Bonesville: The Authoritative Independent Voice of East Carolina

News & Features from ECU, the AAC and Beyond

  • Home
  • News & Features
  • Recruiting
  • Photos
  • Audio
  • Roundup
  • Comments
  • Legacy Archives

• ECU 2021-22 Hoops Schedule
• ECU 2022 Baseball Schedule
• ECU 2022 Football Schedule
• Recruiting: Football • Hoops

Insights from Brett
Roused Pirates follow new script

October 21, 2019 By Brett Friedlander 2 Comments

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

We’ve seen the movie before. Many times, in fact, over the past three seasons.

And it doesn’t end well.

After 30 minutes of play at Central Florida on Saturday, the East Carolina football team trudged toward its halftime locker room with a 35-6 deficit weighing on its collective shoulders like an overloaded barbell waiting to be lifted on a squat rack.

It’s an all-too-familiar script that typically plays out with an equally lopsided second half, a basketball-like score for the opposition and a final margin even larger than the 35½-point spread the Las Vegas oddsmakers set for this particular game.

Only this time, it didn’t happen.

Instead of going through the motions to an inevitably embarrassing ending, this group of Pirates regrouped and fought back.

They didn’t rally to win the game. That kind of thing only happens in the movies.

But by outplaying the Knights over the final two quarters — while outscoring them 22-6 — Coach Mike Houston and his fledgling program reached yet another important milestone on the long road back toward respectability.

One that graphically illustrated their ability to play on something close to even terms with one of the best teams in the American Athletic Conference.

“We ran out of time,” an optimistic Houston said after the 41-28 setback. “We just couldn’t convert enough there in the second half. We had our shots. I wish we just had a couple of those chances back there in the red zone.”

One of those chances ended in a Holton Ahlers interception two plays after a holding penalty put the Pirates behind the chains. Another resulted in a chip shot Jake Verity field goal rather than a touchdown. ECU also came up empty on a pair of two-point conversion attempts.

But even with those misfires, Ahlers and his offense still managed to roll up 322 yards and three touchdowns in the second half.

East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers keeps on a designed run (Al Myatt photo)
ECU quarterback Holton Ahlers keeps on a designed run during the Pirates’ Saturday night clash with UCF in Orlando. (Al Myatt photo / >>>PHOTO GALLERY>>>)

And it wasn’t a fluke.

What makes the second half surge so promising is that all three sides of the ball played major roles in producing it.

Offensively, Ahlers showed glimpses of his blue chip potential by throwing for 313 yards and continuing to build chemistry with his former high school teammate C.J. Johnson, who caught eight passes and notched his second straight 100-yard game.

Freshman running back Demetrius Mauney, meanwhile, continued to give the Pirates the kind of effective ground attack they have sorely lacked in recent years by rushing for 74 yards and a score on a career-high 21 carries.

Defensively, AAC sack leader Kendall Futrell forced a key turnover that ECU turned into points when he forced UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel into a fumble that was recovered by teammate Alex Turner.

There was also a big play on special teams, with wide receiver Leroy Henley blocking a punt that Jsi Hatfield picked up and nearly returned for a touchdown that was achieved one play later on a short Mauney run.

Though ECU never got closer than the final 13-point margin — and even then, not until the final two minutes of the game — it succeeded in putting the Knights under enough duress that they abandoned their fast-paced attack to run clock and shorten the game.

“That up-tempo, high-tempo offense that everybody was worrying about, they’re having to milk the clock there at the end of the ballgame to put it away,” Houston said. “If nothing else, I think our team has shown this ain’t the old ECU.”

It can make an even louder statement by doing more than just showing its ability to put up a good fight. The next important box to check off is playing two strong halves like the one it finished with on Saturday and rewriting their script to include a newer, happier ending.

It will get just such an opportunity on Saturday against South Florida at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

“I’m really proud of the kids the second half,” Houston said. “We’ve just got to get where we finish the ballgames with a win. But we’re getting better.”

ECU 2019 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
ROUSED PIRATES FOLLOW NEW SCRIPT, FIGHT BACK
PIRATES’ BREAKOUT FALLS SHORT IN LOSS TO UCF
AUDIO: MIKE HOUSTON POSTGAME
GAME DAY PHOTO GALLERY
AUDIO: BONESVILLE PREGAME PODCAST
GAME DAY WEATHER
HOUSTON OK WITH TIMING OF BYE WEEKS
PIRATES MAKING WAVES IN THE POOL
DOOLEY & CO. WILL BE FIGHTING FOR RESPECT
HOUSTON PRESSING FOR BETTER EXECUTION

Related

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Filed Under: News & Features

Comments

  1. Irish Spectre says

    October 21, 2019 at 3:51 pm

    “What makes the second half surge so promising is that all three sides of the ball played major roles in producing it.”

    …especially the OL, which until the 2nd half on Sat. night has been largely missing for 3 seasons now.

    ECU showed a lot of pride in the 2nd half, up and down the lineup, on both sides of the ball, with a lot of youth providing the juice.

    Maybe this Sat. vs. USF will finally be the day for ECU to be issuing the beating in a conference game; let’s see.

    Reply
  2. George says

    October 21, 2019 at 6:16 pm

    Proud of the way the guys came back in the second half. Looked like old time.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent News & Features

Baseball News
Pirates walk off in 10th for sweep

Baseball News
Pirates continue roll

Baseball News
Pirates overtake Houston for 12th straight win

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates grind to success

Baseball News
ECU edges Campbell, 7-6

Baseball News
Pirates clinch AAC crown

Baseball News
ECU captures series, boosts conference lead

Baseball News
Pirates take series opener with Bulls

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates aim high for interior line talent

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates prevail at less than best

More News & Features

ECU Schedules

  • ECU 2021 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2020-21 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2021 Baseball Schedule

ECU Recruiting

  • Football Recruiting Class of 2021
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2020
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2019
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2018
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2017
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2021-22
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2020-21
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2019-20
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2018-19
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2017-18
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2016-17
Tweets by bonesville

Past Football Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2014 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2013 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2012 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2011 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2010 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2009 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2008 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2007 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2006 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2005 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2004 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2003 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2002 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2001 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2000 Football Schedule
  • Historical Schedules

Past Basketball Schedules

  • ECU 2019-20 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2018-19 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2017-18 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2016-17 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2000-2015 Basketball Archives

Past Baseball Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2001-2014 Baseball Archives

Recruiting Class Profiles

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates aim high for interior line talent

ECU Recruiting News
Well stocked Pirates enter fray for O-linemen

ECU Recruiting News
ECU faces uphill battle in hunt for tight ends

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates cast wide net for wide receivers

ECU Recruiting News
Loaded Pirates still courting running backs

ECU Recruiting News
ECU targets quarterbacks of the future

AAC Football Recruiting News
Transfer portal reshaping AAC football programs

Class of 2022 Defensive Report Card
ECU’s former weak link becoming big strength (updated)

Class of 2022 Offensive Report Card
Help is on the way for blocking corps (update 3)

American Athletic Conference Recruiting
Bearcats lead AAC’s early signing push

Class of 2022 In-depth Analysis
Surprises, depth highlight early recruiting haul

VIEW FROM THE EAST
‘What a difference a year makes’

Football Recruiting Report
Prolific receiver Webb may enroll early

Football Recruiting Report
Another gifted running back headed to ECU

Football Recruiting Report
ECU wins pledge from hotly recruited RB Gunn

Football Recruiting Report
Coveted lineman Sacra may enroll early

Football Recruiting Report
Pirates lure a star from DB factory

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Harrell on quest for unanimous effort

Football Recruiting Report
West Craven star Mims sticking close to home

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates ready for preseason camp

Football Recruiting Report
Lineman built his future during COVID layoff

Football Recruiting Report
Norcross star on track for early enrollment

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates pulling from portal

Football Recruiting Report
Big man Allen tapping into ‘nasty side’

Football Recruiting Report
ECU gets one of NC’s top D-line prospects

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, May 22, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, May 21, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, May 20, 2022

Writer Archives

  • Bonesville Staff
  • Brian Bailey
  • Sammy Batten
  • Bethany Bradsher
  • Brett Friedlander
  • Al Myatt
  • NFF
  • Greg Vacek
  • Danny Whitford

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, May 22, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, May 21, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, May 20, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, May 19, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, May 18, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, May 16, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, May 15, 2022

More Web Roundups

Copyright © 2022 Bonesville.net · Website by Seaport Webworks. · Log in · Privacy Policy