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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
