It’s another big week for the ECU Pirates.
For a third straight week, the Pirates will be showcased on ESPN after garnishing national attention for knocking off then-No. 17 Virginia Tech on the road.
There have been many commercials preparing the masses for the big showdown of ECU taking on in state foe North Carolina in Greenville. With all the hype surrounding the game, how will ECU match up against the Tar Heels?
North Carolina is coming off a bye week before narrowly escaping a 31-27 win against San Diego State. Despite the win at home, the Tar Heels were knocked out of the AP Top 25. With an extra week to prepare for the competitive American Conference team, the Tar Heels will look to break back into the AP polls with an impressive road win.
However, ECU is coming off of one of the biggest victories in school history by playing superb and beating a ranked team on the road. The Pirates are firing on all cylinders and look to add another big win on its resume while competing for national relevancy.
I’m looking for this game to be one for the ages. A back-and-forth chess match of a game that the team with the last possession will walk away with the win. With both teams having a lot to play for and each coming off favorable circumstances from the previous week, ECU has more firepower to come out on top with another victory over an ACC opponent.
If you haven’t paid attention to ECU at all this season, then you probably don’t know about Shane Carden or Justin Hardy. This tandem is one of the best in the nation in big plays and scoring, I am hoping they will be the biggest factor in this game for ECU to get the victory.
If the Tar Heels shut down the Carden-Hardy duo from getting the work done, ECU is bursting at the seams with receiving talent. Isaiah Jones has been a good option for Carden when the coverage gets tough on Hardy. In all, the ECU offense is averaging 374 yards per game and rank seventh in the nation in passing.
If Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium isn’t at capacity, then the people at Greenville don’t have a pulse. That place needs to be 50,000 strong and loud for the Pirates to come out on top.
There shouldn’t be any little mistakes coming from Carden and Co. that took a win away from them against ranked South Carolina because they are playing in the friendly confines of their own home.
I don’t want to seem like a homer picking ECU again for a second week in a row, but with the big win last week and head coach Ruffin McNeill keeping the players focused on the team goals, I can’t see the Pirates losing at home.
ECU wins, 42-38.
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