East Carolina vs. Connecticut: Game Preview With TV Schedule

By Connor Muldowney
East Carolina
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With a 5-1 record and a No. 18 ranking in the latest polls, the East Carolina Pirates are the most talked about team that doesn’t come from a power conference. With quite the favorable schedule remaining, East Carolina could easily finish the regular season with an 11-1 record, flirting with the top 10.

On the other side of things, the Connecticut Huskies have had no luck this season, sitting at 1-5 with a tough road matchup against the best team in their conference in week nine. If Connecticut wants to put their four straight losses behind them, they will need a mammoth effort in this one.

East Carolina has one of the best offenses in the nation, led by one of the most underrated quarterbacks out there. Senior Shane Carden has the Pirates’ pass offense ranked fourth in the entire nation behind his strong and accurate arm. The gunslinger has 2,129 yards, 16 touchdowns and a 65 percent completion rate to go along with another three rushing touchdowns. Carden knows how to spread the ball around, but three receivers stand out above the rest: Justin Hardy, Isaiah Jones and Cam Worthy. Hardy has caught a team-high 47 passes for 593 yards with five scores, Jones has 42 catches for 478 yards with four TDs and Worthy is third with 358 yards and a score on 16 catches — that trio of wide outs is dangerous. The run game is no picnic for defenses, either, as Breon Allen leads the way with 504 yards and four touchdowns on just 61 carries.

On the contrary, Connecticut owns one of the worst offensive attacks in the entire nation, ranking 109th in rushing, 124th in passing and 127 in points per game. Senior quarterback Chandler Whitmer has had a tough time getting the offense going this season with his poor passing attack. Whitmer is completing just 55 percent of his passes for 856 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Geremy Davis leads all receivers, by far, with 33 catches for 431 yards and three touchdowns while the next closest wide out is senior Deshon Foxx who has just 13 catches for 176 yards. Only one other receiver, Arkeel Newsome, has more than 100 yards receiving on the year. The run game has been even less impressive as the group of running backs, led by Max DeLorenzo, have combined for just one touchdown and average just 75 yards per game.

Surprisingly, Connecticut has one of the better defenses in the nation despite its lowly 1-5 record halfway through the year. The Huskies rank an impressive 17th in total yards allowed per game, but the scoring defense ranks just 63rd. East Carolina’s scoring defense ranks a bit higher, 49th, while the total defense ranks 46th in yards allowed per game. The Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium crowd will be rocking, hoping for a 6-1 Pirates record.

Connecticut will travel to East Carolina to take on the Pirates at 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, Oct. 23. The game will be broadcasted on ESPNU.

PREDICTION: Connecticut 9, East Carolina 42

Want to see the Pirates take on the Huskies week nine? Check out ScoreBig for tickets.

Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at [email protected].

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