East Carolina Pirates vs Ohio Bobcats Match Player Stats On Dec 23, 2013

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 23, 2013

East Carolina 37, Ohio 20: Vintavious Cooper rushed for a career-high 198 yards, including two fourth-quarter touchdowns, as the Pirates rallied to beat the Bobcats at the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Shane Carden completed 29-of-45 passes for 273 yards - breaking East Carolina's single-season school record with 4,139 - and a touchdown. Carden also caught a 14-yard touchdown strike from receiver Cam Worthy with 7:29 remaining to seal it as the Pirates (10-3) snapped a four-game losing streak in bowls.

Donte Foster caught six passes for 160 yards and a score as the Bobcats came from two touchdowns behind to take a 20-17 lead in the fourth quarter. Tyler Tettleton completed 21-of-40 for 228 yards, going over 9,000 for his career, with a touchdown and three interceptions as Ohio (7-6) lost for the first time in its last three bowls.

Carden connected with Worthy for a 5-yard touchdown and Breon Allen ran 2 yards for a score as the Pirates led 14-0 in a dominant first quarter. Ohio responded with Tettleton’s 17-yard scoring strike to Daz’mond Patterson and Foster’s 80-yard TD reception from backup Derrius Vick to trail 17-14 at intermission.

The Bobcats tied it on Josiah Yazdani’s 29-yard field goal in the third quarter and his 28-yarder gave them the lead 1:27 into the fourth. Yazdani later missed his first field goal of the season and the Pirates drove 71 yards in five plays, capped by Cooper’s 31-yard run up the middle with 9:45 left to put East Carolina ahead 24-20.

GAME NOTEBOOK: East Carolina WR Justin Hardy became the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards (3,047), passing Dwayne Harris (3,001), after gaining 66 on nine catches. … Foster joined LaVon Brazill (1,146) as the only two Ohio players to have 1,000 receiving yards in a season with 1,018. … Carden joined Cooper to become the first duo on an FBS team this season to have 4,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing, respectively.