ECU and Liberty resume operations after long storm delay

UPDATE, 10:45 p.m.: Football is on. The game begins with a punting by Liberty.

UPDATE, 10:24 p.m.: If all goes well during warmups and there are no further weather-related delays, play will resume at 10:45 p.m. ET.

UPDATE, 10:05 p.m.: Both teams will warm up around 10:30 a.m., assuming there are no more lightning strikes.

UPDATE 9:15 p.m.: The latest news from Pirates officials is this: ECU and Liberty hope to find a time slot to play between 10:30 p.m. and before 11 p.m. If the game does not start by 11 p.m., it will be canceled. There are no hotels available in the area for ECU to stay at.

UPDATE 9:00 p.m.: As of 9:00 a.m. ET, there is still no update. The radar for the future does not look promising. But both sides are waiting for now. Other options, such as playing on Sunday, could eventually be on the table if things drag on into the night.

UPDATE, 8:05 p.m.: Another lightning strike has caused persistent storms again today.

UPDATE, 7:40 p.m.: Liberty's operations team just got a call that teams will return to the field for warmups at 8:04 p.m. ET, assuming there are no further lightning strikes.

UPDATE, 7:02 p.m.: The rain is easing, but there is currently no update on when play will resume as lightning is still occurring in the area.

UPDATE 6:10 p.m.: East Carolina's game against Liberty was halted after just six plays due to severe weather. Both teams were three-and-out and before Liberty could punt, the game was halted due to impending severe weather.

Lynchburg, Va. – The East Carolina football team concludes its non-league play Saturday night with a game against Liberty at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, kicking off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+. It will be the first football meeting between the Pirates and the Flames.

Liberty (3-0) puts its 15-game regular-season winning streak on the line. The Flames have not lost in the regular season since Jamey Chadwell took the job ahead of the 2023 season. Previously at Coastal Carolina, Chadwell led Liberty to a Conference USA title last season before the Flames lost 45-6 to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. ECU, meanwhile, is 2-1 in the young season in the sixth year of the Mike Houston era. The Pirates opened their season with a 42-3 win over Norfolk State and a 20-14 win at Old Dominion before losing 21-19 to Appalachian State in Greenville last weekend. This will be the Pirates' final non-conference game before hosting UTSA next week and moving into the American Athletic Conference.

Just as ECU was leaving for Lynchburg on Friday by bus, news broke nationwide that ECU star cornerback Shavon Revel would be out for the coming year with a torn ACL. Revel, who was projected to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, sustained the injury in practice on Wednesday. In the first three games of this season, he had two interceptions, including a pick-six. The Pirates' defense, which allows just 12 points per game, will have to make do without him going forward.

The Flames are led by some stars of their own, including quarterback Kaidon Salter, who is considered an All-American candidate after throwing 32 touchdowns against six picks last season and returns for his final season.

Hoist The Colors will be live and on site at Williams Stadium for Saturday's Pirates-Flames game. Join the live discussion during the game with other ECU fans in our game thread by clicking here, where we'll be updating live games and scores and providing analysis throughout the evening.