East Carolina’s lack of production offensively during a 2-10 season in 2023 has had a significant impact on spring practice in 2024.
Week three of the offseason workouts will culminate with a scrimmage, which will be closed to the public this Saturday. Fans can check out transfer quarterbacks and the newly installed offensive system at the Purple-Gold game on Saturday, April 13, at 1 p.m.
The coaching staff has been evaluating transfers and signees who enrolled in January within the framework of urgency for improvement.
It is a different mindset from spring practice a year ago when the Pirates were coming off an 8-5 season that included a bowl win. It was ECU’s first back-to-back winning seasons since 2013-2014 and the focus was on sustaining success within an established system.
With the loss of experienced and talented personnel after the breakthrough season, the Pirates were not able to establish consistency on offense last season.
The dire straits were epitomized when ECU was shut out for the first time since 1996 with a 10-0 defeat at Navy.
The fallout was that Donnie Kirkpatrick was not renewed as offensive coordinator and Coach Mike Houston filled the void with John David Baker from Ole Miss.
Baker got on the recruiting trail quickly to procure quarterbacks Katin Houser of Michigan State and Jake Garcia of Miami and Missouri.
Baker plans an up-tempo attack that will feature vertical passing. The Pirates may utilize some two tight end sets.
The style has been an adjustment for the Pirate defense in live matchup situations this spring, a change from the prolonged chess match between Kirkpatrick and defensive coordinator Blake Harrell.
Houston, Baker and Harrell met with media this week.
Previous scrimmage
Houston shared his thoughts on a scrimmage last Saturday that concluded week two.
“We looked at the film,” Houston said. “A lot of good, and all of the bad is correctable stuff. Stuff you’ve just got to clean up. What’s stopping you is yourself, and that’s both sides of the wall. And so that’s what we challenged them this week.”
Improvement is the objective.
“We want to play better both sides of the ball Saturday than we did last Saturday,” Houston said. “If we can do that, I’ll be really, really happy going into our last week of spring practice.”
The Pirates have continued to install the new offense this week.
“Last of your installs are going in this week,” Houston said. “We’ve thrown a lot at them both sides of the ball. All this offensive stuff is brand new, and so kids are having to spend extra time on their own just to make sure they have everything down because if you’re wanting to play fast, you can’t be thinking. It’s got to be just like that. …
“Defensively, the jump has got to be handling the speed of the offense. I thought we struggled with that a little bit on Saturday, and so this Saturday’s scrimmage I just really want to see that tremendous improvement there with those two things.”
Team leadership
Houston addressed the attributes of the team’s leadership council.
“It’s all guys that have been here multiple years,” Houston said. “It’s guys that are, A, really, really good players, and, B, really solid leaders from a character standpoint in our locker room. … They’re doing a good job of not only helping me with things that we’re doing, but they’re doing a good job of holding some young guys accountable if they’re having issues going to class or issues doing this or that.
“That’s great to see. It’s a group that I think the world of, so I’d expect nothing less.”
QBs splitting reps
Houser and Garcia are getting equal numbers of snaps.
“The scrimmage Saturday, they both had equal reps,” Houston said. “We looked at the stats stuff. … They were very, very even stat-wise. I continue to rotate them back and forth with the ones and twos. And right now, I mean, you guys have seen some of it, too. I mean, it’s neck and neck now. Each of them does things a little bit differently, but they both played really well.”
Teaching new attack
Baker said the players are absorbing the new system.
“I feel really good about where it’s at,” Baker said. “Honestly, we’re ahead of where I thought we might be. The kids have done a great job of just absorbing everything we’ve thrown at them. So, it’s really a testament to them and the work that they have put in. I mean, there’s not a unit meeting that we’re in there installing things that not every one of them has walked in with something to write with.
“It’s a testament to them and to these coaches doing a great job of getting things taught and trying to get them as detailed as we possibly can in the three weeks that we have. But I’m extremely pleased with where we’re at so far.”
Sometimes, the new OC has to check his teaching pace.
“Quite a bit, but it’s been good because it’s allowed us to slow down and really, really teach,” Baker said. “It’s been able to allow us to teach the guys why we’re doing things. Not so much just telling them, ‘Hey, this is what we’re doing.’ More so, ‘Hey, we’re doing this because of this,’ or ‘We’re doing that because of what they’re doing here.’
“It’s allowed us to slow down and really teach what we see as coaches and why we’re doing certain things. And so, I think that has helped the guys get a better grasp, and giving them a foundation of the offense. And that’s probably what has allowed us to move a little quicker than what I thought we would be able to.”
QB comments
Baker also said the quarterback competition is virtually even.
“The thing that I’m most excited about with them is that they’ve both done a great job of taking care of the ball,” Baker said. “Other than this last Saturday and the scrimmage, we have done an extremely great job of not throwing the ball to the other team.
“That goes skill-wise as well. We’ve done a great job protecting the football. It’s something that we preach every day, it’s something we work on every day in practice. So that’s the thing that I’ve been most proud of as a whole room.
“They’re just like the rest of the unit. Every day they walk into my meetings, they want to learn. I want to go fast. They want to learn more and more. And so that’s been exciting for me because they want to fully grasp this thing and understand what we’re doing.”
O-Line, Tour de France
Baker was asked about the progress of the offensive front.
“Those guys have got the hardest job,” Baker said. “There’s no doubt about it, because you’re asking a 300-pounder to run up and down the field like he’s never done before. But the good thing about them is that the guy that’s leading them (offensive line coach Matt Mattox), … he’s done it over and over again. He does a great job of coaching those guys up, teaching them how to do it.
“I tell you, I work out every morning. Every time I go in there after one of those 6 a.m. lifts, it looks like a Tour de France over there. All of them are on there getting extra cardio on the treadmills, on the bikes. They’re taking the steps they need to take to put themselves in a position to be successful.”
Competing with defense
Baker said competing with Harrell and the defense is beneficial.
“It’s made us better,” Baker said “It’s made me better for sure. I feel sorry for people that have got to go against Blake on a weekly basis. They do a great job. They coach their guys extremely hard. They’re extremely disciplined. And so, it’s been nice, though, to see our guys take punches from them but have the ability to go punch back every now and then.
“I talked to the guys today about, ‘Don’t wait to get points. Let’s go punch somebody else in the mouth first.’ And that’s got to be our mentality. But iron sharpens iron, and Blake. … He’s made us better. He will continue to make us better. That whole defense as a whole. I look forward to the challenge every day. Our kids do too. You’d better be ready to play when you step on that practice field. I know that.
Harrell on work to do
Harrell’s unit was better than the record would indicate last season.
There are standouts to replace and basics to solidify.
“The kids are flying around,” said the DC. “That’s awesome. I think the big thing we focused on is protecting our culture, and that’s effort-based defense — playing fast, runningto the ball, and tackling.
“Those were the two things we took out of Saturday and said, ‘Hey, here’s the things we’ve got to work on,’ and it’s just pursuit. If you’re pursuing the ball, you’re not going to give up big plays and then attack them. We had some over runs, so that was what we really focused on.
“Our practice (Tuesday) with the tackling circuit and the pursuit drill. It was a good day for that. And we’ve got some kids that have flashed and some new guys that have flashed, so that’s been a pleasant surprise. And I’m really proud of those guys, proud of our older guys for embracing what we do, how we do things, and just moving forward with it.
“We’ve had some young freshmen, high school kids that just got here, that show that this is why we recruited them, why we signed them, and that they belong here. So, it has been an interesting spring. A new offense that’ll make you get lined up fast and put some stress on you defensively. We’ve been dealing with that as well as going through what we do. So, it’s been good.”
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