With a season-opening win under their belt, the South Carolina Gamecocks take their show on the road to Greenville, N.C., this Saturday, where they’ll face off against the East Carolina Pirates (and yes, I’m still upset that this is a road game for some ungodly reason). This is USC’s final chance for a tune-up before the SEC schedule starts in earnest next week with a top-5 Georgia team, so fans will be looking to see more signs of improvement — especially in the Gamecocks’ first crack against an FBS team this year.
Who are these guys? As a frequent guest on South Carolina’s non-conference schedule, ECU doesn’t really need an introduction, but: The Pirates hail from the American Athletic Conference, where they are coached by Mike Houston as the program continues to try to find footing after the ill-considered dismissal of Ruffin McNeill.