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

From the Anchor Desk
Déjà vu all over again

November 12, 2019 By Brian Bailey Leave a Comment

Last week Pirate quarterback Holton Ahlers became the first East Carolina player in history to throw for over 500 yards in a game.

This past week at Southern Methodist he came within two yards of duplicating the feat.

One of Yogi Berra’s greatest quotes was thinking something was ‘deja vu all over again.’

Ahlers performance was just that. He threw for 498 yards on a 32-42 performance in the 59-51 loss to the Mustangs.

Despite throwing for over 1,000 yards over the last two weeks against back-to-back nationally ranked teams the Pirates would fall for a second straight week.

Holton Ahlers of ECU throws a 68-yard scoring pass in the first quarter at SMU. (Photo by Al Myatt)
Holton Ahlers of ECU throws a 68-yard scoring pass in the first quarter at SMU. (Photo by Al Myatt / >>>GAME DAY PHOTO GALLERY>>>)

“It’s coming,” said Ahlers. “Obviously we see it, because that is two ranked teams in the country that went down to the last possession. We just have to get over the hump. We are good enough to win these games now and we believe that — we just have to figure out how to get over it.”

C.J. Johnson set a school and conference mark for receiving yards in game against Cincinnati. He was hurt early against SMU. That’s when Tyler Snead came to the fore-front. Snead caught 19 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns.

“He (Ahlers) was just dropping the ball in spots that made it so easy to catch the football,” said Snead. “It was really lot of fun.”

Side trip to “Jerry’s World”

It was also a lot of fun for this sportscaster. Many know that I am a life-long Dallas Cowboys’ fan. I took off from my high school duties this past weekend to check out ‘Big D,’ for both the Pirates and the Cowboys.

I arrived in Dallas late Friday morning and quickly headed to AT&T stadium for a tour of “Jerry’s World,” the 1.15 billion dollar home of the Cowboys.

It was truly fascinating to tour the mammoth facility. I would highly recommend the tour, regardless of which NFL team you cheer for.

The stadium features the 29th largest video board in the world. After seeing it up close, I would love to see what the other 28 boards look like.

AT&T Stadium Video Board (submitted photo / >>>BRIAN’S PHOTO GALLERY>>>)

One of the other parts of the tour was a sneak peak into Jerry Jones’ personal “perch.” It’s the shot you see on television with the Cowboy’s owner seated with his sons and other top personnel.

My wife, Melissa, accompanied me on the trip. Some said I kidnapped her, but she seemed to enjoy the day.

We left AT&T Stadium and made the 40-minute drive to tour the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters at The Star in Frisco. The Star is a 91-acre campus and practice facility for the Cowboys.

Brian and Melissa Bailey on the field at AT&T Stadium (submitted photo / >>>BRIAN’S PHOTO GALLERY>>>)

During our tour we walked in on an interview that Michael Bennett, who was just obtained by the Cowboys in a trade, was giving to reporters. Kicker Brett Maher also walked by during our visit.

Both tours featured lots of history on the Cowboys. For me, it was like a trip down memory lane and my childhood.

Saturday featured a sun-drenched afternoon at Gerald J. Ford Stadium for ECU and SMU. That game was as fun to watch as any that I’ve seen in the last several years. Coach Mike Houston’s club is getting closer and they’ve got a great chance to win out this season.

Sunday we headed back out to AT&T Stadium for the Cowboys and the Vikings. The home team didn’t come out victorious, but that would be the only blemish on an unforgettable weekend.

Brian Bailey pays homage at the statue of iconic former Dallas head coach Tom Landry statue at AT&T Stadium. Landry was the two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach of the Cowboys for 29 years beginning with the establishment of the franchise in 1960.  (submitted photo / >>>BRIAN’S PHOTO GALLERY>>>)

The Pirates now take a breather and get set for a road trip to Connecticut in a week and half. The Pirates then close out the year hosting Tulsa.

Houston knows his team is ‘getting there.’

“We went through the lumps early in the season learning to compete,” said Houston. “They are competing at a high level, and we need to finish games and get wins. That is where we are at right now.”

One more bye week to get a little healthier, and then this Pirate team has a chance to start building towards next season.

ECU 2019 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN
HOPE, PROMISE WEARING DOWN PIRATE NATION
FRUSTRATION MOUNTS WITH NARROW LOSS TO MUSTANGS
AUDIO: MIKE HOUSTON POSTGAME
GAME DAY PHOTO GALLERY
AUDIO: BONESVILLE PREGAME PODCAST
NAVY RALLIES PAST PIRATES
PIRATES LOOK TO BUILD ON SOLID SHOWING
PIRATES TIP OFF BEFORE ROLLICKING YOUNG CROWD
GARDNER PACES OPENING HOOPS WIN

Share this:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Print

Filed Under: News & Features

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Replay the Brian Bailey Show

Replay the Brian Bailey Show

The Brian Bailey Show airs on Pirate Radio 1250 and 930 on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. Brian's guests on on Monday, Dec. 2, 2019, were WNCN's Todd Gibson and WRAL's Jeff Gravley. ... Replay show

ECU Schedules

  • ECU 2019 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2019-20 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2020 Baseball Schedule
Tweets by bonesville

Recent News & Features

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Missing bowl has benefits

The Bradsher Beat
Enduring truths still hold one year later

Football Recruiting
Coveted QB recruit Garcia headed to Shrine Bowl

From the Anchor Desk
Pirate hoops looks to dig out of hole

Insights from Brett
Gilbert petitions fans to stay the course

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates in building stage

The Bradsher Beat
Former coaches talk up Robinson-White

Basketball News
Pirates topped by Coppin

From the Anchor Desk
Pirates turn the page to next season

Insights from Brett
Houston’s rebuilding job off to modest start

More News & Features

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 DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, December 14, 2019

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, December 13, 2019

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, December 12, 2019

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, December 11, 2019

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Tuesday, December 10, 2019

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, December 9, 2019

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, December 8, 2019

More Web Roundups

Copyright © 2019 Bonesville.net · Website by Seaport Webworks. · Log in · Privacy Policy

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.