The East Carolina University Pirates kicked off their season with a matchup against the former Coastal Athletic Association Subdivision National Champion James Madison University Dukes. The top ranked Dukes came atop of the Pirates 34-14, in an all-around mishap for ECU.
After a long offseason, head coach Scottie Montgomery was disappointed by the way his team performed. According to Montgomery, the team has had a great preseason and minicamp, so the blunder at Dowdy-Ficklen comes as a surprise to fans and the Pirate organization.
“We give a lot of credit to JMU, they played well offensively and defensively, special teams all around they outplayed us,” Montgomery said.