# 2017 East Carolina Pirates football team

The 2017 East Carolina Pirates football team represented East Carolina University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Scottie Montgomery and played their home games at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium. The Pirates competed as members of the East Division of the American Athletic Conference. They finished the season 3–9, 2–6 in AAC play to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place in the East Division.

## Schedule

ECU announced their 2017 football schedule on February 9, 2017. They hosted seven home games for the first time in school history.
East Carolina's schedule was reorganized by the American Athletic Conference on September 14 due to the effects of Hurricane Irma. Their game with UConn, originally scheduled for November 4, was moved to September 24. Their game against Houston was moved from October 28 to November 4.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 1 (FCS) James Madison* | Dowdy–Ficklen StadiumGreenville, NC | ESPN3 | L 14–34 | 40,169 |
| September 9 | Noon | at West Virginia* | Mountaineer FieldMorgantown, WV | FS2 | L 20–56 | 56,797 |
| September 16 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 16 Virginia Tech* | Dowdy–Ficklen StadiumGreenville, NC | CBSSN | L 17–64 | 43,776 |
| September 24 | 12:00 p.m. | at UConn | Rentschler FieldEast Hartford, CT | ESPNU | W 41–38 | 14,036 |
| September 30 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 18 South Florida | Dowdy–Ficklen StadiumGreenville, NC | CBSSN | L 31–61 | 34,883 |
| October 7 | 12:00 p.m. | Temple | Dowdy–Ficklen StadiumGreenville, NC | ESPNU | L 10–34 | 31,326 |
| October 14 | 7:15 p.m. | at No. 22 UCF | Spectrum StadiumOrlando, FL | CBSSN | L 21–63 | 40,287 |
| October 21 | 7:00 p.m. | BYU* | Dowdy–Ficklen StadiumGreenville, NC | CBSSN | W 33–17 | 38,835 |
| November 4 | 12:00 p.m. | at Houston | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX | CBSSN | L 27–52 | 29,810 |
| November 11 | 7:00 p.m. | Tulane | Dowdy–Ficklen StadiumGreenville, NC | CBSSN | L 24–31 $^{OT}$ | 36,178 |
| November 18 | 12:00 p.m. | Cincinnati | Dowdy–Ficklen StadiumGreenville, NC | CBSSN | W 48–20 | 31,923 |
| November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 20 Memphis | Liberty Bowl Memorial StadiumMemphis, TN | ESPNU | L 13–70 | 41,517 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll, STATS Poll (FCS) and CFP Rankings, after October 31 - Released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||
Source:

## Coaching staff

| Name | Title |
| Scottie Montgomery | Head coach |
| Ryan Anderson | Inside linebackers coach |
| Keith Gaither | Wide receivers coach |
| Brandon Lynch | Defensive backs coach |
| Shannon Moore | Special teams coordinator/tight ends coach |
| Jason Nichols | Running backs coach |
| Tony Petersen | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach |
| Robert Prunty | Defensive line coach |
| Kenwick Thompson | Defensive coordinator |
| Geep Wade | Offensive line coach |
| John Gutekunst | Defensive analyst |
Source:

## Game summaries
### Vs. James Madison

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #1 (FCS) Dukes | 7 | 0 | 14 | 13 | 34 |
| Pirates | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |

### At West Virginia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pirates | 3 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 20 |
| • Mountaineers | 21 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 56 |

### Vs. Virginia Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #16 Hokies | 7 | 16 | 34 | 7 | 64 |
| Pirates | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |

### At UConn

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Pirates | 21 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 41 |
| Huskies | 7 | 7 | 17 | 7 | 38 |

### Vs. South Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #18 Bulls | 21 | 10 | 17 | 13 | 61 |
| Pirates | 10 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 31 |

### Vs. Temple

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Owls | 0 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
| Pirates | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |

### At UCF

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pirates | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| • No. 22 Knights | 21 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 63 |

### Vs. BYU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| • Pirates | 7 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 33 |

### At Houston

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pirates | 0 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
| • Cougars | 21 | 7 | 17 | 7 | 52 |

### Vs. Tulane

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| • Green Wave | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
| Pirates | 7 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 24 |

### Vs. Cincinnati

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bearcats | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| • Pirates | 14 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 48 |

### At Memphis

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pirates | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| • No. 17 Tigers | 28 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 70 |