"I’m beginning to wonder if the offense can muster any momentum for next year." Bingo; that for me has become the biggest single question. While on balance, the offense was marginally better yesterday than it has been (certainly a low bar), it has not shown an improvement trend this season. Neither of the two Q's who've played look like the answer; Jeter should now be given a dress rehearsal assessment for next season. Given the roster fluidity that the portal has created, the question of redshirt eligibility burning has largely been overcome anyway. The university has invested a LOT of money into football; at this point, I think that the institution owes its stakeholders a conversation with Coach that he find a way to field a bowl eligible team next season (another low bar) as an ultimatum.

Unfortunate that the Pirate defense had one of its worst performances at the same time of the offense’s partial awakening. I don’t think the ultimate outcome would have changed, but it could have been interesting. I’m sure the injuries to key secondary personnel contributed to the busted plays. On the “O” side of the ball, Gerald Green was a welcome sight, going north and south, with some urgency. It looked as though more designed runs were called yesterday, than any other game this season. While certainly not gang busters, I believe it was the best run game of the year, when you consider the competition. QB Flinn had a few designed runs which, for the most part, he did well. Also, on several pass plays, he chose to escape and get what he could running the ball. You can argue some of those choices, but again, I see improvement. Obviously, the forth down sack deep in Pirate territory was really stupid. You have to pick a target and give one of your guys a chance to get a first down. With respect to the passing game, Flinn continues to be inaccurate on many passes. Surely, the o-line problems with protection contribute to the problem. However, the interception in the end zone was strictly on Flinn. If he leads Johnson to the front pylon, there’s no chance of the defender going through Johnson and making the interception. Maybe we don’t get the TD, but for sure we get to reload. Losing Calhoun to injury during practice didn’t help, as he has been a decent target this year. At this point, any sort of improvement is welcome. Some change in the play-calling is welcome. I try to take heart in the fact that only six of the listed 22 OL are upper-class men, with just one senior. For this year, it’s bad. Sadly, I don’t see any real improvement occurring. I’m beginning to wonder if the offense can muster any momentum for next year. One last point… remember when Coach said the injury to Javious Bond wasn’t “significant “? Does anyone know why we haven’t seen him? More questions than answers… the story of the 2023 season.

He has changed D coordinator once, perhaps a new OC is needed

It is very frustrating as a Pirate alum and fan to read this article. I want to believe Coach can get it done. He’s had success, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t do it at ECU. NIL doesn’t help the formula previously used by Houston and many other coaches in recruiting. You find good high school recruits and grow them up. With Coach’s record to date, I have no reason to believe he’s lost the ability to assemble a solid staff, and recruit young men who can be solid players. He’s used the transfer portal to some success, so I don’t believe the Staff can be excused of sticking their heads in the sand w/r/t NIL. My frustration with Coach’s comments is with what wasn’t addressed. The implication of his comment concerning the offensive line is that we’re going to see more of the same play calling with the RPO concept. It’s up to the players to execute better. I’m sorry, but last Saturday should have buried that concept. Sadly, I don’t believe it will. Being stoically married to a concept which by Coach’s own admission has failed indicates to me that Pirate Nation should expect to see the equivalent of five more offensive scrimmages practicing how to be good. Let me restate that I want to believe the Pirates have the right guy to get the job done. However, at some point, it is fair to criticize the Coach and the OC for their stubborn repetition.

What's Rice's and Charlotte's NIL situation? I rest my case; sometimes I wonder if Coach is paying folks to keep whining about the NIL, to deflect the heat from exactly where it belongs.

This podcast is what I'd call a true service to Pirate Nation, and a confirmation that us chickens are not crazy; what we think we're seeing is what we are seeing...unfortunately.

I know we have a great coach, he proved himself at JMU. The transfer portal is a killer to programs like EC. You can't blame the players, they have a good season and get a call from a larger school. The transfer portal is doing to college football what the NBA has done to college basketball, you don't know who the players are anymore. One and gone. My only complaint is the two QB system, I have never seen this work. My blood will always be purple, but this is tough year.

We lost an olinemen to Oregon and auburn, both are starting. Lost a dliinemen to TCU. Nah nil has nothing to do with our situation!

No doubt, the NIL $$ makes a difference among the very elite and elite recruits, and probably at the “very good” level, also, as the big programs try to gobble up the obvious talent. What’s happening this year is different from the standpoint of the coaching not accepting the level of competence shown, and rather than coaching a concept that can be somewhat successful now, they continue down the same path of outright failure. If the team’s effort in each game results in demonstrated improvement, mistakes can be understood, given all of the “new” pieces of this year’s puzzle. While the defense is far from perfect, an overall level of improvement is identifiable. Not so for the offense. Indeed, Saturday’s effort by the offense looked more like an early fall scrimmage not equal to the effort against Michigan. The O-line is lost. The heir-apparent QB can’t bring his “great” practices to the game (no doubt, the o-line problems contribute). The sub QB is more decisive, but accident prone. The Pirates DO NOT have anything resembling a running game. I think we have some good backs who could get us some yards, but not in the RPO. The Pirate O-line CAN’T BLOCK for it consistently. At this point, that’s not NIL. The definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing while always expecting a different outcome. I don’t blame the players at this point. I believe they’re trying as hard as they can. This is on the coaches. Put a simple, straightforward blocking scheme in place, and run North and South. Neither QB will ever settle down, nor will the passing game expand, if every defense can disregard the run.

Same coaches who had us bowl eligible for past 2 years. Can’t recruit or retain good players without nil$$$. New reality, pony up or shut up!!

Bottom line is the program has taken a big step back. Yes we all know the amount of talent that left the program after last year but nobody thought ECU would be looking at a sub 3 win season and 1-11 very likely looking at the remainder of the schedule. The offense is at the bottom of all the FBS schools and totally inept at this point. Hopefully the fans will see some improvement the remainder of the year, but yesterday's homecoming game was painful and demoralizing to watch, and because of this there was very little enthusiasm and hopefulness in the home crowd yesterday.

It’s not just that the offense is bad, it’s that it hasn’t shown an iota of improvement since the beginning of the season. At least in the dark days of the Coach Mo era, Pirate Nation had the reasonable hope of a turnaround with a new administration; what’s the plan now? When this site features new recruits who accept ECU’s offer over middling FCS programs, that doesn’t sound hopeful. I will give credit to a respectable Pirates defense, and sympathy, too.

Thank you Al Myatt and Kevin Monroe for mentioning in the pregame podcast this week the obvious financial discrepancy between East Carolina and those who are in and who are moving into the power five conferences. It has always been a financial struggle at East Carolina. I do think that in retrospect the town Bank Tower that cost $60 million to seat just 1000 persons was a boondoggle. I, as one lifelong pirate fan will never be able to sit in one of those seats. Now we are faced with a fundraiser for another $60 million for a barn so that our teams can to get out of the rain. Coach Steve Logan once said you don’t come to East Carolina with a weak heart. You come to East Carolina because you want to be a pirate. In my opinion, that $120 million could’ve been and should be better spent hiring and keeping excellent coaching staff, recruiting, and managing today’s image and likeness reality that for better, or for worse, is the reality of division one football

Have the snubs of the power conferences, the transfer portal, and NIL handed ECU a mountain too steep to climb? Are the great days of past football glory now just precious memories?

There isn’t any way to sugarcoat this situation. Charlotte’s defense is rated middle-of-the-pack in the AAC. The Pirate offense made the 49ers look like world beaters. Less than 130 yards of offense. To me, the sorry signature of the season to date came when quarterback Alex Flinn, the most experienced player in the DK system, took a sack at crunch time when any rookie qb should know better. He cost the team some valuable yardage already gained, and a timeout. Did he lose the game for the Pirates, of course not. Hell, he at least through a touchdown that gave the Pirates a chance to get even, or even win. Two missed field goals were enough to provide a win. Early in the contest, the Pirates turned the 49ers over and began what should have been a short drive to the end zone. Instead, the offense looked foolish, and the kicking game provided the exclamation point by missing the chip shot field goal. The defense played well enough, but you can’t keep giving up the edge for 6 -8 yard chunks. Also had some busted coverages, but no back breakers. Seven games played and the Pirates are 1-6. After this latest example of non-performance by the offense, I will be pleasantly surprised if the Pirates win again. Coaches… keep telling us how good the practices have been. Maybe you should rethink your concepts, because the “good practices” aren’t showing up in the games.