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Saturday, Nov. 13 3:30pm ET
Special teams key to Pirates' win | |||||
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BOX SCORE
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- Cincinnati used to have the stingiest punt return defense in the nation. That was before the Bearcats (3-7, 0-5 Conference USA) met East Carolina's Keith Stokes. Stokes, a 5-8, 180-pound junior transfer from Georgia Military College, burst through Cincinnati's coverage on the first punt of the game for a 94-yard touchdown to ignite the No. 24 Pirates (8-2, 4-2) to a 48-34 victory on Saturday. "Keith Stokes is an impact football player," East Carolina coach Steve Logan said. "He is a threat every time he touches the football. He helps boost the confidence of the team with his play." The Pirates (8-2, 4-2 Conference USA) had not scored on a punt return since 1992, and the Bearcats had allowed only eight punt returns this season for 19 yards, best in the nation. Stokes finished with 133 yards on four punt returns, 90 yards on four kickoff returns and 20 yards on three receptions. "I knew coming into the game they only had 19 yards total. Our punt return team took that real personal ... and we came up to the challenge today," Stokes said. East Carolina used the TD to build a 31-9 halftime lead, which the Bearcats (3-7, 0-5) could not overcome despite a 25-point second-half rally. David Garrard threw for three touchdowns and Jamie Wilson ran for two as East Carolina beat Cincinnati for the third straight time. The Bearcats, starting only four seniors, have never won in Greenville. "It is hard to believe that East Carolina has lost two games," Cincinnati coach Rick Minter said. Garrard's 8-yard pass to Rashon Burns gave the Pirates a 14-0 lead with 7:36 to go in the first quarter. Joe Judge's 44-yard field with 3:23 left in the first quarter put Cincinnati on the board, but East Carolina responded with another touchdown pass from Garrard, a 4-yarder to Corey Floyd at the beginning of the second quarter. Wilson's 8-yard TD run increased the Pirates' lead to 28-3 with 9:23 to go in the first half. The Bearcats finally mustered a touchdown on Deontey Kenner's 27-yard pass to LaDaris Vann with 2:58 to go in the half. Andrew Bayes' 34-yard field goal made it 31-9 26 seconds before halftime. In the second half, LaMont Chappell caught a pass from Garrard near the East Carolina 38 and ran 62 yards down the left sideline for a 38-9 lead with 13:10 left in the third quarter. Judge kicked a 33-yard field goal with 9:04 to go in the third quarter to make it 38-12. Stokes' only mistake of the game, a fumble on a punt return, led to P.J. Mays' 1-yard run, which cut the lead to 38-19 with 6:14 left in the third quarter. But East Carolina kept the Bearcats at bay with a 31-yard field goal by Bayes and 24-yard touchdown run by Wilson. Cincinnati's Robert Cooper ran 1 yard for a touchdown with 2:07 to go, and Vann scored on a 31-yard pass from David Bertucci a minute later following an onsides kick. Mays ran for the 2-point conversion, making the score a respectable 48-34 with 58 seconds left. Kenner was taken off the field on a stretcher with 7:07 left in the third quarter after he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage. He was taken to a hospital after he complained of pain at the base of his skull, Cincinnati officials said. His condition was not immediately known, but he was able to move his arms and legs. | ALSO SEE College Football Scoreboard Cincinnati Clubhouse East Carolina Clubhouse College football Top 25 overview
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