Tulsa, OK (My Sportsbook) - The Tulsa Golden Hurricane host the East Carolina Pirates in the 2008 Conference USA Championship game at H.A. Chapman Stadium this weekend.
With a 38-35 victory at Marshall in its regular season finale last weekend and a Houston loss to Rice on the same day, Tulsa was able to win the West Division crown at 7-1. The Hurricane actually earned a share of the title with Rice, but it owned the tie-breaker with a win over the Owls earlier in the season.
"We're very, very excited to be sitting here today and host the Conference USA championship," state head coach Todd Graham.
This isn't an unfamiliar position for Tulsa however, as the program won the inaugural C-USA championship game in 2005 against UCF before losing to the Knights for the title last season. Both those games though, came on the road, but this time Tulsa gets to play host and that is especially good news when considering it is perfect 6-0 mark at H.A. Chapman Stadium.
As for ECU, it had an easier time in the East Division, finishing 6-2 and clinching that title a few weeks ago. The Pirates, who made headlines with a pair of back-to-back upsets of Top 25 teams to open the season, come roaring into this bout with wins in five of their last six games.
"I'm really pleased with this football team and the attitude it has and the way it has really come together through an awful lot of adversity," stated head coach Skip Holtz.
The Pirates, whose last league crown was the Southern Conference title 32 years ago, are one of only two teams in C-USA to be nationally-ranked this season. The other being Tulsa, ironically.
As far as the all-time series goes, Tulsa leads ECU 5-2 and it has won the last two encounters. The programs last met in 2006, a 31-10 triumph by the Hurricane in Greenville.
The Pirates have had a moderate amount of success on offense this season and they come into the game averaging 23.5 ppg and 340.8 total ypg. The offense hasn't really been all that productive rushing the ball, averaging just 126.0 ypg, but it has fared well through the air, passing for 214.8 ypg. Turnovers have certainly been an issue for this team, which has committed 26 on the year. Quarterback Pat Pinkney has had his up and downs this season, but overall he has done a good job managing the team. He has completed an efficient 64.4 percent of his tosses for 2,257 yards, with 11 scores and seven interceptions. Davon Drew is one target he will try utilize the weekend, as he has made 35 catches for 547 yards and three scores. Norman Whitley and Brandon Simmons head the ground game with a combined 956 yards and nine touchdowns and will surely see a lot of touches in this game.
On the defensive side of the ball is where ECU has excelled this season, holding its opponents to 20.5 ppg and 329.4 total ypg. The unit has done a respectable job against both the run (132.6 ypg) and pass (196.8 ypg) and is allowing foes to convert just 34 percent of the time on third down. Creating big plays has also been a strength of this defense, which has forced 25 turnovers and recorded 27 sacks. Pierre Bell paces the unit with 82 tackles, but Van Eskridge nips at his heels with 80 stops. C.J. Wilson is another player to keep an eye on, as he is the team's top pass rusher with nine sacks and 17 TFLs to his credit.
On display this weekend will be one of the top offenses in the nation, as Tulsa is averaging a healthy 49.3 ppg behind an impressive 578.9 total ypg. This electric attack has had success on the ground (259.1 ypg) as well as through the air (319.8 ypg) and has topped the 45-point mark eight times. Leading the way is quarterback David Johnson, who ranks among the top passers in the nation with 42 touchdowns. He has completed 66.1 percent of his attempts for 3,671 yards and has even added three more scores on the ground. David Johnson has also done a nice job spreading out the ball, as four players have caught at least seven touchdowns on the year. Damaris Johnson tops the roster with 44 catches and nine touchdowns, while Brennan Marion has proven to be a big play threat with 1,058 yards, to go with eight scores. In the backfield, Tarrion Adams leads the team with 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns and he is averaging a solid 6.0 yards per carry.
Tulsa, on defense, has shown some vulnerability because the unit often spends a lot of time on the field due to the quick strike capability of the offense. Overall, the defense is allowing 29.2 total ypg and 400.6 total ypg and those numbers may not look great, but they aren't all that bad when stacked against the offense's success. The unit has had most of its successes against the run, yielding only 131.6 ypg, and has also excelled in bringing down opposing quarterbacks, notching 36 sacks. Mike Bryan leads the team in tackles with 104 and he also has four sacks on his resume. James Lockett has enjoyed as solid campaign as well, posting 72 stops, along with 14.5 TFLs and 8.5 sacks.
