UCF's Hail Mary Is A Conference Clincher

So Central Florida earns a share of the American Athletic Conference championship but it was a heck of a way to win it.

Knights quarterback Justin Holman connects with Breshad Perriman on the successful hail mary to lift UCF to a 32-30 win over East Carolina.


"Justin threw the ball."  Perriman said.  "I knew he was coming to our side. It was a perfect ball. I was blessed enough to come down with the catch."

"That was a great last play," UCF head coach George O'Leary said, "That's the second conference championship in a row, that's the first time in school history. That's great for the players and I'm happy so happy for them."

Here's how the voice of the UCF Knights Marc Daniels called it.




UCF shares the AAC title with Memphis giving the Knights claim to back to back conference championships.

It was a gut wrenching loss for East Carolina.

“I’ve experienced games like that before and it doesn’t get any easier. It’s tough." East Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill said.

How Does North Carolina Give Up 70...???

((HT: WNCT-TV))

Larry Fedora has some 'splaining to do...

How, in the age of trying to improve your defensive stock do you do this...???

Allow East Carolina QB Shane Carden to throw for 438 yards
Allow three second quarter touchdowns, including a pick-6
Allow 789 total yards by the Pirates offense
Allow the most points scored in school history
Allow the most yards in school history

Bottom line was that the Tarheels did and it ended up being a 29-point loss (70-41) that, really, didn't even seem that close...

Here's the highlights- obviously condensed a great deal for television sake
Greenville, NC | News | Weather | Sports - WNCT.com

The American Conference now has its poster child in both Carden and East Carolina. It will be interesting to see what happens in their conference with them and, more importantly, just how much of a leash the coaching staff in Chapel Hill will have going forward.

OSG CFB: Can You Say "Blacksburg Letdown?"

((HT: ACCDN))

It was one of those thoughts in the back of your mind...

Admit it...

After Virginia Tech had one of THOSE wins last week in Columbus taking advantage of a freshman quarterback thrown into the fire, today's game against a very bracket-bustery East Carolina squad had all the looks of a slip.

Sure enough...

They would have had to come back from the largest margin in Frank Beamer's history for a win against the Pirates.

Didn't happen...

Here's the good stuff for East Carolina to hang on their mantle for a quality win


“As good as we were last week playing the deep ball, we were equally as bad this week,” Virginia Tech DC Bud Foster said after the game. “We had a good plan, we just couldn’t make a play on a deep ball all day. They had a freakish play on their first drive that got things going and then they made a couple big plays, but from that point until their last drive, we played our tail off.”

Next week, Virginia Tech will host Georgia Tech in their ACC opener- the Wreck survived their game against Georgia Southern (much to Brother Phil's dismay) 42-38 in Atlanta Saturday afternoon.

A Tricky Throwback In St Pete

((HT: ESPN))

Since East Carolina was fighting for a 10-win season in Conference USA, but they had to get through Ohio U to do it...

In front of friends and family at the Suncoast Dome (you know... where the Devil Rays play baseball), Vintavious Cooper ran for 198 yards and Shane Carden was 29-for-45 for 273 yards and a score as the Pirates won 37-20...

Carden even caught a TD pass from Cam Worthy to put the Pirates up 31-20 half way through the fourth...

Fomer ECU Footballer Blacknall Killed In Dispute With Older Brother

((HT: WFMY-TV))

Greensboro, North Carolina police have arrested and charged the older brother of former ECU football player Derek Blacknall's in his younger brother's homicide.

Police arrested 30-year-old Darren Blacknall who lived with his brother at the time.
Blacknall has been charged with first degree murder.

The investigation is ongoing.

Derek Blacknall played for the Pirates from 2008-2011.

East Carolina Head Football Coach Ruffin McNeill issued the following statement about Blacknall's death:

"East Carolina University and the Pirate Nation has sadly lost a member of our football family with the tragic passing of Derek Blacknall. Derek was well-liked and respected by his teammates and coaches, and I feel blessed we shared a passion for this program and the game itself. We offer our thoughts and prayers to his family and everyone who mourns his loss at this time.”

Here's early returns out of Greensboro...

ECU Takes A Page Out Of Nebraska Playbook...

((HT: WNCT-TV))

And not like they're starting to run the wishbone or anything like that...

Remember when the Cornhuskers turned their spring game into a celebration for a kid fighting brain cancer...???

The Pirates had 8-year-old Noah Roberts run a 50-yard score in for ECU. He suffers from neurofibromitosis- a disease that has brain tumors form (the tumors could be either benign or malignant) and Roberts has had to go through two surgeries to try and treat the condition...

Here's how they covered it in Greenville...
WNCT | 9 On Your Side Greenville NC

East Carolina To New Big East In Everything, Now...

((HT: WNCT-TV))

All East Carolina University teams will join the soon-to-be ex/former Big East Conference.

Their start date will be July 1, 2014. Initially, ECU was planning on only being a football-only with a gradual roll-in for the other sports. Chancellor Steve Ballard was just waiting on the official word from the conference as to what the new start date would be...

He now has it, and probably, knows what kind of a check he has to cut so he won't be spending a lot of time in court with his ex-conference. The Pirates will continue to play in Conference USA until then.

Here's the latest from Greenville...
WNCT | 9 On Your Side Greenville NC

Ragin' Cajuns win the New Orleans Bowl

This made The Lovely Bride's day.....

Lousiana-Lafayette (her alma mater) won their second straight bowl game Saturday afternoon, holding off the East Carolina Pirates 43-34.

For those who didn't watch this, it was actually a pretty good game, with the Ragin' Cajuns getting out to an early 21 point lead before the Pirates clawed their way back.

The game came down to a 4th down play with just over 2:30 left when Melvin White knocked down Pirate QB Shane Carden's pass to WR Andrew Bodenheimer.

Once again, Ragin' Cajuns QB Terrance Broadway was the star, going 21-31 for 316 yds and a TD along with running for 108 yds and a TD.

The win game La.Laf it's second straight 9-win season and more than likely assures head coach Mark Hudspeth as being a hot coaching commodity for next seasons version of the Coaching Carousel.

Here's one of the highlights, Broadway hitting WR Javonne Lawson for the TD late in the 3rd qtr.