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The 2015 Birmingham Bowl features Florida and East Carolina, a matchup between these two teams for just the second time. Ironically, these same teams will meet again in September when the Pirates travel to the Swamp to take on the Gators.
In preparation for Saturday’s game, here are five ECU players every Florida fan should know about before the kickoff.
- QB Shane Carden — You can’t talk about ECU without talking about the Pirates’ quarterback. Shane Carden is the heartbeat of the Pirates’ Air Raid offense, finishing the regular season second in the nation with 4,309 passing yards. In addition to being efficient, Carden’s also experienced — he’s finishing his third year as a starter for ECU. Simply put, Carden is often the difference between a win and a loss for ECU. If he has a big day, the Gators could be in big trouble.
- WR Justin Hardy — Every quarterback has a favorite receiver and for Shane Carden, that distinction falls to Justin Hardy. Like Carden, Hardy’s been exceptional for the Pirates. He’s put up astronomical numbers but because of where he plays, he doesn’t receive much publicity for his accomplishments. Hardy is the NCAA career record holder for receptions with 376 and his 9.2 receptions per game leads the nation.
- DB Josh Hawkins — ECU’s secondary stud is Josh Hawkins, a 5-foot-10 junior. Not only does Hawkins lead ECU in passes broken up (11), but his four interceptions also leads the team. Florida doesn’t throw the ball very much, especially with Treon Harris at quarterback. However, the true freshman has been known to throw a few deep balls each game. So if Harris does look to take some chances downfield, you can bet Hawkins will be there to try and make a play.
- LB Zeek Bigger — The junior linebacker is another impact player for ECU. Zeek Bigger, the team’s leading tackler, was all over the field for the Pirates in 2014. His 134 total tackles finished top-10 nationally. With how much the Gators like to pound the rock, Bigger should get a ton of opportunities to wrap up Kelvin Taylor or Matt Jones throughout the game.
- LB Brandon Williams — Completing ECU’s outstanding linebacker duo is senior Brandon Williams. He might not have as many tackles as Bigger, but Williams presents a greater threat in the pass rush. In addition to recording 113 tackles, Williams also led the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and chipped in 4.5 sacks for the Pirates. Williams may be tasked with shadowing Harris in order to keep the speedy UF quarterback from breaking contain and extending plays.
Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.
