Scouting USC’s next opponent: the East Carolina Pirates
Game info
When: 4 p.m., Saturday
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium (80,250)
TV: SEC Network. Radio: 107.5 FM
Three story lines
1. Can they do it again? The Pirates hosted N.C. State and handed the Wolfpack a three-point shootout loss. ECU once made a living out of being feisty and an irritant for bigger programs, and it could be headed down the same path with new coach Scottie Montgomery.
2. Two-pronged passers. Minnesota and Rutgers transfer Philip Nelson is still the trigger man for the offense, and threw for 297 yards in the upset of N.C. State. But the well-traveled senior often gives way to tailback James Summers. He broke a nifty run for ECU’s first touchdown against the Wolfpack and is averaging 8.5 yards a carry.
3. Where’s the D? ECU needed everything it got from its offense, because its undersized defense didn’t do a ton to slow N.C. State down. Each Wolfpack play went an average of 7.9 yards, but poor kicking and work inside the 30-yard line gave ECU its chance.
Three players to watch
1. Senior quarterback Nelson has come a long way since a promising start to his career was derailed by a bar fight. He’s thrown for 695 yards and six scores on 75 passes in his first two games.
2. Junior running back Anthony Scott had tough finding room against the Wolfpack (3.7 yards per carry), but he’s been integral through the air as well as on the ground. He has 161 yards on 22 carries for the season, and 15 receptions for another 139 yards.
3. Senior outside linebacker Dayon Pratt caused havoc against N.C. State with seven tackles, two for loss, and a sack after a quiet opener against Western Carolina.
Scouting report
The Pirates play fast and deploy a wide range of offensive looks, with tight ends often lining up in the backfield. They are a true spread, but like going to some heavy sets.
Nelson looked comfortable organizing a team whose pace is relentless and often puts opponents out of sorts.
The ECU defense plays small, often deploying a 2-4-5 alignment against spreads with linebackers Pratt and Yiannis Bowden, neither heavier than 237 pounds, holding up de facto defensive end spots.
The Pirates are not the best tacklers, getting run over on several occasions against N.C. State.
This story was originally published September 11, 2016 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Scouting USC’s next opponent: the East Carolina Pirates."