Nov. 29, 2008

• C-USA Championship Central (complete game coverage)

With its 38-35 victory at Marshall on Saturday afternoon, combined with Houston's loss at Rice, Tulsa has won the West Division and will host the 2008 Conference USA Football Championship Game. The Golden Hurricane (7-1 in C-USA play, 10-2 overall) will meet the East Division champion East Carolina Pirates (6-2 in C-USA, 8-4 overall) on Saturday, December 6 at H.A. Chapman Stadium. The game will be televised live by ESPN 2, beginning at Noon EST/11 a.m. CST.

"This should be an outstanding matchup, said Commissioner Britton Banowsky. "Both teams have had strong seasons and have been very exciting to watch all season long. We are looking forward to a terrific atmosphere and a great game. "

Tulsa will enter the championship game as the West Division champion for the third time in four years as it seeks a second Conference USA Championship in that span. In 2005, Tulsa won the inaugural C-USA Football Championship Game with a 44-27 victory over UCF. The Golden Hurricane lost to UCF in last year's title game.

The Golden Hurricane has featured one of the top offenses in college football this season. Tulsa has topped the 45-point mark in eight games, including three games with more than 60 points. The offensive triggerman, senior QB David Johnson, has led the FBS in passing efficiency for most of the season and ranks among the national leaders in passing touchdowns with 42. Senior RB Tarrion Adams rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the second straight season to lead the ground game.

East Carolina won its first East Division title on Nov. 22 and closed out the regular season with a convincing 53-21 victory over UTEP on Friday. The Pirates finished 6-2 in C-USA play for the second straight season and won eight regular season games for the first time since 1999, a figure that includes two wins over top 15 teams to open the season.

Senior QB Patrick Pinkney guides the Pirate offensive attack. Pinkney has completed nearly 65 percent of his passes for 2,257 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is aided by a running game that features Brandon Simmons (four touchdowns against UTEP on Friday) and Norman Whitley (4.7 yards per carry). Defensively, ECU leads the league in scoring defense (20.5 ppg) and ranks second in total defense (329.4 ypg).

Tulsa leads the all-time series 5-2, including two wins as members of Conference USA. The Golden Hurricane won the last meeting with the Pirates, 31-10 on Oct. 14, 2006 in Greenville. TU has won two of the three games that have been played in Tulsa.

For ticket information, please visit the football championship page on www.ConferenceUSA.com or www.TulsaHurricane.com.