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.

Better competition exposed the Pirates mistakes, resulting in an all too familiar, “could of won that one” lament. Credit App State with not panicking, making great adjustments on defense, and exposing the weaknesses of the Pirates defensive schemes. The Pirates defense was on the field for 39 minutes. Unless the Pirates are scoring buckets of points with their 21 minutes, we will see the same result again. This game had a familiarly eerie feeling. Last year’s Pirates were experts at finding a way to lose. I think the 2024 Pirates are much improved. However, if your gunslinging offense has no room in the playbook for a little bit of ball control, you risk hanging the defense out to dry. Given the complete rebuild of the offense, there is more to like than not. The Pirate mission remains the same, eliminate mistakes. Don’t beat yourself. It’s a necessary step in the journey back to success.

Garcia for his career including the two games at ECU has thrown 11 TD's and 11 Interceptions. This trend will need to stop if we want to continue to win. He is obviously physically talented with a strong arm but he has the bad habit to force the ball into overly tight spaces and double coverage situations. I think with more time he will get much better at decision making. The D has been outstanding so far and has bailed us out several times in the first two games when we gave the opponents a short field. Without question were are a far better team than last year with superior overall talent and speed, but with so many new faces and new schemes on offense the team and coaches are still trying to figure it all out.

Do any of you experts watch college football??!! Fla St? GT!? Michigan!! Very fortunate to win their opener against Fresno. We are WAY better than last season on O. Happy with turnovers no, but I say it’s a pretty damn good team that can overcome that and win! Can it continue and have success, not likely but, I don’t believe it will. This guy at QB has played his second game in two years. Easy their melons. I think we have a bright future ahead!!! Go Pirates!!

7 interceptions and 2-0 points to weak opponents. With the exception of Temple , turnovers from here out means loss. Hope we can remedy turnover problems!

I don’t disagree with your point about JG. I thought surely Coach Baker would use Harris as a decoy out of the RPO, and allow Garcia to use his legs (with some strict instructions on ball security), putting maximum pressure on ODU while protecting the ball. That Coach Houston clamped down his own offense to the point that getting a first down was next to impossible speaks volumes. Being the second game, Pirate Nation has a right to be concerned about the level of sloppiness displayed by the offense. Some OL can’t seem to line up properly, and the ball being snapped when no one is ready for it, are just a couple of examples. Clearly, the interceptions are the biggest problem. That must be cleaned up. The Pirate defense won’t be able to cover 3-4 big mistakes each game. But, I’ll look at it with an optimistic eye, and point out that last year, we would not have gotten the win… so there’s reason to be hopeful.