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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Sep 6, 2014; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Brandon Wilds (22) breaks into the secondary at Williams-Brice Stadium. South Carolina wins 33-23 over East Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /

At South Carolina Gamecocks – September 17

Talk about opportunity. The Gamecocks beat the Shane Carden version of the Pirates two times, but that was before Steve Spurrier stepped aside and the Citadel swooped in for the victory of their own. Now it is Will Muschamp calling the shots, but his recruiting should still be a year or so away.

While a victory over State would warm some hearts in the Pirate faithful, an SEC victory would also be important as a program statement. It would give Montgomery instant credibility. It also would happen when a victory over the Gamecocks would still be meaningful. The SEC schedule might wreck them later, but they would likely be undefeated coming into this game.

It is nice to note that Montgomery is doing himself no favors with State, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech is the first four weeks of the season.

Next: UCF

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