July 10, 2010
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By Craig Martin
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The Knights' will host East Carolina on Oct. 30 at Bright House Networks Stadium in what promises to be perhaps its biggest home game of the year, matching the schools that have won Conference USA's East Division in four of the five years since C-USA went to a divisional format. Either UCF or East Carolina have been crowned as the C_USA champion in each of the past three years.
Last season, East Carolina finished first in the conference at 7-1 and went 9-5 overall. The team's 38-32 win against No.18 Houston in the C-USA Championship Game secured the Pirates a spot in the Liberty Bowl. The Pirates have competed in four-consecutive bowl games. In 2008 East Carolina ranked in the nation's Top 30 in eight different statistical categories. With former head coach Skip Holtz departure, Ruffin McNeill takes over a Pirates team only returning 10 starters.
Offensive Player to Watch
With five starters back on offense quarterback Dwayne Harris will hope to lead his team to another bowl game. Harris a wide receiver/return specialist finished among the nation's Top 20 averaging 27.0 yards-per-return. As a junior Harris turned in the Pirates second-highest single-season totals in both receptions (83) and yards (978). Harris needs 105 more yards to become the Pirates all time leader in reception yards.
Defensive Player to Watch
A defense that totaled 34 takeaways last year is returning two starters including junior defensive back Emanuel Davis. Davis led the team in pass break up with 12. He started in nine games and racked up 69 tackles with a team high 51 of them solo. Davis also had two interceptions returning one of them for a touchdown.
The Last Matchup
UCF and East Carolina have a long history reaching back to 1991 when the series began. East Carolina has a 7-1 edge in the series. Last season, UCF traveled to Greenville, N.C. in hopes of avenging the previous year's overtime loss in Orlando. UCF fell short in a game plagued by turnovers. Both teams combined for a total of seven turnovers in what turned out to be a defense battle that the Pirates came out on the winning side in a 19-14 victory.
To UKNIGHT behind your team and receive your free Knights Rewards Card's valuable discounts, reserve your 2010 football season tickets today. Call the UCF Athletic Ticket office at (407) 823-1000 or log onto UCFAthletics.com.