FACTS & STATS: Site: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (43,000) -- Greenville, North Carolina. Television:MASN. Home Record: Tulane 2-5, ECU 3-2. Away Record: Tulane 2-2, ECU 3-3. Neutral Record: Tulane 0-0, ECU 0-0. Conference Record: Tulane 3-4, ECU 5-2. Series Record: East Carolina leads, 6-2.

GAME NOTES: The East Carolina Pirates will try to keep their hopes alive for winning the East Division title this Saturday, as they entertain the Tulane Green Wave in Conference USA action at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The Pirates had a chance to wrap up the East Division crown and a spot in the C-USA title game on November 10th, but they were unable to get past Marshall in a 26-7 setback. It was quite a shocking result when considering Marshall entered that game with just one win on the season. The loss snapped ECU's five-game conference win streak and dropped it to 6-5 overall and 5-2 in league play. In order for the Pirates now to win the East Division, they will have to hope for a UCF loss this weekend and they will obviously have to take care of their own business against Tulane in their regular season finale. Speaking of the Green Wave, it enters the game on a winning note, notching a 45-31 triumph over Rice last weekend. It was the second straight win for Tulane, which hadn't won back-to-back games since 2005. Now 4-7 overall and 3-4 in league play, the Green Wave hit the road (2-2) for their final game of the season. Saturday's game marks the ninth all-time meeting between Tulane and ECU on the gridiron, with the Pirates holding a 6-2 advantage in the series.

Tulane is averaging 25.5 ppg and 401.4 total ypg thanks in large part to its ground attack, which is producing 209.5 ppg on the season. Leading the charge is Matt Forte, the nation's leading rusher with 2,007 yards. Forte, who has scored 22 touchdowns and has already broken countless school records, is just the 11th player in NCAA Division IA/Football Bowl Subdivision history to surpass the 2,000-yard rushing plateau. Last weekend, Forte put forth another tremendous effort, rushing for 194 yards and five scores on 39 carries in a win over Rice. Anthony Scelfo and Kevin Moore both saw time at quarterback last weekend and they combined for 188 yards on 11-of-22 tosses. Scelfo has seen a majority of the snaps this season and he has thrown for 1,263 yards and six scores. He also ranks second on the team with 165 rushing yards. Jeremy Williams has been his go-to-guy, as he lead the team in catches (40), receiving yards (701) and touchdowns (five).

The Green Wave has struggled to slow down its opponents this season, as it is giving up 30.9 ppg and 418.4 total ypg. The unit has done a decent job against the run (124.7 ypg), but it has been torched through the air (293.6 ypg). Last weekend, Tulane limited Rice to only 376 total yards, although the 353 of those yards came via the pass. The unit didn't force a turnover or record a sack either in the win. Joe Goosby turned in a solid performance in the triumph, as he logged 14 tackles and two TFLs. His 84 tackles on the season rank second to Evan Lee, who has registered 91 stops to lead the team in that department.

ECU has done a solid job on offense this season and it is producing 29.7 ppg behind 167.0 rushing ypg and 205.2 passing ypg. The offense hasn't hurt itself with mistakes either, committing only 11 turnovers on the season. In the team's last game, the Pirates didn't turn the ball over, but they gained just 259 yards in a loss to Marshall. Chris Johnson paced the team in defeat with 72 rushing yards and a touchdown on just 12 totes. Johnson is one of several talented backs in C-USA and he leads the Pirates with 1,045 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He is also a threat in the passing game, ranking second on the team with 30 catches, 411 yards and four more touchdowns. Pat Pinkney and Rob Kass have been sharing the quarterback duties, but they combined for just 151 yards and no touchdowns against Marshall. For the season, Pinkney has thrown for 1,195 yards and 10 scores, while Kass has passed for 951 yards and six touchdowns. Pinkney gives the team a little more mobility, as he ranks second to Johnson with 241 rushing yards.

Much like their opponent, the Pirates haven't really fared well on the defensive side of things this season, allowing 31.4 ppg and 445.5 total ypg. The unit is permitting 149.3 ypg on the ground and 296.3 ypg through the air, although it has forced a solid 25 turnovers. Last game, ECU didn't create a single turnover and it gave up 477 total yards of offense in a loss to Marshall. The defense surrendered 239 yards on the ground and that helps explain why the unit spent over 37 minutes of the game on the field. J.J. Milbrook led the way with 14 tackles in the loss, and Fred Wilson finished second with 13 stops. Van Eskridge added eight stops, giving him a team-high 88 tackles for the year.

Tulane has shown some life in recent weeks, but ECU is still the pick here. Forte will surely get his numbers, but the Pirates are the more balanced team and that is why they should come out on top.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: East Carolina 35, Tulane 21

Saturday, November 24th, 1:00 p.m. (et)