There was a time when the East Carolina Pirates used to make the ACC walk the plank every September. From 2013 to 2016, East Carolina tackled six consecutive ACC opponents — North Carolina twice, Virginia Tech twice, and NC State twice. But suddenly, the Pirates’ ACC dominance subsided in 2016 after toppling the Wolfpack 33-30 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. They search for their first win over the conference since that day.
The Pirates ditched their winning ways for a while, up until last season when the program rebounded to a 7-5 record. ECU hopes to sustain that rise and return to its ACC-feasting glory days, but the opponent coming into town is no slouch.