ECU Game Plan Taking Shape

GREENVILLE, N.C. - After a 55-31 pasting of North Carolina last Saturday, ECU will look to do it again when they venture into Murfreesboro to take on Middle Tennessee(3-2/1-0 C-USA).

The Pirates seemed to find something on offense last week in Kenan Stadium. The run game provided much needed balance to open up the passing attack. Stretching the field paid dividends as well for ECU who went vertical on more than one occasion.

Tailback Vintavious Cooper ran for 186 yards in Chapel Hill and that will give opposing defenses headaches if it continues. No doubt ECU(3-1/1-0 C-USA) will look to do more of the same this week. Couple that with what looked to be an ever improving passing game last week in Chapel Hill. ECU will be going for their fourth win of the season and second in Conference USA play. It's starting to really get fun again for Pirate fans.

It's the second of the three game road swing for East Carolina who next week will head to the Big Easy to take on Tulane in the Superdome.

Lincoln Riley sees similarities between UNC who was last week's opponent and Middle Tennesse this week. He talks about this weeks contest for PI-TV.

This week is the 802nd East Carolina game since the start of football at ECU in 1932. It is also the 43rd game of the Ruffin McNeill era when the Pirates take on Middle Tennessee in Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee for a 3:30 EDT kickoff on Fox Sports Net.

Mark Followill will do the play-by-play and

Brian Baldinger will handle color on television for this week's Conference USA matchup. ECU is 30-11 against Conference USA East opponents since divisional play was started in 2005.

Ruffin McNeill said he likes the work ECU has done so far in preparation for the Blue Raiders. Donnie Kirkpatrick is along to talk about this week's game plan and Lincoln Riley updates us on the latest on offensive Tuesday as Middle Tennessee Week continues here on PirateIllustrated.com.