The Rice Owls at the ECU Pirates on October 17

October 17, 2009
   
RICE Owls (0-6, 0-2) vs.  EAST CAROLINA Pirates (3-3, 2-1)

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.

 

 

EAST CAROLINA RECORDS AND STREAKS

 

 



Ten winning or .500 seasons in the last 15 years (three straight) …

 

 



Nine bowl appearances since 1990; five since 2000 (three straight) …

 

 



Has won seven of its last eight home games against C-USA members …

 

 



Has won five of the last seven games against C-USA West Division members …

 

 



Has won three of the last four home games against C-USA West Division members …

 

 



Has won 14 of the last 15 games when holding its opponent to 24 points or less …

 

 



Has held opponents to 92.3 rushing yards per contest in its last three games …

 

 

FAST FACTS

 

 

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;

 

 

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

 

 

SCHEMES

 

 

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.

 

 

THE COACHES

 

 

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,

 

 

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.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Â