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Thread: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

  1. #1

    Default ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns versus East Carolina Pirates
    R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 22)
    ULL is favored by 5.5 points

    College teams face significantly disparate schedules, yet nearly half of them reach the postseason on the basis of win-loss records alone. There are therefore a few bowl entrants each year that stand out as really below-average FBS teams. East Carolina is one of this year's weakest. The Pirates -- who rank an abysmal 114th in Brian Fremeau's FEI ratings -- have played only four fellow bowl squads this season, beating none while getting outgained by a whopping 160 yards per game, easily the worst mark among this year's postseason contestants.

    The rest of East Carolina's FBS schedule reads like a who's who of Conference USA doormats, seven wins over teams that scraped together a combined 22 victories. When allowing 59 points and 633 yards at home in an overtime escape against a 5-7 Marshall team qualifies as your best performance, it's time to get philosophical about "earning" a bowl berth while the likes of Tennessee, Utah and Missouri sit at home.

    East Carolina does have some offensive firepower, principally in the form of 1,000-yard receiver Justin Hardy, who amazingly has 69 more grabs than the second-leading yardage-gainer. The Pirates also sport a 1,000-yard rusher in Vintavious Cooper, but coordinator Lincoln Riley is an Air Raid disciple straight from Mike Leach's high plains school of offense, which means that as Hardy goes, so goes the offensive production.

    A Ragin' Cajuns offense with the nation's third-best red zone touchdown rate is even more productive. The powerful running game is peaking late in the year behind the Sun Belt's best offensive line and the passing game features a trio of big-play receivers and a quarterback who ranks in the nation's top 25 in passer rating. This bunch is both efficient and explosive and will have its way with an East Carolina defense that allowed the likes of Southern Miss and Tulane to turn in above-average performances.

    Louisiana's defense is by no means a shutdown unit, but this group has held half its foes under 75 rushing yards and fields a serviceable pass rush, a half dozen all-conference selections and a heart-and-soul leader at middle linebacker. The defense also has what it probably needs most in this particular matchup: a pair of decorated senior cornerbacks who can keep Hardy from going ballistic. Throw in an utter mismatch in the kicking game and a rowdy partisan crowd and you've got an easy decision.



    The pick: Louisiana-Lafayette 52, East Carolina 28


  2. #2

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    Good God almighty, I'm liking ESPN more and more these days.


  3. #3

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    WOW! No wonder they are showing up!


  4. #4

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    The ECU fans will be reluctant to agree with me but I love it!!


  5. #5

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    Hey y'all, just saw a brief promo on ESPN about NO Bowl & BOB bowl. At the end of the footage of UL, they showed a LaTech receiver catching ball in the TAMU game I think. Did anyone catch this? WTH is up w/ these guys?! I saw earlier in the year when they totally botched the UL logo w/ a leopard & it seems they can't get y'all's name right. Is it really that hard for these blowhards?! Either ESPN is very incompetent or just don't give a Sh$t about La mid majors. Regardless, I look forward to watching Cajuns kick some major _____ Saturday. Hopefully, our two teams will play "more routinely" in the near future : )


  6. #6

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    Well we got the respect. Now we have to play like that.


  7. #7

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    That's sounds like bulletin board material for ECU. Better not get too overconfident.


  8. #8

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    Yes this is scarey as we seem to do better when we are underdogs...


  9. #9

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    Quote Originally Posted by Crawfish View Post
    Yes this is scarey as we seem to do better when we are underdogs...
    I somewhat agree with you but at the same time, I believe that even if we are down at any point during the game, all the guys on the roster from last year will believe with every inch in their body and mind that we will win because they were apart of coming back for the win last year in the very same bowl.

    The mind is a powerful thing.

  10. #10

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    sounds like a trap... be careful guys. I hope no one on our squad reads this.


  11. #11

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    I'm a little worried about their passing game and their big tight end. We haven't been great at stopping the pass over the middle and tackling big guys in the secondary this year. I hope we show up with the same defense that we brought to Gainsville.


  12. #12

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    Quote Originally Posted by BlueDawg View Post
    Hey y'all, just saw a brief promo on ESPN about NO Bowl & BOB bowl. At the end of the footage of UL, they showed a LaTech receiver catching ball in the TAMU game I think. Did anyone catch this? WTH is up w/ these guys?! I saw earlier in the year when they totally botched the UL logo w/ a leopard & it seems they can't get y'all's name right. Is it really that hard for these blowhards?! Either ESPN is very incompetent or just don't give a Sh$t about La mid majors. Regardless, I look forward to watching Cajuns kick some major _____ Saturday. Hopefully, our two teams will play "more routinely" in the near future : )
    I saw it myself and was about to get furious until I realized the very next story was about the las vegas bowl and they showed highlights of Washington State instead of Washington. sounds like the video editor had a few to many cocktails before doing his job this morning.

  13. #13
    Zeebart21's Avatar Zeebart21 is offline Ragin Cajuns of Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Greatest Fan Ever

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    Okay, time to stop being scared of your own shadow.

    We are good. The Florida game was no fluke.

    I believe the two losses in the early going were the result of playing cautious with Broadway, plus having some shady characters on the team caused a bit of dissent.

    We are the superior team. They wont stop our offense.

    I don't care whether the players see this or not. By this time of the year, our men know what their capabilities are and what is expected of them..

    Anything less wont suffice.

    Z


  14. #14

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    Quote Originally Posted by alum81 View Post
    I'm a little worried about their passing game and their big tight end. We haven't been great at stopping the pass over the middle and tackling big guys in the secondary this year. I hope we show up with the same defense that we brought to Gainsville.

    a 6'8" 260# HB/TE. you cant teach that

  15. #15

    Default Re: ESPN with another breakdown. WOAH

    Prolly true... y'all & Have a blast in New Orleans. If anyone is looking for a great restaurant outside the craziness, you can't go wrong w/ Dick & *'s off Tchoupitoulas near Tipitina's (uptown).


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