Houston can’t find or can’t recognize when he does see a QB. I was not a huge Holton fan, but he also grew up wanting to be a Pirate so no credit for recruiting with that one. Every game I have watched since Ahlers graduated, it seems the opposing QB is significantly better than either of the two we swap in and out. 2 years in a row now with 2 different ineffective QB’s each of those years.

I've not looked at the most popular Pirates message board, but it is a guarantee that Pirates Nation is calling for Coach's head, which it seems inarguable the circumstances at this point warrant, particularly in the wake of today's complete embarrassment at the hands of a "lesser" in-state rival. Coach is lucky that midseason removals are difficult (and therefore rare), not least because they telegraph to the world the university's abandonment of all confidence in the coach and his team. Hence, he still has some runway to somehow turn this foundering ship around (and 6 - 6 should not be considered to be good enough given their weak schedule.) Out of a lot of bad today, the worst of it to me is the fact that whereas going into it, their offense was known to be unreliable, but now their defense seems to have "caught up" with their colleagues. It's feeling an awful lot like 2023.

I’ve always heard it said, if you can’t say anything good, say nothing. That’s how I feel about the Pirates at present. It doesn’t look like the Pirates will be able to take off the training wheels any time soon. Hope I’m wrong.

Pirates must resurrect the disaster from last year.Pirstes go out an punishin them. J R Titsworth

Kudos to the Pirates for winning a Must Win game, but goodness, it would be dishonest not to admit that they got a lot of help from UTSA, especially by way of dropped passes down the stretch and a handful of very untimely penalties, though the biggest one, that huge pass interference late in the game on a ball that was more catchable by fans than by the Pirate wideout, was a terrible call; I'd have been beside myself if I was the UTSA coach. The offensive play by both teams down the stretch seemed almost like an exercise in who wanted the game least, though I give credit to the ECU d, which, as already stated by another commenter, Houston relied on 100% at the end, exactly as he did at the end of the ODU game. The OL remains a significant liability, unable to dependably protect Garcia or create holes for Harris, and therefore disallowing ECU from controlling the clock; they might be marginally better than they were during last year's nightmare, and maybe they'll get better in season; I hope so, because I just don't see ECU winning consistently unless and until there's improvement there. ...but a dub is a dub, and even against a team that's off of what it has been in recent seasons, but probably still decent nonetheless, so Congrats to the Pirates.

Agree with Jerry about knockout punch. Pirates have at least 3 good running backs. Need to show more imagination in the running game. Kudos to the defense.

A win is a win, and all the sweeter given the comeback. I’m not sure the competition was as challenging as the Flames proved to be, but the Pirates played hard all 60 minutes, and deserved the win. Garcia is still very much a work in progress, and the good, the bad, and the ugly of Saturday’s performance looks to be something Pirate Nation must endure as we go along for the ride. One thing that is painfully obvious, the Pirates as of yet do not have a kill-the-clock version of JDB’s offense. Not must trust shown to Garcia given the play-calling down the stretch. And kudos to the Pirates defense, who had more highs than lows in a seesaw game in which Coach Houston pretty much put the last half of the 4th quarter in their hands. Again, a win is a win. Some good things to build on, and some “iffy” things that continue to plague the Pirates. 3-2 is better than 2-10 on any scale, understanding the 2024 Pirates have no easy days ahead.

I cannot add to what has already been said, except to suggest that the home game this Sat., in which ECU is actually slightly favored (surprisingly, in my view) vs. their first conference foe this year and a team that has been very good in recent history, has got to be considered to be a MUST WIN. Short of that, nothing can be considered as having changed in this program from the debacle that was 2023; a reckoning would be sorely in order.

Can’t blame Donnie Kirkpatrick this year.

Thanks, Sammy We really need a dual threat like this.

I was at the game and I concur. Every team remaining on the schedule will use Liberty’s game plan to beat us.

With an experienced team- when will we make the plays when needed? We hear this after every game- “we had chances but did not make the play”. We start strong but then go dormant and can’t do anything. It is not all about losing #28- yes it hurts but what happened against App? Our conditioning did not match Liberty. They got stronger and we faltered. ECU has potential- it is now up to coaching. Liberty made adjustments to move the ball- ECU did not. 2 weeks in a row we start strong and then it just stops.

It is hard to watch the Pirates defensive backfield . Someone needs to look at Liberty defensive scheme with their backs . They are tight on our receivers and we gain little yardage after the intial catch in most pass attempts . We are getting out coached and it is time to evaluate our quarterback situation . He has been below average .

With what now appears to be a very ordinary back end on defense, the Pirates are in trouble. It’s clear no one currently on the depth chart can provide the lockdown coverage of SR, #28. Time after time Liberty completed 3rd down conversions without anyone from ECU being in the same Zip Code. The defensive scheming has been changed to keep from getting beat over-the-top. Consequently, the the first down stick is basically undefended. Any team with a decent passing game will keep the Pirate “D” on the field, as proven by the Flames. As a result, the Pirate offense is kept off the field. This means less possessions, and ramps up the pressure to score big EVERY time you have the ball. After four games, it’s obvious the Pirates “O” is not yet up to the task. Garcia is, and will continue to be, a work in progress. The receiving corp also is short on “game” experience within a new system, with QB and receivers trying to get on the same page. This will not get easier as the Pirates move on to conference play. Bottom line, If ANYONE on the roster can provide a semblance of the coverage given by Revel, he needs to be playing. The Pirates “D” has lost its’ identity. I think that is far more troublesome than the work-in-progress offense currently on display.

I generally agree with this assessment of a heartbreaking loss, though with maybe a minor quibble or two. The trouble remains on the o side of the ball; the d is very good. Yes, they gave up a bunch of yards through the air, but Aguilar quite deservedly is nationally a very highly regarded q. Harris had a decent game, and the Pirates had a way to control the ball vs Ap. I wouldn't have an issue with a conservative throw under the late game circumstance that they were in to keep the Ap d honest against the run, but Garcia hasn't proven to be a q who can be asked to throw downfield at a time when a mistake can't be afforded, and that was all she wrote. Yes, the o and the Pirates overall seem to be a good deal better than they were last year, but that's a VERY low bar, cold comfort at this point; they need to win games vs. other than FCS and losing record opposition.