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(11-09-2020 08:08 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  

(11-08-2020 07:34 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  ECU is giving up 217 yards a game on the ground and teams have rushed for a bunch TDs. I suspect we’ll see a lot of Ridder, Doaks and Ford again for this one. This being said, ECU has been pretty offensively. This has kept them around games- they lost their last three games by 4,4 and 3 points respectively. By all rights they should have beaten Tulsa (thanks AAC officiating).

For whatever reason last year, UC made the ECU quarterback look like an All American. It was a very difficult game to watch as the Pirates raced up and down the field and UC seemed helpless to stop him most of the night.

I do believe the UC defense is actually a step up from last year's excellent group. But what's really been amazing is the transformation of the O line. Hudson, Renfro and others are affording the protection Ridder needed to be more effective. He was running for his life so many times last year and when he wasn't, the offense was often marching backwards with false starts. Amazing how that's all been cleaned up, especially against some of the conference's best opponents. Denbrock deserves some praise for this; he took a lot of heat from fans last season.

Bottom line: I expect ECU to compete; maybe score a little more than we've seen in recent weeks. But the Blackcat defense will continue to dominate and eventually break ECU's will. There is a reason the Pirates win-loss record is what it is and even a mostly empty Nippert at night will not be a welcoming place for ECU.

Ahlers is difficult to get on the ground. UC tried to tackle him a little high when he scrambled out multiple sacks and chucked up long pass plays. He is having a decent season again. DBs need to stay with the receivers and tackle the QB low.

The O line is playing so much cleaner this season, fun to watch.