Spring Break
UCF edges out ECU in C-USA preseason poll
Trio of Pirates tabbed for honors
ECU SID
Issue date: 7/23/08 Section: Sports
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ECU, who picked up 60 of a possible 72 points, closed the 2007 campaign by scoring 30 or more points in six of its last seven Conference USA games and returns both signal callers on offense. Patrick Pinkney and Rob Kass both saw action under center and will vie for the starting spot again. Pinkney played in all 13 games and made five stars, while Kass made seven starts and played in 10 contests.
Senior defensive lineman Zack Slate leads a trio of Pirates on the Preseason All C-USA squad, which also includes fellow defensive lineman junior C.J. Wilson and junior offensive lineman Doug Palmer.
The 2007 C-USA Football Championship game featured Tulsa and UCF battling for the league title and the two squads are favored once again for a title shot in 2008. The defending champion Knights were picked to win the East Division crown, garnering 67 points, while the Golden Hurricane were a unanimous choice to represent the West Division, grabbing all 72 available points.
UCF was picked to finish third in the East Division in last year's poll, but behind record-setting running back Kevin Smith, the Knights finished the year 7-1 in the league and advanced to host the third annual C-USA Football Championship game. UCF rolled to the league championship with a 44-25 win over TU and went on to play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl; the second bowl appearance in program history. The team returns nine starters in 2008 to a defensive unit that picked off a school record 24 passes in 2007.
Despite falling in the C-USA Championship game, Tulsa represented the league in the GMAC Bowl and routed Bowling Green, 63-7, to finish the season at 10-4. The 10 wins were the most for the program since 1991 and along the way TU became the first team in NCAA history to have a five thousand-yard passer; three, one thousand-yard receivers and a one thousand-yard rusher. More importantly, nine starters return in 2008 to an offensive unit that led the nation in total offense a season ago. Senior DL Philip Hunt highlights the returning Cougars in 2008.
Houston was voted to finish second in the West and is coming off its third consecutive appearance in a bowl game. First-year Head Coach Kevin Sumlin will lead the Cougars in 2008. Sumlin became the first African-American to head an NCAA FBS program in the state of Texas when he was picked for the job and is the 11th head coach in UH history. He spent the past five seasons at Oklahoma, where he served most recently as both the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach.
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