LuDawg's ECU vs Tulsa Sunday

Scouting Tulsa Defense:

https://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/TU/article.aspx?subjectid=94&articleid=20100811_94_B1_CUTLIN704408

"I like this personnel and this team," said Graham, who announced his defense will have an attacking style. "There is no substitute for experience. We're going to have to do a great job coaching. We're probably going to have a freshman playing at middle linebacker and probably two or three freshmen playing at the back end and some newcomers up front and at corner."

Tulsa wants to be able to run the ball more this season:

"G.J. Kinne ran for a team-high 393 yards in 2009, just ahead of running back Jamad Williams' 389. It's not a feat the team hopes to duplicate this season."

Read more from this Tulsa World article at https://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/TU/article.aspx?subjectid=94&articleid=20100811_94_B3_Positi674431

Not more running, but more effective running.  HC Graham wants a balanced attack.  With a much improved off line, they are going to move the ball and score a lot of points.       

Actually they incurred a number of injuries to the OL last year which forced a number of freshmen to play before they were ready.  Their best lineman, Tyler Holmes, broke his leg in week 3 and their second best, Clint Anderson, had a high ankle sprain in both legs at which he was never 100% and lost for a number of games.  Former co-offensive coordinator Herb Hand said this:     

"Last year we had a little bit of an injury bug, and that hurt us throughout the course of the season," Hand said. "It was kind of like a M*A*S*H unit trying to put an offensive line together at times. I guess one of the benefits of the injuries and the growing pains was that a lot of guys got experience. So we have a lot of seasoned guys up front."

Projected Starters:

LT  Tyler Holmes - 20 career starts...Preseason 2nd team C-USA (Steele)

LG Clint Anderson - 11 career starts..."Clint Anderson can be all-conference caliber" per Herb Hand.

C Trent Dupy - 10 career starts as true freshman...2009 C-USA All-Freshman team.

RG Brian DeShane - 2 career starts, played in 7 games as a true freshman.

RT Brandon Thomas - started 5 games at LT and 5 games at RT last year.

Reserves: Senior guard Nick Gates (6-2, 270) played in all 12 games and started against Oklahoma. Senior David Lazenby (6-5, 305) started the first seven games at right tackle. Jared Grigg (6-4, 280), a red-shirt sophomore, made his first start at left tackle against SMU and played the entire second half at right tackle against Rice. (compliments of Blue Ribbon)

All in all, line is going to be much improved as a number of reserves have playing experience if injuries would happen to occur again.  Im not saying its going to be a great line, but a solid one.  

You might want to inform HC Graham of your analysis of how bad their OL is going to be cuz when he met with the media last week, he stated "the line is very much improved"   

i've taken a pretty hard look... i don't see what you are seeing... ECU will need to match Tulsa's offensive production in this game, and i don't see how anyone can have any confidence that will happen... certainly it could happen, but too many question marks to feel confident about it...

Tulsa should be pretty sharp offensively... questions on defense, but so does ECU...

just don't see where ECU has anything to hang their hat on, especially early in the season... i wouldn't be thrilled about laying 7 or more, but under 7 is probably decent value... will tread lightly either way, simply because ECU has handled them pretty well of late, but can't see anyway to make a strong case to bet on ECU...

Tulsa looks greener?  What are you smoking!  Tulsa has 10 starters back on offense with a proven quarterback, 5 on defense, and both the punter and kicker who are both 1st team C-USA.  East Carolina has 6 back on offense with NO proven quarterback, 2 on defense (lost entire front 7), and lost both their punter and kicker!  Not only that, ECU has a head coach who has never been a head coach, an OC who has never been an OC, and a DC who has never been a DC!!!  

Brother LU ... You are the only thing keeping me from betting the Golden Hurricane ....

me, too...