The best time of year is finally upon us. It has been months of hype in the making, and it finally begins here. There have been changes made all over the nation and now there is even a playoff. Yes, it feels good for college football to be back, and to say “game week” just sends shivers down my spine.
Every team wants to start the season on the right foot and set the pace for a great season. Each game in college football is unpredictable and each game matters. Starting off on a strong note after a long, drawn out, exhausting fall camp can really boost a team and get it moving and give validation to all the hard work the off-season.
Sports clichés aside, ECU has finished fall camp and is gearing up for battle against the North Carolina Central Eagles. NCCU is a Division I-AA FCS program, but that doesn’t mean this will be a walk through for ECU. FCS programs have been upsetting the bigger schools over the past few years, and ECU should take this game seriously and not start the season on a sour note.
This will be the first time the two teams will play each other. With no history, game planning may be a bit difficult for either team. ECU is coming off of one of its best season’s by going 10-3 and finishing with a bowl win. NCCU is coming off a 5-7 season and has been blown out in the last four attempts of facing FBS competition by an average of 33 points, the latest being a 45-0 loss at Duke last season.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51UB2yH_Ah0] However, NCCU does have some redeeming qualities that should make it a worthy opponent for ECU. Last season, the Eagles led the FCS in kick returns with a 26.5 yards average, taking four returns to the house. (NCCU’s 12 kick return touchdowns for both punt and kickoff in the past two seasons are the most from any team in the FCS.)To complement the electric special teams, the NCCU defense also has a habit of scoring points for the team, scoring four touchdowns last season. The defense and special teams have combined for and 19 total touchdowns the last two seasons.
The Eagles have six preseason all-conference players on its roster, including redshirt junior Adrian Wilkins, who led the way atop of the voting lists. Wilkins was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC first team as a return specialist for his five kicks returned for touchdowns last season in both punt and kick returning. Sophomore Michael Jones was voted as a defensive back and ranked third in the conference with four interceptions and fourth in the league with 12 total passes defended. The Eagles are also led at the helm by first-time head coach Jerry Mack, which should make for an interesting game.
With all of that being said, ECU has a lot of power returning on both sides of the ball with the likes of Shane Carden (QB), Maurice Falls (LB), Justin Hardy (WR), and Montese Overton (LB), and the Pirates should handle the Eagles and get the first victory before heading to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks.
Prediction
ECU 42, NCCU 17
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