Vitals: Tulsa vs. East Carolina

Originally Published: Sep 3, 2010 6:6 PM CDT

Tulsa Preview | Vitals | Recap | Box Score

Grant Belcher
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

Tulsa Golden Hurricane (0-0) vs. East Carolina Pirates (0-0)
1 p.m. CST
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville, N.C.

Statistical leaders (2009 stats):

Injury Report:

East Carolina: LB Steve Spence (groin, probable); NT Antonio Allison (doubtful, ankle); DE Derrell Johnson (suspension, out); RB Damonte Terry (suspension, out); CB Dakota Marshall (broken leg, out); DL Michael Brooks (knee, out)

Tulsa: OL Jared Grigg (back, out for year); LB Kenny Sims (left team, out for year); WR AJ Whitmore (academics, out for year); K Cory Jefferis (undisclosed, out for year)

Where to find it?

On TV: ESPN2 (Mike Gleason, John Congemi)
On Radio: KRMG 740 AM/FM 102.3 (Bruce Howard, Rick Couri, Chris Kaiser)


What you need to know?

For the fourth-straight season, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane will start on the road. It will also be the third-straight year it starts off with a Conference USA game. If that isn’t already rough enough, East Carolina is the two-time defending conference champion. The game has a Sunday afternoon kickoff, one of two non-traditional game days for Tulsa this season.

Last year, East Carolina routed Tulsa, 44-17, in Tulsa, but East Carolina has a new head coach and plenty of new starters and the Golden Hurricane will actually enter the 2010 matchup as a one-touchdown favorite. Tulsa will have to work on protecting the ball against the Pirates after giving up four turnovers in last year’s loss and seven turnovers in a loss in 2008.

The Tulsa defense will also have a tough time planning for a new-look Pirate offense. ECU coach Ruffin McNeill was a four-year letterman for the Pirates in the 1970s and returned to his alma mater this offseason to take over the reins. He spent the past 10 years as Texas Tech’s offensive coordinator, and led the Red Raiders to a 41-31 victory against Michigan State in the Valero Alamo Bowl last season.

Who to watch?

The days of posting major yardage and loads of points should be back in full swing for the Golden Hurricane. It will have three receivers on its roster who have posted 1,000-yard seasons, including receiver and return man Damaris Johnson. Johnson moved into the conference’s top 10 lists for kickoff return yardage and all-purpose yards last year as a sophomore, and has a chance to end his junior season on top of both lists. Receivers Trae Johnson and Charles Clay join Johnson with 1,000-yard seasons back in 2007.

With so many weapons to work with, quarterback G.J. Kinne should have a big season through the air. He posted 2,732 passing yards and 22 touchdowns last season, but also led the team in rushing with 393 yards and five scores. He was the first Tulsa quarterback to accomplish that since 1968 when Mike Stripling pulled off the feat. Kinne is on the Davey O’ Brien and Manning Award watch lists for college football’s best quarterback.

East Carolina returns just six starters from last year’s squad – four on offense and two on defense. Defensive backs Emmanuel Davis and Travis Simmons are the lone returners defensively for ECU and have the tall task of leading the defense against Tulsa’s prolific skill players.