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The game that I would rank as the greatest in East Carolina football history was a 37-34 win over N.C. State in the Peach Bowl to cap an 11-1 season in 1991. The Pirates rallied from a 34-17 deficit in the fourth quarter to win that showdown against the Wolfpack.

ECU also faced a 34-17 deficit on Saturday at Houston. Although the matchup with the Cougars lacked the emotional impact across the region of the miracle comeback against NCSU over a decade ago, the Pirates’ more recent rally certainly had vital implications for this year’s team, not the least of which was keeping ECU in realistic contention for the Conference USA championship going into this week’s game at UAB.

Triple overtime for the Pirates in football will no longer be identified specifically with the 64-61 loss to Marshall in the 2001 GMAC Bowl.

When Art Brown finally ran 25 yards for the winning touchdown at Houston’s Robertson Stadium on Saturday to cap a highly-improbable 54-48 win in three overtimes over the Cougars, it probably marked a new level of confidence for this year’s team. Winning a close game in the manner the Pirates did can do wonders for morale.

By no means has this team arrived but it’s safe to say it has a better sense of how to get where it wants to go.

“It was a good comeback,” ECU coach Steve Logan told Henry Hinton of the Pirate Sports Network at the Houston airport. “The reality of it is we’re still not very stable on defense. ... The kids have got to execute their assignments better. We’ve got some issues we’ve got to deal with. I’m pleased with a lot of other things, our special teams and offense showed up, particularly in the second half.

“The intangible that showed up is I think we displayed a heartbeat for the first time with this particular group of kids. That’s something that just has to happen and now that it has happened, maybe we can draw from it.”

ECU’s sophomore quarterbacks, Paul Troth and Desmond Robinson, combined to throw for 440 yards. Troth completed 22 of 33 passes for 369 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, and Robinson directed a key fourth quarter scoring drive that started the Pirates on their way towards erasing Houston's 17-point lead.

“This is the thing that (offensive coordinator) Doug Martin and I and I have been seeing day in and day out in practice. We’re throwing and catching the football the way that I saw Jeff Blake and some of those kids do it. ... The thing that I keep getting so excited about is the fact that he (Troth) is a first-year player. He sees the field extraordinarily and our offensive line’s pass protection all year long has been great. Our receivers are playing well and I think Paul has a chance to be extraordinary. He’ll hit another bump in the road or two. That’s just the nature of the beast. You don’t ever just arrive but tonight may have given him a little definition.”

Border patrol

N.C. State lost for the second straight week but remains atop the State Line Power Rankings, where the Wolfpack has resided all season. It will be hard to budge the Pack from that pinnacle considering they’re 4-0 against other Division 1-A teams in the Carolinas, including a decisive win at No. 2 Clemson. The only shuffle came as Duke moved out of the basement to allow the new occupant, North Carolina, room to brood about its recent demise. In its last seven halves the Tar Heels have been outscored 159-25.