⚡ CFB Dashboard

East Carolina and Old Dominion are set to do battle in Week 3 of the college football season on Saturday in Norfolk, Va., inside S.B. Ballard Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 o'clock p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on ESPN+.  The Pirates come in searching for their first win of 2026, having fallen 48-10 to Alabama, and 27-24 to Appalachian State. Old Dominion is 1-1 following a 31-10 victory over Norfolk State, and a 44-21 setback at Virginia Tech.  ECU and ODU have met five times dating back to 2013, with the Pirates emerging victorious in all the contests. East Carolina will have to get it done as an underdog this time, as ODU is around a three-point favorite heading into the game. With it being game day, it's time to take a look at our weekly staff final score picks, and some bold predictions. STEPHEN IGOE This feels like a massive game for both teams. The difference for ECU between 1-2 and 0-3 is big, especially with a favorable schedule ahead. Blake Harrell's team is going to want to get the bad taste out of its mouth, and I expect the Pirates to make further improvements this week. But Old Dominion won't go quietly into the night. The Monarchs have some real pieces, and a good coaching staff. And they will be charged up at home to get their first-ever victory over ECU (expect a lot of Purple and Gold in attendance, too). I do think some things favor ECU in this game. Old Dominion is primarily a running team, at least early this season. Quarterback Quinn Henicle is very dangerous with his legs, and running back Devin Roche can hit the big ones, but ECU has been pretty solid against designed runs two weeks in, and historically under Blake Harrell. I do expect ODU to take some shots downfield off the RPOs (as that's what their offense is designed to do). But if ECU can limit the explosives, its defense should have some success. The Pirates also have some familiarity with ODU's staff, having cornerbacks coach Tarron Williams and offensive line coach Alex Huettel in the building. Every edge matters in what should be a close game. The real question for me is can ECU find a groove offensively? ODU has a legitimate defense, and a unique one, with a three-down front and three-safety look. The Pirates will have to be patient offensively at times, and execute better than they have all season.  Ultimately, I think ECU's defensive front largely neutralizes the ODU offense, and the Pirates do enough to get a much needed road win. ECU 27, Old Dominion 24 Bonus Bold Prediction: Ray Ray Joseph gets into the end zone for the first time as a Pirate. JAMES GIGLIO Pirates travel to Norfolk this weekend to take on a solid ODU team in their week 3 matchup. Both of these teams have gotten off to disappointing starts, based on their preseason expectations. ECU has gotten the upper hand on ODU in all of their previous matchups and history shows that this will be a low-scoring dog fight.  I want to pick the Pirates to get in the win column, but at this moment in time I just don't trust this offense and the offensive play calling, I have no doubt Blake Harrell will have the defense ready to go, but there are too many question marks right now, I think ECU continues to show flashes but ultimately comes up short in what should be a fun game up in Norfolk.  Old Dominion 23, ECU 21 Bonus bold prediction: ECU's defense forces three turnovers. PEYTON BRADY ECU is not in the most ideal position coming into Week 3 at 0-2. However, this regional game might be just what they need to flip the narrative. The Pirates travel two hours north after a week of setting a standard of grit. Blake Harrell reminded the media of the positives that came from week two, even with the setback.  We can expect the offensive performance to keep getting better. I hope to see some intentional plays involving the tight ends, to add something new to the offense for the season. Also from the offense, they have been stressing cleaner third downs this past week. I hope that comes into play early in Norfolk. This Pirate team wants to succeed and I hope we see that this week. Ashton Gray said "all it takes is one punch to get that knockout." I think The Pirates will land the punch early and get their first win on the road.  ECU 27, ODU 24  Bonus bold prediction: Mitch Griffis has two assing touchdowns and leads ECU to their first victory of the season.