SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 23, 2013
East Carolina 37, Ohio 20: Vintavious Cooper rushed for a career-high 198 yards, including two fourth-quarter touchdowns, as the Pirates rallied to beat the Bobcats at the Beef กฎOกฏ Bradyกฏs Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Shane Carden completed 29-of-45 passes for 273 yards - breaking East Carolina's single-season school record with 4,139 - and a touchdown. Carden also caught a 14-yard touchdown strike from receiver Cam Worthy with 7:29 remaining to seal it as the Pirates (10-3) snapped a four-game losing streak in bowls.
Donte Foster caught six passes for 160 yards and a score as the Bobcats came from two touchdowns behind to take a 20-17 lead in the fourth quarter. Tyler Tettleton completed 21-of-40 for 228 yards, going over 9,000 for his career, with a touchdown and three interceptions as Ohio (7-6) lost for the first time in its last three bowls.
Carden connected with Worthy for a 5-yard touchdown and Breon Allen ran 2 yards for a score as the Pirates led 14-0 in a dominant first quarter. Ohio responded with Tettletonกฏs 17-yard scoring strike to Dazกฏmond Patterson and Fosterกฏs 80-yard TD reception from backup Derrius Vick to trail 17-14 at intermission.
The Bobcats tied it on Josiah Yazdaniกฏs 29-yard field goal in the third quarter and his 28-yarder gave them the lead 1:27 into the fourth. Yazdani later missed his first field goal of the season and the Pirates drove 71 yards in five plays, capped by Cooperกฏs 31-yard run up the middle with 9:45 left to put East Carolina ahead 24-20.
GAME NOTEBOOK: East Carolina WR Justin Hardy became the schoolกฏs all-time leader in receiving yards (3,047), passing Dwayne Harris (3,001), after gaining 66 on nine catches. กญ Foster joined LaVon Brazill (1,146) as the only two Ohio players to have 1,000 receiving yards in a season with 1,018. กญ Carden joined Cooper to become the first duo on an FBS team this season to have 4,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing, respectively.