GAME NOTES: The fifth-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers shoot for their seventh straight victory over the East Carolina Pirates, as the two schools collide in non-conference action in Morgantown this Saturday. The Mountaineers concluded a two-game road swing last week, defeating Maryland, 31-14, on September 13th. It was the 10th straight non-conference win by WVU, which improved to 46-1 when scoring 30 or more points in a contest dating back to 2000. The Mountaineers, who are 3-0 on the year, now return back home, where they are 14-5 all-time in non-league games under head coach Rich Rodriguez. As for ECU, it has had a tough start to the season, losing two of its first three games, including a 28-21 setback to Conference USA foe Southern Mississippi last weekend. To make matters worse, the Pirates are facing a ranked team for the second time this year and that is bad news considering they are just 4-17 against the Top 25 since 1993. The team has also struggled against Big East foes, going just 23-39 all-time against current members. Included in that record is a dismal 2-16 all-time mark against WVU, which has won the last six meetings in the series. The Mountaineers, who captured a 27-10 triumph in last season's encounter, are a perfect 11-0 against ECU when playing in Morgantown.

The Pirates, unlike their opponent, haven't really thrived on the offensive side of the ball thus far, averaging a modest 20.7 ppg behind 343.7 total ypg. The unit, which has fared well with its passing attack (242.7 ypg), has done an excellent job protecting the ball though, committing only two turnovers this season. Last weekend, ECU gained 300 yards of total offense, including 203 via the pass, but it wasn't quite enough in a 28-21 loss to Southern Miss. Patrick Pinkney put forth another solid effort in the loss, as he threw for 203 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on 20-of-33 tosses. Pinkney, who also rushed for 39 yards, has accounted for most of the team's offense this season. He currently leads ECU in rushing with 109 yards, not to mention he has completed 65.7 percent of his throws for 724 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. His main target thus far has been Phillip Henry, who leads the club with 13 catches for 145 yards. Pinkney unfortunately, hasn't had much help from ECU's ground attack, which is averaging just 101.0 ypg behind a mere 2.9 yards per carry. Tailback Chris Johnson has rushed for just 92 yards and two scores this season, although he has pulled down eight balls for a team-high 165 yards and three more scores.

The Pirates defensively, have done well in the areas of sacks (nine) and forced turnovers (eight), but the 25.3 ppg they are currently allowing is a bit too high. Overall, the team is surrendering 361.3 total ypg, with 275.3 of those ypg coming via the pass. Last weekend, ECU surrendered 383 yards of total offense, including 237 through the air, in a loss to Southern Miss. The defense made a few big plays (three turnovers), but when they were needed the most, they were not able to come up big. ECU carried a 21-14 lead into the fourth quarter of last weekend's game, but allowed Southern Miss to score two touchdowns for the win. One of those scores came on a 15-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off with a game-winning one-yard touchdown run with just 32 seconds to play. Quentin Cotton guided the defense in the loss with an all- around effort that consisted of eight tackles, one interception and a sack. For the year, Cotton leads the squad in tackles (25), while ranking second in TFLs (4.5).

WVU has been simply electric on offense this season, rolling up 500.3 total ypg and averaging a healthy 47.0 ppg. The team has been unstoppable on the ground, where it is posting 343.7 ypg behind an impressive 7.2 yard per carry average. Leading the way is the dynamic duo of tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Patrick White. Slaton, a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, leads the club with 392 rushing yards and eight sores, while White checks in with 244 yards and four touchdowns. Another player that has thrown himself into the mix recently is Noel Devine, who has rushed for 256 yards behind a ridiculous 15.1 yard per carry average. Last week, this trio of runners accounted for 295 of the team's 353 rushing yards in a victory over Maryland. Slaton, to no surprise, led the way with 137 yards and three touchdown on 26 carries, while Devine chipped in with 135 yards on just five totes. White was held to just 22 yards and a score on 11 carries, but he did throw for 95 more yards on 8-of-13 pass attempts. For the year, White has completed 63.3 percent of his throws for 436 yards, and has tossed four touchdowns without a single interception. His main target is Darius Reynaud, who has pulled down 18 balls for 281 yards and two scores. No other player on the roster even has more than 75 receiving yards on the season.

The Mountaineers put forth a strong effort on defense last weekend, as they held Maryland to just 269 total yards. The defense, which is giving up 311.0 total ypg on the year, limited Maryland to just 89 rushing yards and 180 passing. WVU also made several big plays in the game, as it recorded three turnovers and this came after forcing just four total in the first two games. Getting to the quarterback five times last week wasn't a surprise either for the Mountaineers, who have registered 12 sacks on the year. Marc Magro posted six tackles and two sacks against Maryland and he is now tied with Mortty Ivy and Johnny Dingle for the team-lead in sacks with three.

The Mountaineers appear to be unstoppable and it's unlikely they will be slowed down in front of their home fans this weekend. With Steve Slaton and Pat White once again leading the way, expect WVU to run its way to victory.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: West Virginia 34, East Carolina 17