Central Florida's visit to East Carolina might as well be a playoff for bowl eligibility.
Both teams need to win their remaining two games to reach the six required to reach the postseason. That means the loser between the two tonight is assured of being stuck at home for the holidays. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (FSCR Ch. 46) at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
"We know what's in front of us. We have to play well and win these next two games," coach Ruffin McNeill of ECU said. "The biggest thing is just making sure we understand mistakes and the situations of the game. We have to take advantage of opportunities when they arise."
The Pirates (4-6, 2-4 Conference USA) can qualify for a school-record sixth straight bowl game if they beat UCF and Marshall.
UCF (4-6, 3-3) is coming off a one-point loss at No. 22 Southern Mississippi. The Knights scored a touchdown as time expired but missed a 2-point conversion try.
UCF will become bowl eligible for the third straight year with wins against ECU and Texas-El Paso. Stuck in their third two-game losing streak of the season, the Knights haven't won two straight since September and have won in Greenville only once, in 2005.
"Every place that we play — I don't know what it is, but everybody hates us," coach George O'Leary of UCF said. "That's not a problem, and I like that. You see the real fans screaming and yelling. But East Carolina has always had a good football fan base, and they have a good football program. They pack the place, and they get loud. And I think that's a great football environment, and I enjoy stuff like that."
The Knights have been buoyed by freshmen, with 25 starting at least once this season. That doesn't include backup quarterback Blake Bortles, who has been spelling last year's league freshman of the year, Jeff Godfrey, to give UCF a dangerous tandem under center. Their favorite target has been redshirt freshman J.J. Worton, whose 36 catches lead the team.
The Pirates, meanwhile, hope to give their seniors a proper sendoff in their final game at Dowdy-Ficklen. That includes Dominique Davis, a two-year starter at quarterback who McNeill said needs to make better decisions. Davis threw his second interception with 2:19 left to seal last week's 22-17 loss at UTEP.
"It's tough to watch those mistakes," McNeill said. "We talk about it and emphasize maintaining possession of the football. Making decisions is a big part of the quarterback position. We have to understand game situations as an entire unit. We have to understand where we are on the field and take care of the football. Those things are very important. When you put in a lot of time and work, like Dominique does, you want to see the benefit of it."
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