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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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