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Pirates Capture C-USA Crown

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The Associated Press

Published: December 7, 2008

TULSA, Okla. - Ben Hartman kicked a 36-yard field goal with 1:43 remaining, and East Carolina took advantage of seven turnovers to beat Tulsa, 27-24, on Saturday in the Conference USA Championship Game for its first league title in 32 years.

The Pirates (9-4), who made a splash early this season with back-to-back upsets of Top 25 teams Virginia Tech and West Virginia, earned a berth in the Liberty Bowl.
East Carolina used the league's best defense to create havoc for David Johnson, the nation's top-rated passer. Johnson threw a career-high five interceptions, including one that was returned 72 yards for a touchdown by Travis Simmons, and also fumbled.

Van Eskridge sealed the win with 63 seconds left when he picked off a pass intended for top receiver Brennan Marion, who had crumpled to the turf after apparently injuring his right knee. It was Eskridge's second interception of the game.

East Carolina's Norman Whitley ran for 104 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown right up the middle, and Patrick Pinkney threw for 122 yards and a score. Most importantly, Pinkney protected the ball all game long and didn't turn it over once to guide the Pirates to their first title since the 1976 Southern Conference championship, when his father Reggie was a star defensive back.

"He always joked about it, being the last team to win the conference championship," Pinkney said.

"I told him at the beginning of the year, 'We'll go get it this year.'"

It was a completely different story for Johnson, who had thrown only 13 interceptions through Tulsa's first 12 games.

He threw an interception on the first play of the game as the Golden Hurricane (10-3) came out going for the long ball. It was a sign of things to come.
East Carolina scored its first 24 points off Golden Hurricane turnovers, then chewed up more than 7 minutes on a 12-play, 63-yard drive to set up Hartman for the game-winner.

Johnson finished with 195 yards on 23-of-42 passing. It was only the third time this season he was held below 200 yards passing. His only touchdown pass was an 8-yarder to Jake Collums that tied the game at 24 with 8:57 left, before East Carolina's final march

"It's definitely not all on Dave. We just fell short as a team, as an offense," running back Tarrion Adams said.

Pinkney followed Johnson's interception on the first play of the game by driving the Pirates 83 yards and throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to fullback Kevin Gidrey off of play action.

FIU 27, WESTERN KENTUCKY 3: Paul McCall threw for 292 yards and one touchdown and T.Y. Hilton rushed for a score, as both players set school records to help the host Golden Panthers (5-7) beat Western Kentucky (2-10).

Hilton became the first Florida International player to have more than 1,000 yards receiving in a season and finished with a school-record 1,013 yards.

McCall also set a school record for most touchdown passes in one season for the Golden Panthers with 15.

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