Blitz Points: College Football Top Performers From Week 3
6. Shane Carden, Quarterback, East Carolina Pirates (Defeated Virginia Tech Hokies 28-21)
23 of 47 for 427 yards, 4 total touchdowns
Make no mistake about it, the East Carolina Pirates are for real. And they aren’t going anywhere. After playing South Carolina to a close 10-point loss last week, the Pirates pulled off what was arguably the toughest game they had all year, and it’s all due to Shane Carden.
This is a Virginia Tech team that was supposed to be riding high after a huge upset over Ohio State last week, and its defense held that high-powered Urban Meyer offense, the same offense that put up 66 points Saturday, to 21 points. The Carden torched that same defense a week later with East Carolina. He willed the Pirates to victory on his own.
Carden has now put East Carolina firmly in position to gain respect among the top American Athletic Conference teams, and it looks more ready than ever to be a major college football team. Sure, the Hokies may have been a bit caught off guard, but Carden’s play was no fluke. He has been playing well all year, and finally he took some respect.