MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- While it may be difficult locating Greenville, N.C., the university town between Frog Level and Pactolus, on a map, the East Carolina defense residing there seems to have no trouble finding Steve Slaton, Patrick White and the West Virginia offense.

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Next

• Game: West Virginia (3-0) vs. East Carolina (1-2).
• When: Noon, Saturday.
• Where: Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, W.Va.
• TV: ESPN2.

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No trouble tackling them, either. Nary any atlas skills required.

"They've probably played us as well defensively the last two years as anybody on our schedule," Rich Rodriguez, coach of the fifth-ranked Mountaineers, said of the Pirates, who remain the only team to hold West Virginia below 200 yards rushing the past two seasons. "They've prevented the big play, they've brought the safeties down, and they've tackled well in the open field. We've had a hard time running the football against them."

"Let me ask you this: Was he mad when he said [that]?" East Carolina's Skip Holtz kidded upon hearing those comments relayed over the telephone. " 'cause I don't want to get him motivated."

Holtz, son of Lou and coach of the Pirates (1-2) who visit Mountaineer Field at noon Saturday for an ESPN2-televised game, admits to sticking with a base defense and credits defensive coordinator Greg Hudson plus assistant head coach Rick Smith with his team's relative, run-stopping success against West Virginia (3-0). After all, the prior East Carolina administration came up with the game plans that generously permitted the Mountaineers in separate games to set Big East records for individual rushing (Kay-Jay Harris with 337 yards) and team rushing (536 yards). Holtz's Pirates, in contrast, have discovered a hidden defensive treasure while still losing by 20-15 at Mountaineer Field in September 2005 and by 27-10 last fall.

Nobody has foiled Slaton like the Mountaineers' next two foes, East Carolina and South Florida on Sept. 28 in Tampa. In only five career starts has he failed to rush for 100 yards, and two of those were the result of injuries.

Otherwise, his three sub-100 misses remain the one at East Carolina last fall (80 yards on 24 carries) and two outings against South Florida (86 yards on 28 carries and 43 on 18).

White's second-fewest yards in his Mountaineers career came two years ago against East Carolina, three carries for five yards, and his second-lowest total as a starter came last fall at Greenville, 11 carries for 39 yards. He had two interceptions (in just eight attempts) two years ago at home against the Pirates and three at East Carolina last fall -- meaning that nearly half of his career picks (5 of 12 in 342 attempts) have came against the Pirates.

On the whole, East Carolina frustrates ground-happy West Virginia like few others, confining the Mountaineers to their second-lowest rushing total last season (153) and their lowest the year before (127).

NOTES ---- Nose guard Keilen Dykes will remain cautious with his sprained right foot and practice lightly this week. Same for receiver Darius Reynaud and his sprained shoulder. Both are expected to start Saturday. ... Rodriguez is using Saturday's West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame ceremony to inaugurate a new pregame ritual: Inductees Rich Braham and Jerry Holmes along with Undra Johnson will serve as honorary captains at the coin toss. ... FBI employees will be at the stadium to pass out National Child Identification Program kits to aid in locating abducted, missing or runaway children.