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 2022 Football Schedule
• ECU 2022-23 Hoops Schedule
• ECU 2023 Baseball Schedule

— Recruiting Thumbnails —
Football: 2023 • Hoops: 2023-24

Inside Game Day
USF overcomes ECU’s opening salvo

October 27, 2019 By Al Myatt 3 Comments

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

GREENVILLE — Homecoming couldn’t have started much better for East Carolina on Saturday than a 100-yard return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff by junior Tyler Snead.

The play took 15 seconds. Snead’s Eastward trek from goal line to goal line was easily the highlight for ECU as the remaining 59 minutes and 45 seconds were controlled for the most part by South Florida in a 45-20 American Athletic Conference win for the Bulls.

USF (4-4, 2-2 AAC) answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive to tie the score at 7 on a 5-yard run by Jordan Cronkrite. The Bulls pushed the margin to 35-7 before Jake Verity made a 33-yard field goal for the Pirates as the first half ended.

Cronkrite ran for 129 yards and two TDs on 12 carries.

“It was a great way to start the day,” said first-year ECU coach Mike Houston of the opening foray by Snead. “The stadium was electric. A great job by the return team, a great job by Tyler. We’ve been talking all year that we thought we had that ability. We had to keep working at it. It’s good to see us finally make the play.

“If we could have gotten a stop on defense, what a great way to start the game off. But I did think they took a little bit of wind out of our sails the way they drove down and scored.”

Jsi Hatfield looks to turn the corner on the left side for the Pirates. (Photo by Al Myatt)
Jsi Hatfield looks to turn the corner on the left side for the Pirates. (Photo by Al Myatt / >>>PHOTO GALLERY>>>)

The Bulls built their lead with the help of some turnovers by the Pirates.

ECU true freshman running back Demetrius Mauney lost a fumble at the Bulls’ 11-yard line with 3:14 left in the first quarter. The Bulls capitalized with an 89-yard drive that took just five plays as Jacob Mathis gathered in a 21-yard scoring pass from Jordan McCloud with 7:46 to go in the first half.

Down 21-7 after an 18-yard scoring toss from McCloud to Randall St. Felix, the Pirates drove from their 30 as far as the USF 13 before an interception by Greg Reaves was brought back to the ECU 39.

Jah’Quez Evans, one of three quarterbacks that played for USF, ran 34 yards for a touchdown to put USF ahead, 28-7 with 3:51 left in the half.

Cronkrite’s second TD came from 10 yards out with 19 seconds to go in the half. Mauney had runs of 16 and 18 yards on the ensuing hurry-up possession for the Pirates before an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Bulls put the Pirates well within Verity’s range.

“Two turnovers in the red zone,” Houston said about the 35-10 first-half deficit. “You punch those two in, the tide of the game is completely different. The one (Reaves’ pick) got returned almost the distance.

“We had opportunities where it would have been a blow-for-blow kind of deal. It could have been something, 21-17, one way or the other kind of game there at halftime. It could have been that kind of ball game at the half, but we can’t make those critical errors down there in the red zone.

“It’s two weeks in a row that we’ve done that. You’ve got to capitalize down there at that end of the field.”

Zech Byrd makes a 5-yard gain on a catch for East Carolina as Nick Roberts (2) makes the stop in front of USF coach Charlie Strong. (Photo by Al Myatt)
Tight end Zech Byrd makes a 5-yard gain on a catch for ECU as Nick Roberts (2) makes the stop in front of USF coach Charlie Strong. (Photo by Al Myatt / >>>PHOTO GALLERY>>>)

Last week at Central Florida, the Pirates trailed 35-6 at the half and closed within 35-22 before a lost fumble and a pick, both in Knights territory, derailed the comeback bid.

A blocked punt started the rally at UCF, but there was no such spark at Homecoming.

The Bulls got a 24-yard field goal from Spencer Shrader for the only points of the third quarter.

USF went up 45-10 as Kirk Rygol hit Terrence Horne for a 24-yard touchdown with 11:57 remaining.

The Bulls finished with a 525-324 lead in total yardage.

ECU completed the scoring on a 34-yard field goal by Verity and a 5-yard scoring pass to Jeremy Lewis from back-up quarterback Bryan Gagg.

The Pirates (3-5, 0-4) were able to make the final score appear a little more respectable but that was little in the way of consolation for Houston, whose team will face No. 18 Cincinnati (6-1, 3-0) at home on Saturday at 7 p.m.

“Certainly very disappointed with the outcome of the ball game,” Houston said. “It’s not what we expect from ourselves. It’s not what we want to be.

“Too many critical errors at the wrong time. We put ourselves in bad situations and did not take advantage of some opportunities we had. You can’t do that if you’re going to win a game against a good football team in this conference.”

ECU 2019 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
USF OVERCOMES ECU’S OPENING SALVO
AUDIO: MIKE HOUSTON POSTGAME
AUDIO: MIKE ARESCO INTERVIEW
GAME DAY PHOTO GALLERY
AUDIO: BONESVILLE PREGAME PODCAST
PIRATES LOOK FOR CONTINUITY
PIRATES UNDERTAKE FRESH START WITH BIG GOAL
A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE
ROUSED PIRATES FOLLOW NEW SCRIPT, FIGHT BACK

Related

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Filed Under: News & Features

Comments

  1. Irish Spectre says

    October 27, 2019 at 2:20 pm

    “USF overcomes ECU’s opening salvo”

    I hereby nominate the above headline for Most Charitable Take of the Year honors.

    Homecoming, vs. a team that at least Vegas had as an even match for the Pirates, and only one week after spending the latter half of a game schooling a very good UCF.

    Yikes.

    Reply
  2. George says

    October 27, 2019 at 5:45 pm

    Had USF played all season as they did Saturday, they would have a much better record that 4-4. They played much better than their 3-4 record coming in to the game.

    Reply
  3. Sportsdon says

    October 29, 2019 at 4:12 pm

    If we had not wait until garbage time to put a real QB in the result might have been better.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recent News & Features

ECU Recruiting News
More help is on the way to ECU secondary

Basketball News
Porter leads Shockers past Pirates

VIEW FROM THE EAST: FAU
The new American

Basketball News
Pirates rally past Tulsa to snap losing streak

ECU Recruiting News
Portal delivers blue chipper RaRa Dillworth

VIEW FROM THE EAST: CHARLOTTE
The new American

Basketball News
Owls pull away from ECU in second half

Class of 2023 Early Signing Review (UPDATED)
Pirates tap transfer portal for more talent

Basketball News
Small matter costly in ECU loss

VIEW FROM THE EAST
The new American

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

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
More help is on the way to ECU secondary

ECU Recruiting News
Portal delivers blue chipper RaRa Dillworth

Class of 2023 Early Signing Review (UPDATED)
Pirates tap transfer portal for more talent

AAC Early Signing Review
New members dive into AAC recruiting wars

Class of 2023 Early Signing Review
First wave of recruits just the beginning

ECU Recruiting News
Brown finds way to ECU through portal

ECU Recruiting News
Transfer safety McDaniel destined for ECU

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates land coveted Spartanburg quarterback

ECU Recruiting News
Swift ECU recruit ‘in a class of his own’

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates win out for Georgia prep linebacker

ECU Recruiting News
Linebacker with pedigree charts path to ECU

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates find a gem in Palmetto State receiver

ECU Recruiting News
Official visit swayed North Mecklenburg star

ECU Recruiting News
Physical Georgia receiver poses tough matchup

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates project lineman Durant as center

ECU Recruiting News
ECU spotted potential in Conley lineman

ECU Recruiting News
ECU lands fleet-footed Georgia defensive back

ECU Recruiting News
‘Football town’ helps draw Short to Pirates

ECU Recruiting News
ECU targets edge rushers

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

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, January 30, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, January 29, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, January 28, 2023

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
Monday, January 30, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, January 29, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, January 28, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, January 27, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, January 26, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, January 25, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, January 23, 2023

More Web Roundups

Copyright © 2023 Bonesville.net · Website by Seaport Webworks. · Log in · Privacy Policy