GREENVILLE — The Pirates will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium by hosting an Old Dominion team that will be playing an FBS opponent for the first time in its history when the two teams meet in tonight’s season opener at 7 p.m.
After a 69-year hiatus the Monarchs resurrected their football program in 2009 and haven’t missed a beat as they went 11-2 last season and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs.
Led by coach Bobby Wilder, Old Dominion has posted a 38-10 record since its return to the grid iron and will play in front of the largest crowd it’s ever seen tonight when it enters Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
“I’ve told them from the first day we reported to camp that we’re going to need to embrace this environment,” Wilder said. “We’re going to need to go down there and have fun because we really don’t have anything to lose.”
With an 8-5 record in 2012, East Carolina is coming off of its first winning season and second bowl appearance during fourth-year coach Ruffin McNeill’s tenure with the team.
While the Monarchs are transitioning into Conference USA, ECU is on the verge of exiting the conference, and with a total of 16 starters returning the Pirates are looking to go out with a bang before they enter the American Athletic Conference in 2014.
Despite being 17-point favorites in tonight’s game McNeill said he and his team are by no means looking past Old Dominion.
“All games are important. This is no different. We put all of our focus on this one and we’re not looking past Saturday,” McNeill said.

Take the over
ODU, who is playing as an FCS independent this season, should have no problem fitting into Conference USA.
Like many of the current C-USA teams, Old Dominion runs a high-powered spread offense that centers around the passing game and averaged whopping 548.2 yards and 45.2 points per game last season.
In 2012 QB Taylor Heinicke threw for 5,076 yards and 44 touchdowns and was the team’s second-leading rusher with 671 yards as he became only the second sophomore to win the Walter Payton Award in FCS history.
The Pirates are no strangers to the end zone either and with the return of junior starting QB Shane Carden, ECU is looking to build on its 31.5 points per game average of a year ago.
Both quarterbacks will have the comfort of playing behind sizeable, veteran offensive lineman.
Led by 6-5, 308-pound senior preseason all-conference selection in guard Will Simmons, the Pirates are stocked up front and bring back returning starters Jordan Davis (G), Taylor Hudson (center) and Adhem Elsawi (RT). Getting the starting nod at left tackle will be prized 6-7, 304-pound sophomore Ike Harris.
The Monarchs also return four of their five starting linemen from a year ago and are led by senior tackles Jack Lowney and D.J. Morrell.

Wide open
Despite the loss of wideouts Justin Jones and Jabril Soloman, who were both ruled academically ineligible, along with the Antonio Cannon (transfer), the Pirates are expected to field a talented group of pass catchers led by 2012 Conference USA first-team selection Justin Hardy.
Hardy was sensational as sophomore last year, catching a team-high 88 passes for 1,105 yards and 11 TDs.
Look for 6-6, 240-pound sophomore Bryce Williams to take the place of Jones as ECU’s TE/WR hybrid, while junior Danny Webster (34-332) will continue to terrorize teams from the slot position.
With the departure of the three WRs, freshman Davon Grayson will get a chance to shine and start tonight and will be backed up by junior Cam Worthy. Starting Z receiver Reese Wiggins and backup Lance Ray also have game-changing potential.
The Monarchs have no shortage of wideouts either and bring back three players in Antonio Vaughn (60-885), Blair Roberts (56-707) and Larry Pinkard (55-830) who all caught over 50 passes last season.

Getting coordinated
Both teams will kick off the 2013 season with new defensive coordinators as Rick Smith will lead the Pirates D, while Rick Naggy will guide the Monarchs’ unit.
Last season ECU allowed 31.6 points per game, but with the return of eight starters, most notably NG Terry Williams and LBs Jeremy Grove and Derrell Johnson, the Pirates have cause for optimism.
The biggest key for ECU is the play of its cornerbacks, where only one player, senior Adonis Armstrong, has starting experience. Playing opposite Armstrong will be sophomore Joshua Hawkins.
Helping balance out the secondary is a pair of sturdy returning starting safeties in seniors Damon Magazu and Chip Thompson.
Smith praised Monarchs’ QB Heinicke this week and said the key for his defense lies in its ability to pressure him and keep him in the pocket.
“Their quarterback could be as good as we see this year. … He can run, he’s a great scrambler and makes a lot of plays with his legs,” Smith said. “We have to contain the quarterback and put pressure on him. We have to get pressure with four, and if we can’t get pressure with four then we have to bring five, and if we can’t get pressure with five then we got to bring six.”