a distinct upper hand in fourth quarter action during its American Athletic Conference schedule this year, outscoring SMU, USF, UConn, Temple, Cincinnati and Tulane by a combined 74-19 clip ... Overall (10 games), the Pirates have enjoyed an 116-50 edge in the final 15 minutes ... The +66 margin currently ranks second nationally (Nevada/+78 is first) ... On the flipside, ECU is -2 in the third period (59-61).
A TWO-YEAR DEFENSIVE TURNAROUND
The arrival of defensive coordinator Rick Smith a year ago has certainly made a visible impact on that side of the ball for the Pirates ... A closer look:
| Category/Game | 2010-12 | 2013-14 |
| Rushing Defense | 185.6 | 107.2 |
| Total Defense | 430.0 | 366.1 |
| Scoring Defense | 36.1 | 24.6 |
| Overall W-L Record | 19-19 | 17-6 |
To offer some perspective, ECU ranked 120th in total defense, 119th in scoring defense and 117th in rush defense during Ruffin McNeill's first year (2010).
HALTING THE RUN
After limiting six of 13 opponents to double-digit rushing totals in 2013, Rick Smith's defense has followed with greater success in 2014 by keeping seven of the first 10 foes under 100 yards - NCCU (70), Virginia Tech (91), SMU (51), USF (93), UConn (84), Temple (65) and Tulane (24) ... ECU ranked 13th nationally against the run a year ago (116.7 ypg) and currently stands fourth at the FBS level by allowing only 94.8 ypg.
Notebooking Shane Carden
Although passed over for the starting position to open the 2012 season as a sophomore, Shane Carden took over the job prior to ECU's third game and has responded with a school-record 10,829 aerial yards and 77 TDs ... A closer look at Carden's career
- Statistically, rates as the top "returning" QB in the American Conference, currently ranking among Top 5 FBS active career leaders in total offense plays per game (2nd/45.0), completion percentage (4th/67.0), completions per game (4th/25.8), TDs responsible for (5th/100), pass yards (5th/10,829), pass completions (5th/954), pass attempts (5th/1,424) ...
- Has accounted for 101 of 157 offensive TDs (64%) as ECU's starter in two-plus years ...
- Has thrown for over 400 yards on eight occasions and authored 13 contests over 350, 18 over 300 and 28 over 250 yards ...
- Has thrown a touchdown pass in 30 of his last 32 games ...
- First QB in school history to both pass for over 4,000 yards in a season and eclipse 3,000 in three-straight years (currently on pace for a 4,646-yard campaign in `14) ...
- Also is the first QB in school history to pass for over 10,000 yards in a career (10,829) ...
- One of eight (8) returning FBS QBs who own their school's single-season passing record, but is one of only four (nationally) to have set his program's career mark as an active player (Taylor Heinicke/ODU, Sean Mannion/OSU, Garrett Grayson/CSU) ...
- Established an ECU single-game passing record on three occasions - 439 vs. Marshall in 2012, 447 vs. Old Dominion and 480 vs. Tulane in 2013 ...
- Directly responsible for all four TDs vs. No. 17 Virginia Tech (three pass, game-winning rush with 0:16 remaining) and accounted for 12 scores vs. ACC member North Carolina in consecutive years (six; three/three in 2013, six; four/two in 2014) ...
- Earned 10 career league player-of-the-week awards, including four C-USA versions in 2013 and three American Conference honor so far this year; also has picked up two ESPN Helmet Stickers (vs. UNC/'13, vs. VT/'14) ...
- Currently second in rush TDs with five (led unit with eight in `12/second with 10 in `13) ...
- Has equaled a single-game East Carolina record with five TD passes on four occasions - vs. Memphis (`12) and vs. Old Dominion, Tulsa and UAB (`13) ...
- Has led ECU to a 17-5 (.773) record in conference games (7-1/'12, 6-2/'13, 4-2/'14) ...
HARDY'S NCAA-RECORD CHASE ... COMPLETE
With nine receptions vs. Tulane, senior inside receiver Justin Hardy (355) broke the NCAA's (FBS) all-time receptions record - surpassing the mark of 349 set by Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles (2008-11) ... Hardy, who also posted his 15th career triple-digit yardage outing (104) vs. Tulane last week (and has 13 double-digit catch totals), currently leads all active receivers in career receptions and receiving yards
TWO FOR 2 ... IN 46-STRAIGHT
Justin Hardy has caught at least two passes in every career game he's played, a run that sits at 46-straight contests heading into the Tulsa tilt ... The streak, which began with an 11-catch, 91 yard effort vs. South Carolina on Sept. 3, 2011, currently ranks first among all active receivers in 2014
ECU'S TOUCHDOWN TANDEM
Seniors Shane Carden and Justin Hardy have connected for 25 touchdowns during their Pirate careers, which leads all active QB-WR tandems at the FBS level:
| No. | Quarterback | Receiver | School | TDs |
| 1. | Shane Carden | Justin Hardy | East Carolina | 25 |
| 2. | Rakeem Cato | Tommy Shuler | Marshall | 23 |
| 3. | Bryce Petty | Antwan Goodley | Baylor | 16 |
SPREADING THE WEALTH
ECU has had a 100-yard receiver (14 times by four different players - Isaiah Jones, Justin Hardy, Cam Worthy and Trevon Brown) in nine of 10 games this season ... The Pirates have featured a "double-triple" in back-to-back games vs. Cincinnati and Tulane with Hardy and Worthy each reaching 100-plus receiving yards in both tilts.
OFFENSE O'PLENTY
ECU has racked up 3,935 total yards (562.1 ypg) in its last seven outings (UNC/789, SMU/581, USF/481, UCONN/580, TEM/428, CIN/579, TLN/497) - a seven-game program record, surpassing 3,636 yards set last year (UNC/Sept. 28 through UAB/Nov. 16).
SPEAKING OF OFFENSE ...
The Pirates' 789-yard effort vs. North Carolina earlier this year stands as the second-highest single-game total at the FBS level this season (most by "G5" vs. "P5"):
| No. | Team | Yards | Opponent | Date | Result |
| 1. | Washington State | 812 | California | Oct. 4 | L, 60-59 |
| 2. | East Carolina | 789 | North Carolina | Oct. 20 | W, 70-41 |
| 3. | Arizona | 787 | UNLV | Aug. 29 | W, 58-13 |
SEASONAL "LONG-TERM" GOAL (WITHIN REACH)
With wins in its last three games (bowl included), the 2014 Pirates can become the first team in ECU football history to post consecutive 10-win campaigns.
IN THE POLLS
The 20-10 setback at Temple on Nov. 1 knocked the Pirates out of the Associated Press Top 25 polls for the first time since entering the rankings on Sept. 21 after their 70-41 win vs. North Carolina ... ECU broke in at No. 23 before shuffling around at No. 22 (Sept. 28), No. 19 (Oct. 5), No. 18 (Oct. 12, Oct. 19) and No. 21 (Oct. 26), compiling a 3-1 mark as a ranked program in 2014 ... The Pirates also stood 23rd in the initial College Football Playoff Top 25 released on Tuesday, Oct. 28 - the first "G5" program included in 2014.
