HUNTINGTON, WV – East Carolina and Marshall have a connection that few other football programs share.

The ties that bind the Pirates and Thundering herd extend much further than the event that was commemorated when the two renewed their rivalry on Saturday.

Nearly 35 years to the day, the nation experienced the chill of a tragedy unlike any it had faced. It was one of those sports-meets-reality events that can be best summarized as a JFK-like moment — a period frozen in time during which many clearly recall their whereabouts.

Especially in the Mountain State.

The plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall players, coaches, staff members, supporters, and the flight crew on November 14, 1970, will forever be tied to East Carolina, from where the Herd was returning after a 17-14 loss to the Pirates. That element of the Herd-Pirates series won’t be forgotten, nor should it be.

But for those who witnessed East Carolina's 17-point fourth-quarter surge en route to a 34-29 victory over Marshall Saturday, it should have served as a clear reminder that there is more to this rivalry than the tragic event that unfolded 35 years ago.

Saturday's game, like many in the series history, was filled with the excitement and drama that typically marks a well-established rivalry. There were big plays, turnovers, punches and counterpunches — not to mention the cerebral chess match between the two coaches.

“We came out at halftime and said we want to try and really attack them,” first-year Pirates coach Skip Holtz said. “We don’t want to go to just a running game. We want to keep them off balance. We want to run, play-action-pass, and throw the ball around a little bit.

"I don’t want to chunk it way down the field. I don’t want anything that’s high-risk.”

It had everything you might expect from a rivalry that was being staged for the 100th time. Only this marked only the seventh meeting between the teams, which seemingly is an injustice to two schools that firmly stand on common ground.

The history and culture the two programs share couldn’t be more parallel. From their tradition of producing high-octane aerial arsenals and pro quarterbacks, to their loyal fan bases that would caravan to Siberia just to get a sneak peak at a team practice, ECU and Marshall have a common bond.

Both carved reputations during the 90's and earlier this decade for stoning high-profile Goliaths during their regular appearances on national television.

And despite the uphill battles the Pirates and Herd have similarly faced inside their own state walls, both became more than familiar with playing in the postseason.

Arguably the most memorable for both was against each other. The 2001 GMAC Bowl — won 64-61 in double overtime by the Herd — was labeled an ‘Instant Classic’ by ESPN.

While Saturday didn’t quite live up to that game’s stature, it no doubt added to the foundation on which this rivalry will be based. The narrow finish was a vivid indication of how evenly these two foes were matched.

For East Carolina, it was perhaps vindication for the disappointment of the 2001 GMAC Bowl. This time, it was the Pirates who made the comeback against a team playing for higher stakes and fueled by overwhelming emotion.

“We’re two similar programs,” Holtz said. “We’re both first-year coaches. We’re both in the building process right now. We’re both trying to find our way — where we sit in the conference, where we sit with our own programs.

“I would love to see this — and I think it will — turn into a very intense rivalry. I say intense because I think there is a lot of class at both programs. I don’t think that this is a rivalry that will become bitter and ugly. I think that (Marshall) is a very classy place, and I would love to sit here and see this thing continue to grow.”

The next time the Pirates and Herd do battle, we’ll all be reminded again of that tragic day in 1970. That it will take place next year at ECU will add to the storyline.

But what shouldn’t be lost in this series is the similarities the Pirates and Thundering Herd share. In the end, that’s what should define this rivalry.