May 28, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The Knights' fourth game of the season will take place Sept. 26, in Greenville, N.C., against East Carolina. The Conference USA battle will be UCF's second of the season.
Last season, East Carolina finished first in the conference at 6-2 and went 9-4 overall. The team's 27-24 win against Tulsa in the C-USA Championship Game secured the Pirates a spot in the Liberty Bowl. The Pirates have competed in three-consecutive bowl games, five total since 2000. In 2008 East Carolina ranked first in C-USA in scoring defense and ranked highly in other numerous areas. For the upcoming season, fifth-year head coach Skip Holtz will have more than 72 percent of his starters returning.
Offensive Player to Watch
With eight starters back on offense quarterback Patrick Pinkney will hope to lead his team to another bowl game. Pinkney was granted a sixth year of eligibility by NCAA in 2008. Pinkney started 13-of-14 games and totaled 2,675 passing yards with 13 touchdowns a year ago.
Defensive Player to Watch
The No. 1 scoring defense in C-USA returns eight starters, including senior defensive back C.J. Wilson. Wilson ranked among the nation's top 30 and C-USA's top two in sacks and tackles for lost yardage. He started all 14 games and led the Pirates with 70 overall stops, 18.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks.
The Last Matchup
UCF and East Carolina have a long history reaching back to 1991 when the series began. East Carolina has a 6-1 edge in the series. Last season, UCF hosted the Pirates and came up short in overtime, 13-10. The Pirates did not score in the first quarter, the third time last season UCF held its opponent scoreless in the first fifteen minutes.
Season tickets for the 2009 UCF campaign at Bright House Networks Stadium are currently available. To order your season tickets today, contact the UCF ticket sales office at (407) UCF-1000 or visit UCFAthletics.com.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.