Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson

East Carolina knows what it’s like to play with a target on its back.

The Pirates spent most of last season near the top of Conference USA East, and as the favorite to win the East title again this year, being the hunted is becoming old hat.

But after the Pirates defeated Marshall last weekend and moved into first place in the East, coach Skip Holtz warned his team that they couldn’t have any lapses as the season progressed.

“As I told the team the other day, there is going to be good news and bad news,” Holtz said. “The good news is that the win over Marshall moved you into first place in the East Division. The bad news is, everywhere you go, not only are you the defending Conference USA Champion, but also the team currently in first place in the East Division. We know we're going to get everybody's best shot. We know everybody is going to be fired up, emotional and ready to play against us.”

East Carolina travels to SMU this weekend to face a Mustangs’ team that already has as many wins as it’s had in the past two seasons combined. The Mustangs also are 1-0 in conference, just one game below Tulsa in Conference USA West.

SMU will play an open, toss-it-around style that the Pirates really haven’t seen so far this season. The Mustangs rank 17th-nationally in passing offense, but quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has been prone to interceptions. The Mustangs also have one of the worst rushing defenses in the country, which should play to the strength of the Pirates running game behind Dominique Lindsay and Brandon Jackson.

But Holtz said perhaps the most important aspect that will help East Carolina this weekend will be getting mentally prepared for the challenge.

“Having the opportunity to go play SMU, I think one of the keys for our football team, and one of the keys Saturday, will be winning the intangibles,” Holtz said. “We need to make sure that from emotional, focus, attitude and preparation standpoints that we're doing all the little things we have to do in order to be a good football team.”