SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 22, 2014
East Carolina 34, Tulane 6: Shane Carden passed for 358 yards and a touchdown and ran for a score as the host Pirates halted a two-game losing streak.
Justin Hardy had nine catches for 104 yards to become the NCAA's all-time leader in career receptions and Cam Worthy had seven catches for 115 for East Carolina (7-3, 4-2 American Athletic), which improved to 8-0 at home against the Green Wave (3-8, 2-5). Breon Allen rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown and Isaiah Jones had a scoring reception for the Pirates.
Tanner Lee finished 25-of-43 for 301 yards and an interception for Tulane, which has been outscored 72-13 over the past two games. Andrew DiRocco connected on field goals of 33 and 40 yards for the Green Wave's only points.
DiRocco's second field goal drew Tulane within 20-6 with 10 minutes to play, but East Carolina answered with an eight-play, 65-yard drive that Marquez Grayson capped with a 7-yard TD run. Carden ran in from 8 yards out in the final minute.
The Pirates jumped out to a 10-0 lead when Carden led a 90-yard drive before connecting with Jones on a 4-yard scoring pass with 21 seconds left in the first quarter. After DiRocco's 33-yard field goal cut the deficit to 10-3, the Green Wave stuffed East Carolina at the goal line but the Pirates forced a three-and-out and moved 49 yards in four plays to take a 17-3 halftime lead on Allen's 15-yard run.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Hardy's 8-yard catch late in the second quarter eclipsed the previous all-time receptions mark set by Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles (349) from 2008-11. ... Green Wave S Sam Scofield registered 17 tackles. ... The Pirates continued to thrive in the fourth quarter and have outscored league opponents 74-19 in the final 15 minutes.