Classic Rewind Preview: ECU And Louisiana Tech To Meet In Independence Bowl ('78)
June 05, 2020 | Football
| Classic Rewind Preview: ECU vs. Louisiana Tech (1978) | |
| Re-Air Date: | Saturday, June 6, 2020 |
| Re-Air Time: | 1 P.M. (EDT) |
| Game Location: | Greenville, N.C. |
| Game Coverage: | Internet: ECUPirates.com |
| In-Game Hashtag: | #ECURewind |
| Official Web Sites: | ECU | La. Tech |
| Roster: | ECU | Louisiana Tech |
| Depth Chart: | ECU | Louisiana Tech |
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Pat Dye, East Carolina is set to participate in its first Division I bowl game when it faces Louisiana Tech in the 1978 Independence Bowl.
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The Pirates, who sport an 8-3 record, have won seven of their last eight contests and are currently riding a four-game winning streak where they have outscored their opponents 119-25 during that span. Theodore Sutton leads the Pirates' rushing attack with 621 yards, while Eddie Hicks has tallied 515 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. Dual-threat quarterback Leander Green has thrown for 838 yards, completing 46-of-110 passes with eight touchdowns and has added another 374 yards on the ground with four scores.
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Defensively, ECU is led by linebacker Mike Brewington who has registered a team-best 149 tackles (112 solo) with a sack. Fellow linebacker Tommy Summer also has triple-digit stops (103) to go along with a pair of sacks, two forced fumbles and five knockdowns.
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The Bulldogs come into the contest with a 6-3 ledger and have won four of their last six games. Keith Thibodeaux leads the offensive, having completed 81-of-198 passes for 1,128 yards and five touchdowns. His favorite weapon on the squad is Scooter Spruiell, who has 37 receptions for 642 yards (17.4 ypc) with four scores.
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Louisiana Tech's defense has picked off 16 passes on the season and are led by Jean Dornier (5 for 119 yards, 1 TD) and Lavon James (4 for 79, 1 TD). For the third consecutive season, Jimmy Blackshire leads the defense in tackles with 115, his third-straight year topping the 100-plus mark in stops.
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