East Carolina Pirates: 5 Critical Games for 2016

Nov 28, 2015; Greenville, NC, USA; East Carolina Pirates wide receiver Isaiah Jones (7) runs with the ball after a catch against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The Cincinnati Bearcats defeated the East Carolina Pirates 19-16. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /

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The East Carolina Pirates have a difficult schedule, but five games stick out overall.

The East Carolina Pirates will play at least twelve games of football this season. After going quarterback challenged last year, the team changed head coaches to bring in Duke assistant Scottie Montgomery.

That would seem to suggest a transitional year for the team, but if they want to be something more then there are five games on the schedule that the Pirates will find more important than the others.

Some are conference games and some are non-conference games. All reflect the nature of turning points, those scheduled games that can turn a season up or turn it down.

I don’t claim to know how this season might affect the team’s future to join a bigger conference. We know the Big 12 are exploring expansion again and teams in the American Athletic Conference are right in their target radar.

Next: NC State

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