SMU at East CarolinaPage 1 Game 9 - Nov. 28, 2020 Game No. 9 - November 28, 2020 SMU Mustangs (7-2, 4-2 AAC) vs. EAST CAROLINA Pirates (2-6, 2-5 AAC) Bagwell Field at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (50,000/1963/Natural Grass), Greenville, N.C. 12 noon (EST) EAST CAROLINA CONTACTS THE GAME Head Coach: ..................................................................................Mike Houston East Carolina offi cially completes its 2020 schedule by hosting SMU on Saturday for a 12 noon Assistant AD/Media Relations: ..................................................Tom McClellan American Athletic Conference clash at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The Pirates will try to capture Offi ce Phone: ...............................................................................(252) 737-1274 their third home fi nale in the last four years after downing Cincinnati in 2017 and Connecticut Cell Phone: .................................................................................(252) 414-0990 in 2018 (before falling to Tulsa last season). Additionally, ECU will look to close out the 2020 E-mail Adress: ..................................................................mcclellant@ecu.edu campaign on a two-game AAC win streak - a fi rst since 2015 - after knocking off Temple 28-3 Director of Media Relations: .......................................................Malcolm Gray in Philadelphia last week. Offi ce Phone: ..............................................................................(252) 737-4523 Cell Phone: .................................................................................. (252) 414-2021 E-mail address: ...................................................................... [email protected] EAST CAROLINA RECORDS AND STREAKS Qualifi ed for 10 bowl appearances since 2000 (eight in the last 14 years) ... SMU CONTACTS Has averaged 406.4 total yards per game vs. AAC opponents this season ... Head Coach: ...................................................................................Sonny Dykes Has scored on 39 of 45 redzone visits in its last 11 games (22-of-27 in 2020) ... Associate Director of Communications: ....................................Lindsey Olsen Has forced at least one turnover in 18 of the last 19 games (15 total in the last six) ... Offi ce Phone: ..............................................................................(214) 768-4970 Has netted fi ve interceptions in the last four games ... Cell Phone: .................................................................................(847) 344-0389 Has tallied a total of 39.0 TLFs and 12.0 sacks in its last six games ... E-mail address: .................................................................. [email protected] Has averaged 32.7 yards per kickoff return in its last three games ... Has won 40 of the last 45 games when leading at the half (13-3 since 2015) ... PIRATE IMG RADIO NETWORK Network: ......................12 stations (North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia) Talent:.......................................Jeff Charles, Kevin Monroe, Marty Feurer (SL) FAST FACTS Engineer: ...........................................................................................David Horn Record – 2-6 (.250); AAC Record/Standing – 2-5 (.286)/9th; Last 5 Games – 1-4; Last 10 Games Pregame Show: ............................................................................. 11:00 a.m. ET – 3-7; Last 15 Games – 3-12; Streaks – East Carolina will play the 21st game of the Mike Houston 2020 Network Affi liates: WBCN-1660 AM/Charlotte; WGAI-560 AM/Elizabeth Era when the Pirates face off against SMU. CU’sE contest against the Mustangs will be the Pirates’ City; WNCT-107.9 FM/Greenville; WRHD-94.3 FM/Greenville; WKDX-1250 AM/Hamlet; 892nd since the start of football in 1932 (446-434-11/.507). WAYS-1050 AM, 101.9 FM/Myrtle Beach, S.C.; WTJZ-1270 AM, 104.9 FM/Norfolk, Va.; WFJA-105.5 FM/Sanford; WAME-550 AM, 92.9 FM/Statesville; WIAM-900 SCHEMES AM, 97.5 FM/Williamston; WNTB-93.7 FM/Wilmington; WTOB-980 AM, 96.3 FM/ SMU utilizes a spread off ensive attack while employing a multiple defensive alignment. East Winston-Salem Carolina will feature a spread look on off ense and are a multiple unit on defense. TELEVISION THE COACHES ESPN+: Lincoln Rose (play-by-play), LaDarrin McLane (analyst), Erin Sum- MIKE HOUSTON (Mars Hill ‘94) is 6-14 (.300) in his second season at East Carolina, while overall mers (sideline) he is in his 10th year as a collegiate head coach with an 86-39 (.688) record. When he offi cially became the Pirates’ 22nd all-time head football coach on Dec. 4, 2018, Houston fi nished a INTERNET three-year stint directing the James Madison program. Live audio streaming: .....................................www.ECUPirates.com (TuneIn) Houston guided the Dukes to a 37-6 mark, which included three NCAA FCS postseason Live video streaming: ..................................................................... WatchESPN appearances (2016 national champions, 2017 national runner-up, 2018 second round) and a pair of Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) titles. He was named the American Football Coaches TICKETS Association (AFCA) FCS National Coach-of-the-Year in 2016 after JMU turned in a 14-1 campaign. Per current restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, capacity is limited The appointment to the top Dukes’ football position followed brief head coaching assign- to 3,500 (7%) - allotment is restricted to East Carolina season ticket holders ments at Lenoir-Rhyne (2011-13) and The Citadel (2014-15). He led the Bears to a 29-8 ledger (based on Pirate Club Priority Points), player families and ECU students. For other and a pair of NCAA Division II playoff showings before guiding the Bulldogs to a 14-11 record, a questions concerning tickets and Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (COVID-19 protocol, Southern Conference co-championship and a venture into the FSC playoff s in 2015. seating, parking, etc...), contact the ECU Athletics Ticket Offi ce at 1-800-DIAL- Houston, a Franklin, N.C. native, began his collegiate coaching career as defensive coordina- ECU or visit the offi cial athletics department website - www.ECUPirates.com. tor at Brevard College in 2006 before serving in a similar capacity at L-R from 2007 to 2010. RANKINGS SONNY DYKES (Texas Tech ‘93) is in his third full season at SMU and sports a 22-13 (.629) record. East Carolina is unranked but SMU continues to earn votes in both the Associ- Overall, he is in his 10th year as a collegiate head coach with a 63-58 (.521) mark. Prior to accepting ated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls. the top football job with the Mustangs on Dec. 11, 2017 and serving as an off ensive analyst at TCU, Dykes was 19-30 in four years (2013-16) as head coach at Cal and 22-15 in three seasons (2010-12) leading Louisiana Tech. Behind the play of quarterback Jared Goff , the top pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Feel free to call us East Carolina or ECU. However, we respectfully ask Dykes’ best season in Berkeley was an 8-5 campaign in 2015. He also served on the UL-Monroe that the erroneous designation of Eastern Carolina or fl awed abbreviations (receivers/1998), Kentucky (receivers/1999), Texas Tech (co-off ensive coordinator/2000-04) and such as E. Carolina, East Caro, ECaro, EC never be used. Arizona (off ensive coordinator/2007-09) full-time staff s before landing in Ruston. SMU at East CarolinaPage 2 Game 9 - Nov. 28, 2020 EAST CAROLINA (2-6, 2-5 AAC) THE SERIES 08/29 MARSHALL ....................................Postponed/COVID-19 Tied 4-4 ... The Pirates and Mustangs both turned in respective sweeps as Conference USA inter-divisional 09/12 at South Carolina .........................Postponed/COVID-19 opponents - ECU taking 2005 and 2006 matchups before SMU posted consecutive victories in 2009 and 2010 ... 09/19 NORFOLK STATE ............................Postponed/COVID-19 09/26 * No. 13 UCF (ABC) .................................................L, 51-28 The Pirates bounced back by capturing the fi rst two (of four) American Athletic Conference meetings, posting 10/03 at Georgia State (ESPNU) ................................ L, 49-29 wins in 2014 and 2015 under Ruffi n McNeill before suff ering setbacks in 2016 and 2019 ... The Mustangs’ visit 10/10 * at USF (ESPN+).................................................W, 44-24 to Greenville in 2014 also marked East Carolina’s inaugural AAC clash ... A closer look: 10/17 * NAVY (ESPN2) .................................................... L, 27-23 Date Site Result Attendance 10/30 * at Tulsa (ESPN2) ................................................L, 34-30 Oct. 15, 2005..................Dallas, Texas ......................................................ECU 24-17 ..................................11,715 11/07 * TULANE (ESPN+) .................................................L, 38-21 Oct. 21, 2006 ............Greenville, N.C. .....................................ECU 38-21 .........................34,141 11/13 * at No. 7 Cincinnati (ESPN2) ................................L, 55-17 Oct. 10, 2009 .................Dallas, Texas .....................................................SMU 28-21 .................................13,626 11/21 * at Temple (ESPN+) ............................................W, 28-3 Nov. 26, 2010 ...........Greenville, N.C. .............................SMU 45-38 (OT) ........................49,108 11/28 * SMU (ESPN+).........................................12 noon Oct. 4, 2014 .............Greenville, N.C. ....................................ECU 45-24 ......................