Saturday, September 6
Greenville, N.C.
6:00 p.m.
East Carolina University
vs
Campbell
ECU Welcomes Campbell To Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium In Home Opener
September 05, 2025 | Football
| Campbell (0-1, 0-1 CAA) at East Carolina (0-1, 0-0 American) | |
| Date | Saturday, Sept. 6 |
| Time | 6:00 p.m. (EDT) |
| Location | Greenville, N.C. (Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium / 56,919) |
| Live Game Coverage | Radio: WNCT 107.9FM/94.3 The Game Television:Â ESPN+ |
| Internet Options | Live Stats |
| Official Web Sites | East Carolina | Campbell | The American |
| Game Notes (PDF) | East Carolina | Campbell | The American |
| 2025 Statistics (Final) | East Carolina | Campbell |
| ECU Football Central | East Carolina Media Hub | Roster | NCAA Football | College Scoreboard |
| Official Social Media Sites | |
| East Carolina | The American | |
| X | East Carolina | ECU Football (in-game updates) | The American |
| Twitter Hashtags | #PirateNation | #AmericanFB |
| East Carolina | The American | |
GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina returns to the gridiron Saturday evening playing host to Campbell at Bagwell Field inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. and the contest will be streamed on ESPN+ with Joe Tordy (play-by-play) and Doc Holliday (analyst) on the call.
THE HEAD COACH
Blake Harrell (Western Carolina '02) who is in his sixth overall season at East Carolina, was officially named the 23rd head football coach on Nov. 27, 2024. Harrell, the program's interim head coach (Oct. 20-Nov. 26, 2024) and the squad's defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach since his initial hire in January of 2020, led the Pirates (8-5, 5-3 AAC) to five wins over a six-game span which included a 26-21 come from behind victory over NC State in the 2024 Go Bowling Military Bowl in Annapolis, Md. On Dec. 28, 2024. The win was the first over a Power 4 team since 2018, when ECU topped North Carolina, 41-19. During his time leading the program, ECU has posted a 5-2 record notching consecutive wins over Temple, Florida Atlantic, Tulsa and North Texas helping the Pirates secure bowl eligibility for the third time in the last four campaigns (2021 Military, 2022 Birmingham). Over the final six games in 2024, ECU scored 229 points (38.2 ppg) and 2,993 yards of total offense (498.8 pg) which included a stretch of four straight games with over 500 yards of total offense – a first in program history.
THE GAME
East Carolina will open its home schedule this weekend hosting Campbell inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium ... Saturday's contest will be the sixth overall since 1933 with the Camels holding a slim 3-2 lead all-time ... After four games in the 1930's the two teams last meet in 2022 with ECU coming away with a 49-10 victory in front of 43,036 fans ... Saturday game has been designated as Pirate Club Day, Band Day and Ag Day.
FAST FACTS
Record – 0-1 (.000); American Record/Standing – 0-0 (.0-0)/---; Last 5 Games – 3-2; Last 10 Games – 6-4; Last 15 Games – 8-7; Streaks – When East Carolina hosts Campbell, it will be the seventh game of the Blake Harrell era. The Pirates contest against the Fighting Camels will be the Pirates 944th since the start of football in 1932 (472-460-11/.506).
EAST CAROLINA RECORDS, STREAKS & TRENDS (end of 2024)
- Participated in 22nd bowl in program history at the Go Bowling Military Bowl (has qualified for 23 bowls all-time - did not play in 2021 Military Bowl/CoVID-19) ...
- Won 11th bowl game in ECU history at Go Bowling Military Bowl (vs. NC State 26-21) ...
- Earned bowl eligibility in 2021 (Military), 2022 (TicketSmarter Birmingham/champions) and 2024 (Go Bowling Military Bowl/champions) ...
- Tallied seven or more wins (7 in '21, 8 in '22, 8 in '24) in 3 of last 4 years ...
- Tallied 400-plus yards of total offense in a game in seven contests under Harrell (500 or more on five occasions with a season-high in 2024 against FAU/581) ...
- Forced at least one turnover in 61 of the last 72 games since 2019 with Teagan Wilk's interception at NC State on Aug. 28, 2025 ...
- Since the start of 2023, ECU's defense has scored six TDs (2/ASU '23, 1/UTSA '23; 1/NSUÂ '24, 1/ASU, 1/TEM) ...
- Pirate stood among FBS Leader (Top 30) in 14 statistical categories in 2024 ... blocked kicks allowed (t1st/none), blocked punts allowed (t1st/none), defensive touchdowns (12th/3 scores), red zone defense (13th/0.745), team tackles for loss (14th/7.2 per game), third down conversion percentage (24th/0.451), total offense (24th/436.4 ypg), passing yards per completion (26th/13.30), blocked kicks (27th/2 blocks), kickoff return yards (27th/22.74 ypkor), passes intercepted (27th/14 interceptions), passing offense (27th/264.0 pg), turnovers gained (27th/22 total) and fourth down conversion percentage defense (29th/0.457) ...
THE PIRATE NATION - OVER 9 MILLION STRONG
East Carolina has usually been able to claim plenty of hometown support when playing at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium - establishing itself among conference attendance leaders on a near annual basis ... In all, a total of 9,851,263 fans have seen the Pirates in action since 1963, and since the completion of a 7,000-seat expansion project in 2010 (to push capacity to 50,000), the Pirates have drawn 3,579,974 fans.
CHARTING THE PIRATES MONTH-BY-MONTH
In all, East Carolina is 4-4-0 in August, 136-130-1 in September, 170-172-4 in October, 150-138-5 in November, 11-12-0 in December and 1-4-0 in January ... With the Pirates win over NC State in 2024, ECU remained somewhat productive in December - a month in which it has won six of its last 10 outings (wins vs. Boise State/'07, Tulsa/'08, Houston/'09, Ohio/'13, Coastal Carolina/'22, NC State/'24; losses to Maryland/'10, ULLafayette/'12, UCF/'14 and NC State/'18).
AT DOWDY-FICKLEN STADIUM
East Carolina's all-time record at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium is 205-120 (.631) ... The Pirates opened the facility on Sept. 21, 1963 with a 20-10 win over Wake Forest in front of 17,000 fans, celebrated the stadium's 50th anniversary in 2013 and recently hosted its 300th game vs. Tulane in 2020 ... This season, ECU finished with a 4-2 record at home marking the third time in the last four years it has won four home contests in a season ... The Pirates played seven home games in 2022 posting a 4-3 record and a 4-2 clip in 2021, 1-3 in 2020 and a collective 13-19 mark from 2015-2019, ECU was 5-1 in 2014, 2013 and 2012 (15-3) and won a combined 10 of 12 home matchups in 2009 (6-1) and 2008 (4-1) ... With its 49-14 won over FAU (Nov. 7, 2024), ECU posted 42 winning campaigns at DFS sine 1963.
THE SERIES
Campbell leads the all-time series 3-2 ... The Pirates and Camels will square offed for the first time in 1933 and played last in 2022 inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium ... ECU won the initial game with a 6-0 shutout, but was outscored in the next three contests 27-12 before tallying 49 points just three years ago.
LOOKING FOR MORE LOOT
Early in 2025, East Carolina is plus 1.00 in the turnover margin (27th NCAA) after Teagan Wilk's interception at NC State in the second quarter of the season opener ... Last year the Pirates finished with a -0.62 in turnover margin (ECU 30, Opponents 22) ... ECU forced two or more turnovers in a game (2024 season) in eight of 13 contests ... The Pirates turned the ball over six times (3 fumbles, 3 INTs) against Norfolk State marking the most since they gave up seven against UAB in 2011 ... East Carolina finished the 2023 campaign with a -0.42 turnover margin (ECU 21, Opponents 16) ranking 101st nationally ... The Pirates tied a program best record with eight forced fumbles against Gardner-Webb recovering five - a feat that they last accomplished on Nov. 23, 2002 against TCU (span of 253 games) ... The Pirates also scored three defensive touchdowns on the season (2 at Appalachian State, 1 at UTSA) ... In 2022, the Pirates finished with a +13 turnover margin forcing 10 fumbles, recovering nine and picked off 11 passes for 154 return yards ... ECU led the country in fewest offensive turnovers with seven ... Against UCF, ECU forced a season-high four turnovers (3 INTs, 1 fumble) and had five multi-turnover games on the year ... Despite its impressive 45-3 win, East Carolina's 16-game streak of forcing at least one turnover came to a halt against Temple on Nov. 6 (2021) ... The run, which began on Oct. 3, 2020 at Georgia State and produced 36 takeaways (22 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries), was the program's longest since a 33-game streak (from 2007 to 2010) ... In all, ECU still has at least one takeaway in 61 of the last 72 contests, as well as 32 of 39 games dating back to the start of the 2022 campaign.
A STARTERS' LOG
OLB Ryheem Craig enters the Campbell game having made 14 consecutive starts as a member of the defensive unit ... OL Emmanuel Poku and WR Anthony Smith lead the offensive unit having started 14-straight games ... Against NC State, ECU had nine first time starters in a Pirate uniform: DB Jonathan Jean, DL JD Lampley, OL Kyle Long, DB Jordy Lowery, RB London Montgomery, WR Jaquaize Pettaway, DB Rasheed Reason, OL Cooper Trnavsky, DL Zion Wilson.
AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
The Pirates have produced a 46-65 (.414) regular season non-league record since 1997, which includes a 0-1 clip in 2025. Last year, ECU was 2-2, 1-3 in 2023 and 3-1 in 2022 picking up wins against Old Dominion, Campbell and BYU, while dropping the home opener to NC State ... In 2021, they split their four non-conference games falling to Appalachian State and South Carolina to open the season before rallying back to post victories against Marshall and Charleston Southern ... In 2019, the Pirates posted a 3-1 record - the program's first winning non-conference ledger since 2014 ... ECUÂ has won 11 of last 22 non-conference games dating back to 2019.
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2025 PIRATE GRADUATES (22)
OL Darius Belll, PK Andrew Conrad, OLB Ryheem Craig, DB Chance Graves, LB Noah Holmes, DB Jonathan Jean, DL J.D. Lampley, P Ryan Leavy, WR Payton Mangrum, PK Nick Mazzie, DL Xavier McIver, LS Triston O'Brien, DB Ladarian Paulk, WR Kyler Pearson, DB Rasheed Reason, DL Jasiyah Robinson, WR Anthony Smith, OL Jayson Tarpeh, DB Teagan Wilk, DL Zion Wilson, QB Mike Wright Jr. each have earned their degrees heading into the 2025 season.
UP NEXT
ECU will hit the road again for its third consecutive non-conference game traveling to Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 13. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the contest will be streamed live through ESPN+.
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East Carolina has usually been able to claim plenty of hometown support when playing at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium - establishing itself among conference attendance leaders on a near annual basis ... In all, a total of 9,851,263 fans have seen the Pirates in action since 1963, and since the completion of a 7,000-seat expansion project in 2010 (to push capacity to 50,000), the Pirates have drawn 3,579,974 fans.
CHARTING THE PIRATES MONTH-BY-MONTH
In all, East Carolina is 4-4-0 in August, 136-130-1 in September, 170-172-4 in October, 150-138-5 in November, 11-12-0 in December and 1-4-0 in January ... With the Pirates win over NC State in 2024, ECU remained somewhat productive in December - a month in which it has won six of its last 10 outings (wins vs. Boise State/'07, Tulsa/'08, Houston/'09, Ohio/'13, Coastal Carolina/'22, NC State/'24; losses to Maryland/'10, ULLafayette/'12, UCF/'14 and NC State/'18).
AT DOWDY-FICKLEN STADIUM
East Carolina's all-time record at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium is 205-120 (.631) ... The Pirates opened the facility on Sept. 21, 1963 with a 20-10 win over Wake Forest in front of 17,000 fans, celebrated the stadium's 50th anniversary in 2013 and recently hosted its 300th game vs. Tulane in 2020 ... This season, ECU finished with a 4-2 record at home marking the third time in the last four years it has won four home contests in a season ... The Pirates played seven home games in 2022 posting a 4-3 record and a 4-2 clip in 2021, 1-3 in 2020 and a collective 13-19 mark from 2015-2019, ECU was 5-1 in 2014, 2013 and 2012 (15-3) and won a combined 10 of 12 home matchups in 2009 (6-1) and 2008 (4-1) ... With its 49-14 won over FAU (Nov. 7, 2024), ECU posted 42 winning campaigns at DFS sine 1963.
THE SERIES
Campbell leads the all-time series 3-2 ... The Pirates and Camels will square offed for the first time in 1933 and played last in 2022 inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium ... ECU won the initial game with a 6-0 shutout, but was outscored in the next three contests 27-12 before tallying 49 points just three years ago.
LOOKING FOR MORE LOOT
Early in 2025, East Carolina is plus 1.00 in the turnover margin (27th NCAA) after Teagan Wilk's interception at NC State in the second quarter of the season opener ... Last year the Pirates finished with a -0.62 in turnover margin (ECU 30, Opponents 22) ... ECU forced two or more turnovers in a game (2024 season) in eight of 13 contests ... The Pirates turned the ball over six times (3 fumbles, 3 INTs) against Norfolk State marking the most since they gave up seven against UAB in 2011 ... East Carolina finished the 2023 campaign with a -0.42 turnover margin (ECU 21, Opponents 16) ranking 101st nationally ... The Pirates tied a program best record with eight forced fumbles against Gardner-Webb recovering five - a feat that they last accomplished on Nov. 23, 2002 against TCU (span of 253 games) ... The Pirates also scored three defensive touchdowns on the season (2 at Appalachian State, 1 at UTSA) ... In 2022, the Pirates finished with a +13 turnover margin forcing 10 fumbles, recovering nine and picked off 11 passes for 154 return yards ... ECU led the country in fewest offensive turnovers with seven ... Against UCF, ECU forced a season-high four turnovers (3 INTs, 1 fumble) and had five multi-turnover games on the year ... Despite its impressive 45-3 win, East Carolina's 16-game streak of forcing at least one turnover came to a halt against Temple on Nov. 6 (2021) ... The run, which began on Oct. 3, 2020 at Georgia State and produced 36 takeaways (22 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries), was the program's longest since a 33-game streak (from 2007 to 2010) ... In all, ECU still has at least one takeaway in 61 of the last 72 contests, as well as 32 of 39 games dating back to the start of the 2022 campaign.
A STARTERS' LOG
OLB Ryheem Craig enters the Campbell game having made 14 consecutive starts as a member of the defensive unit ... OL Emmanuel Poku and WR Anthony Smith lead the offensive unit having started 14-straight games ... Against NC State, ECU had nine first time starters in a Pirate uniform: DB Jonathan Jean, DL JD Lampley, OL Kyle Long, DB Jordy Lowery, RB London Montgomery, WR Jaquaize Pettaway, DB Rasheed Reason, OL Cooper Trnavsky, DL Zion Wilson.
AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
The Pirates have produced a 46-65 (.414) regular season non-league record since 1997, which includes a 0-1 clip in 2025. Last year, ECU was 2-2, 1-3 in 2023 and 3-1 in 2022 picking up wins against Old Dominion, Campbell and BYU, while dropping the home opener to NC State ... In 2021, they split their four non-conference games falling to Appalachian State and South Carolina to open the season before rallying back to post victories against Marshall and Charleston Southern ... In 2019, the Pirates posted a 3-1 record - the program's first winning non-conference ledger since 2014 ... ECUÂ has won 11 of last 22 non-conference games dating back to 2019.
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2025 PIRATE GRADUATES (22)
OL Darius Belll, PK Andrew Conrad, OLB Ryheem Craig, DB Chance Graves, LB Noah Holmes, DB Jonathan Jean, DL J.D. Lampley, P Ryan Leavy, WR Payton Mangrum, PK Nick Mazzie, DL Xavier McIver, LS Triston O'Brien, DB Ladarian Paulk, WR Kyler Pearson, DB Rasheed Reason, DL Jasiyah Robinson, WR Anthony Smith, OL Jayson Tarpeh, DB Teagan Wilk, DL Zion Wilson, QB Mike Wright Jr. each have earned their degrees heading into the 2025 season.
UP NEXT
ECU will hit the road again for its third consecutive non-conference game traveling to Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 13. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the contest will be streamed live through ESPN+.
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