Seniors Go Out In Style
Unless the Tigers are selected for the Auto Zone Liberty Bowl, this is the last game that the seniors on the football team will play in Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The seniors were recognized in a pregame ceremony.
The Tigers have gotten so used to playing in inclement weather situations that this perfect weather day didn’t go unnoticed. In between the Tiger Walk and arrival at the locker room I overheard membrs of the staff joking with each other saying “what’s that bright thing coming through the clouds”.
The final score may suggest differently but there really wasn’t anything too exciting about the game. As usual, The Tigers defer and chose to receive the ball first in the 2nd half. The Tigers defense forces the Pirates into a three and out on their first possession. Riley Ferguson’s first pass of the game is to Anthony Miller. Miller proceeds to take the ball 89 yards into the end zone. Riley Patterson makes good on the extra point attempt making the score 7-0.
The Tigers repeat the same pattern throughout the first half: defense prevents the Pirates from scoring then offense scores. Ferguson connected with Miller on his first play from scrimmage for the Tigers first scoring drive. For the second scoring drive, Ferguson and Henderson combine for 10 plays, 73 yards , and six points. Three plays into ECU’s next drive, Johnathan Cook intercepts Minshew’s pass and returns it 32 yards for a touchdown. With just under one minute left in the first quarter, Ferguson completes a 46 yard TD pass to senior Phil Mayhue.
The onslaught continues in the second quarter. Doroland Dorceus (19 yards) , Patrick Taylor (41 yards), and Darrell Henderson ( 14 yards) all rushed for touchdowns. At halftime the Tigers have successfully scored a touchdown on every one of their offensive possessions.
To open the second half, Fereguson leads the Tigers down the field on a 6 play, 75 yard scoring drive. The scoring play of the drive was a 61 yard completion to Damonte Coxie.
It wasn’t until halfway through the third quarter when the ECU Pirates score their first points of the game. Thanks to John Tate blocking Jake Verity’s extra point attempt, the Pirates have to settle for 6 points.
You will not believe what happened next. Trust me, it really happened, I saw it with my own four eyes. Caleb Pratt kicks the ball 65 yards to guess who! You guessed it, Tony Pollard. And he did what Tony Pollard does, ran it back 105 yards for the touchdown.
At this point Riley Ferguson has the rest of the evening off and David Moore gets a few game time reps. Patrick Taylor scores his second touchdown of the game, on a hand off from David Moore, when he takes it 60 yards to the endzone. When the final seconds tic off the clock the Tigers are ahead 70-13.
Next weekend the Tigers travel to Orlando for a revenge game against UCF for the AAC Conference Championship. UCF is the only team to beat the Tigers this year. This years squad made history by becoming the only team in Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium history to not lose a game in the Stadium all season. That is one of the goals the team set for itself at the beginning of the season, to go undefeated at home. The other is to be conference champions.