AAC Football: Most Important Non-Conference Games in 2017

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Sep 24, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; East Carolina Pirates running back Anthony Scott (3) runs the ball against Virginia Tech Hokies linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49) during the fourth quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports /

East Carolina missed a bowl game for the second straight year in 2016. It was the first time in over a decade that the Pirates finished back-to-back seasons under .500 in the standings.

Formerly a C-USA dynamo, East Carolina has not been quite the same since moving to the AAC in 2014. The one thing that has been positive the past two years, though, has been the annual showdown between ECU and Virginia Tech.

Since reviving the rivalry in 2007, this matchup has been a rather even affair. In the eight games they have played against the Hokies in the 21st century, ECU has won three. On two other occasions, the Pirates were within a touchdown of victory. Last year’s 54-17 loss in Blacksburg ended the AAC team’s winning streak in the series.

But ECU still has a four-season streak of claiming at least one win over a Power Five opponent, and this is their best chance to extend it to five years.

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