Birmingham, AL (Sports Network) - Shane Carden threw for 386 yards and two
touchdowns to lead the East Carolina Pirates to a 42-35 victory over the UAB
Blazers in a Conference USA shootout at Legion Field.
Carden completed 23-of-35 pass attempts for East Carolina (5-3, 4-1 C-USA)
which has won 16 of its last 20 conference games. Vintavious Cooper piled up
172 yards and two scores on the ground and also caught a touchdown pass.
Justin Hardy caught six passes for 132 yards and a touchdown.
Austin Brown completed 22-of-37 pass attempts for 319 yards and three
touchdowns for UAB (1-6, 0-3).Nick Adams had 114 yards receiving on four
catches while Darrin Reaves had 69 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. The
Blazers are still winless this season against FBS opponents with its only win
this season coming against Southeastern Louisiana.
Michael Dobson capped off a 13-play, 84-yard drive with a two-yard rushing
touchdown as East Carolina went up 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
In the second quarter Warren Harvey kicked a 20-yard field goal as the Pirates
went up by a score of 10-0.
Reaves scored from a yard out on UAB's next possession to cut into the
Blazers' deficit.
Harvey connected on a 25-yard attempt for East Carolina midway through the
second quarter.
The Blazers would take a 14-13 lead less than two minutes before the half on a
35-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Jamarcus Nelson.
Brown threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Sam Accursio midway through the
third quarter to increase the Blazers' advantage to 21-13.
A one-yard rushing touchdown from Cooper brought ECU to within a point, 21-20.
Cooper then caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Carden to reclaim the lead
for the Pirates.
UAB would respond at the beginning of the fourth quarter when Brown threw a
nine-yard touchdown pass to Kennard Backman. After the score the Blazers lead
28-27.
A 20-yard touchdown pass from Carden Hardy and a three-yard rushing touchdown
from Cooper turned the Pirates' deficit into a 42-28 lead midway through the
fourth quarter.
Reaves would score on a nine-yard rushing touchdown late in the third quarter
to pull UAB to within a touchdown but the Blazers would get no closer.
ECU had 600 yards of total offense and out gained UAB on the ground by a
214-82 margin.
GAME NOTES:
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