Well, one team we can never seem to beat is up next on the road. Southern Miss owns the series (one of the longest series ECU has had) 24-7. ECU has not won this game since 2000.

ECU is 2-3 in their last 5 in Hattiesburg, however, and those 2 wins were the last 2 times we've beaten USM, so it seems that if we're going to win, oddly enough, our chances are better there. We've only beaten them twice ever in Greenville.

USM isn't as strong as usual, but that's meaningless as they're still always the team to beat in the East IMO (regardless of who went to the championship game last year).

This game is huge in terms of momentum - we can win and improve to 4-4 (3-2 C-USA), needing only to win 2 of our last 4 to become bowl eligible, not to mention we'd be in good shape for a possible C-USA Championship game appearance (depending on UAB). On the other hand, if we lose, we'll fall to 3-5 (2-3 C-USA), needing to win 3 of the last 4 to become bowl eligible, and would likely be out of the C-USA East race.

I think the Pirates will stay hungry after the SMU win, learning from their mistakes after their win vs. Virginia (they didn't play well at all after that win). However, they're on the road again, and it's going to be against a pretty angry USM team (I anticipate they feel the same way ECU did after the Tulsa game and will come out clicking).

I wish this game and the UCF game were flipped, because then so much wouldn't be riding on this win. But, it is what it is, and I just don't see us breaking the streak this year - I think we play well and close, but just not well enough. Hope I'm wrong.

Final Prediction: USM 28, ECU 17

I'm going 26-22 USM.

USM is like UAB IMO.. we should beat them ..but we can't for some reason.

PS - Cannonball on Boneyard posted something that I'm not sure of the answer to. What if, somehow, a 6-6 team made it to the Conference USA championship (I guess maybe they lost all their OOC games but won the right games in the conference) -- what would happen if that team lost the championship game and fell to 6-7? Would they be bowl eligible? I would guess yes, especially considering they made it to the championship and had 6 wins, but I'm not sure. Anyone know for sure?

william146 Wrote:PS - Cannonball on Boneyard posted something that I'm not sure of the answer to. What if, somehow, a 6-6 team made it to the Conference USA championship (I guess maybe they lost all their OOC games but won the right games in the conference) -- what would happen if that team lost the championship game and fell to 6-7? Would they be bowl eligible? I would guess yes, especially considering they made it to the championship and had 6 wins, but I'm not sure. Anyone know for sure?

Don't know.... on the NCAAs web site is there a way to search rules?

PirateTreasureNC Wrote:

william146 Wrote:PS - Cannonball on Boneyard posted something that I'm not sure of the answer to. What if, somehow, a 6-6 team made it to the Conference USA championship (I guess maybe they lost all their OOC games but won the right games in the conference) -- what would happen if that team lost the championship game and fell to 6-7? Would they be bowl eligible? I would guess yes, especially considering they made it to the championship and had 6 wins, but I'm not sure. Anyone know for sure?

Don't know.... on the NCAAs web site is there a way to search rules?

I'm trying, but every time I try to open the manual, it locks up my browser.

Lethemeul Wrote:

PirateTreasureNC Wrote:

william146 Wrote:PS - Cannonball on Boneyard posted something that I'm not sure of the answer to. What if, somehow, a 6-6 team made it to the Conference USA championship (I guess maybe they lost all their OOC games but won the right games in the conference) -- what would happen if that team lost the championship game and fell to 6-7? Would they be bowl eligible? I would guess yes, especially considering they made it to the championship and had 6 wins, but I'm not sure. Anyone know for sure?

Don't know.... on the NCAAs web site is there a way to search rules?

I'm trying, but every time I try to open the manual, it locks up my browser.

Did you guys see this?
http://www.ncaabbs.com/forums/cusa/phpbb...c&start=50 its at the end of the thread.. while not necessarily answering your question directly.. it might indirectly.

USM - 41
ECU - 21

USM 27
ECU 19

ECU 20
USM 17

ShoreBuc Wrote:ECU 20
USM 17

Do I have to pat myself on the back for this one???

ShoreBuc Wrote:

ShoreBuc Wrote:ECU 20
USM 17

Do I have to pat myself on the back for this one???

I would say so . . . .

ShoreBuc Wrote:ECU 20
USM 17

Dang, dude.. congrats on that one. Although, I would have been greatly impressed if you included "OT" in your prediction...

Seriously though.. good pick, and congrats on the ol' Alma Mater on the big win.

MongoSlade Wrote:

ShoreBuc Wrote:ECU 20
USM 17

Dang, dude.. congrats on that one. Although, I would have been greatly impressed if you included "OT" in your prediction...

Seriously though.. good pick, and congrats on the ol' Alma Mater on the big win.

To be honest if I had thought the game was going to OT, I would of never picked that score. My thought was it was going to be low scoring and either team would end up winning by a field goal. I simply picked us.

ShoreBuc Wrote:

MongoSlade Wrote:

ShoreBuc Wrote:ECU 20
USM 17

Dang, dude.. congrats on that one. Although, I would have been greatly impressed if you included "OT" in your prediction...

Seriously though.. good pick, and congrats on the ol' Alma Mater on the big win.

To be honest if I had thought the game was going to OT, I would of never picked that score. My thought was it was going to be low scoring and either team would end up winning by a field goal. I simply picked us.

We did win by a FG lol
Or an INT in the endzone

...however you want to spin it.

ShoreBuc Wrote:

MongoSlade Wrote:

ShoreBuc Wrote:ECU 20
USM 17

Dang, dude.. congrats on that one. Although, I would have been greatly impressed if you included "OT" in your prediction...

Seriously though.. good pick, and congrats on the ol' Alma Mater on the big win.

To be honest if I had thought the game was going to OT, I would of never picked that score. My thought was it was going to be low scoring and either team would end up winning by a field goal. I simply picked us.

I know.. I was just giving you $$$$, is all. That's a big win for the ol' Alma Mater.

I'm on auto-pilot until the Carolina-NCSux game, then I'll have something to get excited about. Until then, I'm thinking about hitching a temporary ride on the Wake Forest bandwagon..

Sad thing is, part of me was hoping Carolina would have pulled that game out for the obvious reasons, but another part of me wanted to see Wake win and continue this strange odessy of a season.

...I just hated to see Carolina lose by a dumb throwing decision by Dailey.

So, let's analyze this. As of Halloween:

1) Rutgers is 8-0
2) Wake Forest is 7-1 and TIED for first place in the ACC Atlantic
3) The ol' Alma Mater is 3-2 in the C-USA East with 3 very winnable games and a legit shot at beating NCSux in Raleigh.
4) John Bunting is out. YAY!!!!
5) Chuck Amato is likely to follow suit. BOOO! (he's very entertaining when he's losing). If the ol' Alma Mater beats the Puppies, Chuckie is toast.

MongoSlade Wrote:

ShoreBuc Wrote:

MongoSlade Wrote:

ShoreBuc Wrote:ECU 20
USM 17

Dang, dude.. congrats on that one. Although, I would have been greatly impressed if you included "OT" in your prediction...

Seriously though.. good pick, and congrats on the ol' Alma Mater on the big win.

To be honest if I had thought the game was going to OT, I would of never picked that score. My thought was it was going to be low scoring and either team would end up winning by a field goal. I simply picked us.

I know.. I was just giving you $$$$, is all. That's a big win for the ol' Alma Mater.

I'm on auto-pilot until the Carolina-NCSux game, then I'll have something to get excited about. Until then, I'm thinking about hitching a temporary ride on the Wake Forest bandwagon..

Sad thing is, part of me was hoping Carolina would have pulled that game out for the obvious reasons, but another part of me wanted to see Wake win and continue this strange odessy of a season.

...I just hated to see Carolina lose by a dumb throwing decision by Dailey.

So, let's analyze this. As of Halloween:

1) Rutgers is 8-0
2) Wake Forest is 7-1 and TIED for first place in the ACC Atlantic
3) The ol' Alma Mater is 3-2 in the C-USA East with 3 very winnable games and a legit shot at beating NCSux in Raleigh.
4) John Bunting is out. YAY!!!!
5) Chuck Amato is likely to follow suit. BOOO! (he's very entertaining when he's losing). If the ol' Alma Mater beats the Puppies, Chuckie is toast.

I actually don't have too much trouble pulling for Wake in the ACC. It would be hilarious to see them not only finish ahead of NcSt and Unz but also FSU and Miami.

I like our chances at UCF this weekend. If we can win that 3rd game in a row then the boys will come home pumped up and the game next week against Marshall will be for a Bowl Bid