Ruffin McNeill finished up his fifth season as East Carolina’s head coach in 2014, a span that has seen the Pirates reach four bowl games and make the transition from Conference USA to the AAC. Though there have been bumps in the road during his time in Greenville, McNeill’s tenure has largely been a success, and here are ECU’s top five wins since his arrival in 2010.
5. Oct. 9, 2010: East Carolina 44, Southern Miss 43
It’s not very often that you win a game when you go down 20-0 in the first quarter and lose the turnover battle 4-0, but that’s exactly what ECU did against the Golden Eagles.
After trailing early, the Pirates came storming back, including scoring 17 unanswered points in the second quarter. But Southern Miss retook the lead in the fourth quarter, leaving ECU trailing by five and in need of a touchdown. The Pirates got just that on a 32-yard touchdown strike from Dominique Davis to Michael Bowman with 4:36 remaining, giving them the lead for good in a wild affair.
4. Oct. 22, 2011: East Carolina 38, Navy 35
A broken record and a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter contributed to a memorable day in Maryland for the Pirates.
ECU quarterback Dominique Davis completed all 26 of his passes in the first half, breaking the single-game FBS record for most consecutive completions, previously held by both Tennessee’s Tee Martin and California’s Aaron Rodgers. Combined with his 10 straight completions at the end of the Pirates’ previous game, Davis also broke Rodgers’ record for most overall consecutive completions.
Though the Midshipmen almost spoiled his day with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to take the lead, a three-yard touchdown run by Reggie Bullock with 2:14 remaining once again put ECU in front, an exclamation point to a historic day for the Pirates.
3. Nov. 23, 2012: East Carolina 65, Marshall 59 2OT
The Pirates outlasted the Thundering Herd in double overtime in their regular-season finale, with the two teams even breaking the Conference USA record for most points scored in a single game.
A back-and-forth affair throughout, ECU dramatically forced overtime with just four seconds left in regulation when Shane Carden connected Danny Webster for a six-yard touchdown. After trading touchdowns in their first possessions of overtime, the Pirates gained the upper hand on Marshall by forcing and recovering a fumble in the second overtime. A one-yard touchdown run by Carden gave ECU the win and clinched it a share of the Conference USA East Division title.
2. Sept. 13, 2014: East Carolina 28, No. 17 Virginia Tech 21
Coming off a stunning upset over eight-ranked (and eventual national champion) Ohio State, the Hokies returned to Blacksburg riding high.
In true Virginia Tech fashion, the Hokies watched as the Pirates jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Though it appeared that upset was imminent, Virginia Tech rallied back and tied the game up with 1:20 left in the fourth quarter on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Michael Brewer to Cam Phillips.
But just when it looked like the Hokies were about to force overtime and get a chance to escape with a win, Shane Carden drove the Pirates right down the field and put them ahead on a one-yard touchdown run with 16 seconds left. The shocking win was ECU’s first over a ranked opponent since 2009 and first on the road since 1996.
1. Sept. 5, 2010: East Carolina 51, Tulsa 49
For Ruffin McNeill, his debut as head coach at his alma mater was more thrilling than he could have possibly imagined.
Though the game was exciting throughout, the two teams stepped it up to an unprecedented level in the fourth quarter. 7 of the game’s mind-boggling 14 lead changes occurred over the last 15 minutes, during which the Pirates and the Hurricane combined to score 47 points.
Tulsa appeared to be on its way to a victory late in regulation, with ECU needing to put up a desperation Hail Mary on the last play of the day. The Pirates needed a miracle, and they got one, as Dominique Davis connected with Justin Jones on a 33-yard touchdown pass to perfectly cap off McNeill’s Greenville debut.
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