JAMES MADISON at ECU
Saturday, Sept. 2 • 6 p.m. • ESPN3
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (50,000/Natural Grass)
Greenville, North Carolina
Television
ESPN3
Greg Mescall and Rene Ingoglia
Radio
WNCT-FM 107.9 (ECU flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between ECU and James Madison … The game will mark the third time in ECU’s history that the Pirates will have faced the previous season’s FCS national champion … ECU lost to Eastern Kentucky 28-16 in 1980 and defeated Georgia Southern 35-33 in 1986.
JAMES MADISON
0-0, 0-0 CAA
Head Coach
Mike Houston (Mars Hill ’94)
14-1, second season at James Madison
57-20, sixth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
James Madison takes a 12-game winning streak — the longest active streak in Division I — into its 2017 season-opener as the Dukes went 14-1 last season, capped by the NCAA FCS Championship … The only blemish on James Madison’s ledger last year was a 56-28 setback at North Carolina Sept. 17, 2016 … James Madison’s potent offense scored at least 50 points six times in 14 games last season, including two games with at least 80 points … James Madison is ranked No. 1 in both of the major FCS preseason polls … The Dukes return 14 starters from last season, headlined by QB Bryan Schorr, the 2016 CAA Player of the Year who threw for 3,002 yards and 29 touchdowns and had 10 rushing TDs a year ago. touchdowns and had 10 rushing TDs a year ago.
ECU
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach
Scottie Montgomery (Duke ’00)
3-9, second season
Notes
ECU returns 11 starters from last year’s team, which went 3-9 … The Pirates will have to replace the production of All-America receiver Zay Jones, who set the NCAA single-season (158) and career (399) receptions records … The Pirates do have their next four top receivers back … WR Jimmy Williams, who had 45 catches for 818 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns, should take over as the primary target … QB Gardner Minshew was named as the Opening Day starter … Minshew played in seven games last year and threw for 1,347 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions … LB Jordan Williams had a team-high 77 tackles to lead the defense … ECU’s next seven games will be against teams that played in bowl games in 2016 … ECU has won six straight against FCS opponents since 2009.