2012 East Carolina Pirates football team

2012 East Carolina Pirates football
C-USA East Division co-champion
New Orleans Bowl, L 34–43 vs. Louisiana–Lafayette
Conference	Conference USA
Division	East Division
Record	8–5 (7–1 C-USA)
Head coach	Ruffin McNeill (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Lincoln Riley (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Air raid
Defensive coordinator	Brian Mitchell (3rd season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium

2012 Conference USA football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
UCF xy		7	–	1					10	–	4
East Carolina x		7	–	1					8	–	5
Marshall		4	–	4					5	–	7
Memphis		4	–	4					4	–	8
UAB		2	–	6					3	–	9
Southern Miss		0	–	8					0	–	12
West Division
Tulsa xy$		7	–	1					11	–	3
SMU		5	–	3					7	–	6
Rice		4	–	4					7	–	6
Houston		4	–	4					5	–	7
UTEP		2	–	6					3	–	9
Tulane		2	–	6					2	–	10
Championship: Tulsa 33, UCF 27
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2012 East Carolina Pirates football team represented East Carolina University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Ruffin McNeill and played their home games at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium. They were a member of the East Division of Conference USA.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	12:00 pm	No. 6 (FCS) Appalachian State*	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC	FSN	W 35–13	49,023
September 8	12:00 pm	at No. 9 South Carolina*	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECN/WITN	L 10–48	77,006
September 15	3:30 pm	at Southern Miss	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, MS	CBSSN	W 24–14	34,140
September 22	3:30 pm	at North Carolina*	Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	ESPNU	L 6–27	59,500
September 29	7:00 pm	UTEP	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC	WITN	W 28–18	47,817
October 4	8:00 pm	at UCF	Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL	CBSSN	L 20–40	32,181
October 13	4:30 pm	Memphis	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC	CSS/CSNH/WITN	W 41–7	45,137
October 20	7:00 pm	at UAB	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	FCS	W 42–35	12,403
October 27	7:00 pm	Navy*	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC	FSN	L 28–56	48,327
November 3	12:00 pm	Houston	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC	FSN	W 48–28	45,455
November 17	3:30 pm	at Tulane	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA	CST/WITN	W 28–23	14,041
November 23	2:00 pm	Marshall	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC (rivalry)	CBSSN	W 65–59 2OT	46,317
December 22	12:00 pm	vs. Louisiana–Lafayette*	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA (New Orleans Bowl)	ESPN	L 34–43	48,828
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

• Source: Schedule

Game summaries

Appalachian State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Mountaineers	7	3	3	0	13
Pirates	0	14	7	14	35

See also: 2012 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team

@ South Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	0	3	7	10
#9 Gamecocks	14	7	14	13	48

See also: 2012 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

@ Southern Miss

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	3	21	0	24
Golden Eagles	7	0	0	7	14

See also: 2012 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team

@ North Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	6	0	0	6
Tar Heels	7	3	14	3	27

See also: 2012 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

UTEP

	1	2	3	4	Total
Miners	7	3	0	8	18
Pirates	7	7	7	7	28

See also: 2012 UTEP Miners football team

@ UCF

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	14	3	3	0	20
Knights	7	13	10	10	40

See also: 2012 UCF Knights football team

Memphis

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	0	0	7	7
Pirates	14	3	17	7	41

See also: 2012 Memphis Tigers football team

@ UAB

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	7	6	14	15	42
Blazers	0	14	7	14	35

See also: 2012 UAB Blazers football team

Navy

	1	2	3	4	Total
Midshipmen	14	7	21	14	56
Pirates	0	14	0	14	28

See also: 2012 Navy Midshipmen football team

Houston

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cougars	0	7	7	14	28
Pirates	14	14	3	17	48

See also: 2012 Houston Cougars football team

@ Tulane

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	14	7	7	28
Green Wave	7	6	3	7	23

See also: 2012 Tulane Green Wave football team

Marshall

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	Total
Thundering Herd	7	21	7	17	7	0	59
Pirates	14	21	7	10	7	6	65

See also: 2012 Marshall Thundering Herd football team

Louisiana–Lafayette–New Orleans Bowl

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	21	10	3	34
Ragin' Cajuns	7	24	6	6	43

See also: 2012 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team and 2012 New Orleans Bowl