The 2012 East Carolina Pirates football team represented East Carolina University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Ruffin McNeill and played their home games at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium.
They were a member of the East Division of Conference USA, and tied with Central Florida and Tulsa for best conference record, at 7-1. They finished the season with an invitation to the 2013 New Orleans Bowl, where they lost to Louisiana-Lafayette to finish the season with an overall 8-5 record.
Schedule
Source: Schedule
Game summaries
No. 6 (FCS) Appalachian State
Statistics APPECU First downs 20 25 Total yards 419 390 Rushing yards 119 148 Passing yards 300 242 Turnovers 3 2 Time of possession 26:42 33:18 Team Category Player StatisticsAppalachian State Passing Jamal Jackson 23/40, 300 yards, INT Rushing Steven Miller 14 rushes, 47 yards Receiving Tony Washington 7 receptions, 102 yardsEast Carolina Passing Rio Johnson 28/43, 242 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Michael Dobson 19 rushes, 78 yards Receiving Justin Jones 2 receptions, 45 yards
At No. 9 South Carolina
Statistics ECUSC First downs 18 25 Total yards 403 528 Rushing yards 70 131 Passing yards 333 397 Turnovers 5 1 Time of possession 31:18 28:42 Team Category Player StatisticsEast Carolina Passing Rio Johnson 18/29, 193 yards, 3 INT Rushing Vintavious Cooper 6 rushes, 31 yards Receiving Justin Hardy 8 receptions, 111 yards, TDSouth Carolina Passing Dylan Thompson 21/37, 330 yards, 3 TD Rushing Marcus Lattimore 13 rushes, 40 yards, TD Receiving Rory Anderson 4 receptions, 90 yards, 2 TD
At Southern Miss
Statistics ECUUSM First downs 13 20 Total yards 228 324 Rushing yards 57 91 Passing yards 171 233 Turnovers 0 3 Time of possession 29:53 30:07 Team Category Player StatisticsEast Carolina Passing Shane Carden 13/27, 171 yards, TD Rushing Vintavious Cooper 13 rushes, 51 yards Receiving Justin Hardy 5 receptions, 92 yards, TDSouthern Miss Passing Chris Campbell 11/21, 145 yards, TD Rushing Desmond Johnson 13 rushes, 76 yards Receiving Markese Triplett 4 receptions, 66 yards, TD
At North Carolina
Statistics ECUUNC First downs 13 23 Total yards 233 450 Rushing yards 109 129 Passing yards 124 321 Turnovers 1 0 Time of possession 32:19 27:41 Team Category Player StatisticsEast Carolina Passing Shane Carden 17/30, 124 yards Rushing Vintavious Cooper 6 rushes, 68 yards Receiving Justin Jones 4 receptions, 46 yardsNorth Carolina Passing Bryn Renner 27/43, 321 yards, 2 TD Rushing Giovani Bernard 18 rushes, 50 yards, TD Receiving Erik Highsmith 8 receptions, 66 yards
UTEP
Statistics UTEPECU First downs 17 25 Total yards 302 475 Rushing yards 151 217 Passing yards 151 258 Turnovers 4 4 Time of possession 27:02 32:58 Team Category Player StatisticsUTEP Passing Nick Lamaison 9/27, 143 yards, TD, 3 INT Rushing Nate Jeffery 27 rushes, 134 yards Receiving Malcolm Trail 1 reception, 14 yardsEast Carolina Passing Shane Carden 28/40, 258 yards, TD, 3 INT Rushing Vintavious Cooper 23 rushes, 151 yards, TD Receiving Justin Hardy 11 receptions, 95 yards, TD
At UCF
Statistics ECUUCF First downs 17 20 Total yards 362 436 Rushing yards 64 167 Passing yards 298 269 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 31:33 28:27 Team Category Player StatisticsEast Carolina Passing Shane Carden 23/36, 298 yards, TD, INT Rushing Vintavious Cooper 18 rushes, 58 yards Receiving Justin Hardy 5 receptions, 119 yards, TDUCF Passing Blake Bortles 15/21, 269 yards, TD Rushing Blake Bortles 6 rushes, 62 yards, TD Receiving Rannell Hall 3 receptions, 68 yards
Memphis
Statistics MEMECU First downs 16 21 Total yards 281 369 Rushing yards 115 61 Passing yards 166 308 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 33:41 26:19 Team Category Player StatisticsMemphis Passing Jacob Karam 14/23, 153 yards Rushing Jai Steib 13 rushes, 38 yards, TD Receiving Marcus Rucker 7 receptions, 88 yardsEast Carolina Passing Shane Carden 25/33, 308 yards, 5 TD Rushing Vintavious Cooper 16 rushes, 96 yards Receiving Justin Hardy 6 receptions, 137 yards, 2 TD
At UAB
Statistics ECUUAB First downs 27 19 Total yards 600 401 Rushing yards 214 82 Passing yards 386 319 Turnovers 0 0 Time of possession 32:31 27:29 Team Category Player StatisticsEast Carolina Passing Shane Carden 23/35, 386 yards, 2 TD Rushing Vintavious Cooper 26 rushes, 172 yards, 2 TD Receiving Justin Hardy 6 receptions, 132 yards, TDUAB Passing Austin Brown 22/37, 319 yards, 3 TD Rushing Darrin Reaves 21 rushes, 69 yards, 2 TD Receiving Nick Adams 4 receptions, 114 yards
Navy
Statistics NAVYECU First downs 32 21 Total yards 563 338 Rushing yards 512 144 Passing yards 51 194 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 35:27 24:43 Team Category Player StatisticsNavy Passing Keenan Reynolds 3/5, 51 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Gee Gee Greene 14 rushes, 131 yards Receiving Geoffrey Whiteside 1 reception, 20 yards, TDEast Carolina Passing Shane Carden 19/29, 194 yards, TD, INT Rushing Vintavious Cooper 18 rushes, 121 yards, TD Receiving Danny Webster 3 receptions, 44 yards
Houston
Statistics HOUECU First downs 16 31 Total yards 369 550 Rushing yards 28 245 Passing yards 341 305 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 15:52 44:08 Team Category Player StatisticsHouston Passing David Piland 22/51, 341 yards, 4 TD, INT Rushing Charles Sims 5 rushes, 33 yards Receiving Isaiah Sweeney 3 receptions, 93 yards, TDEast Carolina Passing Shane Carden 31/43, 305 yards, 4 TD, INT Rushing Vintavious Cooper 33 rushes, 140 yards, TD Receiving Derrick Harris 3 receptions, 65 yards
At Tulane
Statistics ECUTULN First downs 20 22 Total yards 387 302 Rushing yards 172 9 Passing yards 215 293 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 27:49 32:11 Team Category Player StatisticsEast Carolina Passing Shane Carden 19/33, 215 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Vintavious Cooper 15 rushes, 87 yards Receiving Justin Hardy 5 receptions, 55 yards, TDTulane Passing Ryan Griffin 36/57, 293 yards, 2 TD Rushing Dante Butler 2 rushes, 18 yards Receiving Ryan Grant 10 receptions, 94 yards
Marshall
Statistics MRSHECU First downs 36 31 Total yards 633 555 Rushing yards 214 116 Passing yards 419 439 Turnovers 3 0 Time of possession 28:40 31:20 Team Category Player StatisticsMarshall Passing Rakeem Cato 31/40, 318 yards, 5 TD, INT Rushing Essray Taliaferro 27 rushes, 130 yards, TD Receiving Tommy Shuler 14 receptions, 141 yards, 2 TDEast Carolina Passing Shane Carden 38/47, 439 yards, 3 TD Rushing Vintavious Cooper 14 rushes, 52 yards, 2 TD Receiving Justin Hardy 16 receptions, 171 yards
Vs. Louisiana–Lafayette (New Orleans Bowl)
Statistics ECUULL First downs 24 25 Total yards 421 591 Rushing yards 143 267 Passing yards 278 324 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 27:17 32:43 Team Category Player StatisticsEast Carolina Passing Shane Carden 25/42, 278 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Reggie Bullock 17 rushes, 104 yards, 2 TD Receiving Andrew Bodenheimer 5 receptions, 65 yardsLouisiana–Lafayette Passing Terrance Broadway 21/32, 316 yards, TD, INT Rushing Alonzo Harris 21 rushes, 120 yards, 2 TD Receiving Jamal Robinson 6 receptions, 116 yards
References