It was the 2011 season. Ruffin McNeill was in his second year as coach at his alma mater and East Carolina was 1-4. In fact, the Pirates were coming off a setback in Houston — just as ECU (1-4) finds itself this week after a mystifying 24-17 loss at Rice. The ’11 Pirates were dealt … Continue reading VIEW FROM THE EASTPrecedents for an upturn