EAST CAROLINA, APPALACHIAN STATE TO PLAY FOOTBALL IN 2009

Pirates, Mountaineers Will Renew Old In-State Rivalry Spanning Back To 1932

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina announced Tuesday that the Pirates have added Appalachian State University to their 2009 football schedule. The game, which will be played September 5 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, will renew an in-state football rivalry that covers 77 years and will mark ECU’s first matchup against a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, opponent since 2001.

The Mountaineers own a 19-10 lead in a series that dates back to 1932 but the two programs haven’t met since the Pirates posted a 38-21 victory over ASU in Boone on Nov. 3, 1979.

‘Although this is a single-game contract with Appalachian State for the 2009 season only, it is my hope that this game will be a springboard for a great in-state rivalry in the future,’ ECU Director of Athletics Terry Holland said. ‘The Mountaineers have proven their ability to compete against the very best programs in the area and in the nation.’

Appalachian State, winner of three consecutive FCS national championships under coach Jerry Moore, have also posted the second-highest combined win total in the last seven-plus years among the classification’s scholarship programs.

In addition, the contest against the Pirates will continue a 31-year streak of consecutive Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents on ASU’s schedule that recently has featured meetings against N.C. State (2006), Michigan (2007) and LSU (2008).

The Pirates have recorded an all-time 40-2 record against FCS programs since the classification was established in 1978, but have only faced five since 1990 – UCF (’91, ’93), East Tennessee State (’96), Chattanooga (’98) and William & Mary (’01).

East Carolina has also produced a record of 58-40 against current members of the its former league, the Southern Conference, after earlier battles against Chattanooga, The Citadel, Furman, Georgia Southern, Western Carolina and Wofford.

‘The scheduling rearrangement to move the home game with N.C. State to 2010 and to play Appalachian State at Dowdy-Ficklen in 2009 allows us to have six home games in both 2009 and 2010,’ Holland added. ‘The previous schedule would have required us play seven road games in 2010. The non-conference road schedule for 2010 would have been games at N.C. State, at North Carolina and at Virginia Tech with West Virginia at home.’

*****from ECU grad Jim Modlin, courtesy of Tom McClellan and East Carolina Athletics.*****

2 thoughts on “EAST CAROLINA, APPALACHIAN STATE TO PLAY FOOTBALL IN 2009

  1. This should be a heck of a match-up. Don’t be surprised if ASU doesn’t go into Greenville and come away with a win.I would think that Dowdy-Ficklen will have a large group of Neer fans in the stands.

  2. You are so correct, Doug. This should be a game where no matter the outcome, both teams can win. I don’t know for a fact but I think the mis communication or lack of agreement between the schools-N.C. State and ECU-playing next year probably allowed the quick scheduling of the ASU-ECU game. As you know major college schedules are made up years in advance. I have a call in to my ECU buddies to see if they will comment on my theory. Stay tuned!

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