Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (43,000/1963/Natural Grass), Greenville, N.C.
3:30 p.m. (EDT
THE GAME
It’s Homecoming on the East Carolina University campus as the
Pirates host Rice in a Conference USA clash at Dowdy-Ficklen
Stadium Saturday beginning at 3:30 p.m. ECU will try to bounce
back from a 28-21 league setback suffered at SMU last week, while
at the same time, attempt to extend its C-USA home winning streak
to five straight when it meets the Owls. The contest against Rice
also unofficially opens second half play of the 2009 campaign, a
six-game stretch that will feature four home tilts and a run of three-straight non-Saturday
battles which begins Tuesday, Oct. 27 at Memphis. Oddly, Rice’s visit to Greenville this
weekend will be the Pirates’ last Saturday contest until welcoming UAB Nov. 21.
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EAST CAROLINA RECORDS AND STREAKS
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Ten winning or .500 seasons in the last 15 years (three straight) …
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Nine bowl appearances since 1990; five since 2000 (three straight) …
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Has won seven of its last eight home games against C-USA members …
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Has won five of the last seven games against C-USA West Division members …
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Has won three of the last four home games against C-USA West Division members …
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Has won 14 of the last 15 games when holding its opponent to 24 points or less …
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Has held opponents to 92.3 rushing yards per contest in its last three games …
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FAST FACTS
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Record –
East Division;
3-3 (.500); C-USA Record/East Division Standing – 2-1 (.667)/T1stLast 5 Games – 2-3; Last 10 Games – 6-4; Last 15 Games – 9-6;
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Streaks –
Pirates face off against Rice. ECU’s contest against the Owls will be the Pirates’ 751st
since the start of football in 1932 (381-357-12/.516).
Overall, East Carolina will play the 58th game of the Skip Holtz Era when the
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SCHEMES
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Rice utilizes a spread offensive attack while employing a 4-2-5 defensive alignment.
ECU will line up in a multiple offense and use a multiple look when defending.
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THE COACHES
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SKIP HOLTZ
while overall, he is in his 10th year as a collegiate head coach with a 66-48 (.579)
record. When he became ECU’s 19th all-time head football coach Dec. 3, 2004, Holtz
officially finished a six-year stint as South Carolina’s assistant head coach, offensive
coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Prior to leading the Pirates to three-straight bowl appearances and earning
Conference USA Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2008, Holtz helped guide the Gamecocks
to back-to-back Outback Bowl wins over Ohio State (2001-2002). From 1994 to
1998, Holtz steered the Connecticut program to unprecedented success as its head
coach and layed the foundation for the school’s move to the Division I-A (FBS) level.
UConn was a consistent member of the I-AA (FCS) Top 25 polls during his last four
seasons, which included a school-record 10-win, playoff campaign in 1998. Prior to his
success at Connecticut, Holtz spent four seasons at alma mater Notre Dame and served
as the Fighting Irish’s offensive coordinator in 1992 and 1993 – a period which resulted
in a 21-2-1 record and top 10 national ranks in total offense and scoring offense.
(Notre Dame ‘86) is 32-25 (.561) in his fifth season at East Carolina,
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DAVID BAILIFF
at Rice and sports a 13-18 (.419) record. Overall, he is in his sixth year as a collegiate
head coach with a 34-33 (.507) mark. Prior to his arrival in Houston, Bailiff was 21-15
in three seasons at Texas State, where he led the Bobcats to a semifinals appearance
in the 2006 FCS Playoffs. He has also served as an assistant on the Texas State (two
tours), New Mexico and TCU staffs that enjoyed a combined three bowl appearances.
(Texas State ‘81) is in his third season heading the football program.
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