Congratulations to the Pirates. It wasn’t always pretty, but after spotting Memphis 17, the collective team effort was simply great. Following a dismal effort against Tulane, this is the kind of win that can cure a lot of ills. There are numerous positives to carry forward, as well as some “cleanups” that need to be addressed. Now that it is beyond obvious Ahlers is playing with a significant amount of pain, even on his good days, maybe a change in format is in order. I would like to see some play-action scheme worked in to the mix vs RPO. Ahlers under center, using both 2-step and full drop backs off of the run/fake could be very effective. It would also allow Mitchell/Gunn a quick, downhill plunge on run plays. I’m not sure if the o-line can block those schemes, but it might be worth a try. The d-line has to be the highlight of the season thus far. The pressure on Henigan was THE key for the comeback. Going forward, I hope the secondary can tighten up on third down to match the line play. Not having anyone who can be a lockdown pass defender means a lot of soft zone, resulting in a lot of embarrassingly long pass completions. This is nit picking, I know, but can we just accept the touchbacks or fair catches on our kickoff receptions? You’ve got no time to lolly gag, regardless of how fast you are. When you do delay, you more than likely put the offense in the whole, from the get-go. After choosing to receive the kickoff, you intend to make a statement - not a fizzle. Beginning on the 12 yard line didn’t help. Bottom line, the Pirates played extremely hard, and were rewarded for it. Coach made some changes, and the team was rewarded for it. All of this while under duress. Not a bad way to begin the second half of the season.

The d-line looked really good; otherwise, with the exception of a couple of very solid individual performances, it was a poor showing in general. As far as the kicking's concerned, they may be at a point where Houston has to consider attempting the conversion after every TD; a 40% success rate would be no worse than where they are now. Based on the way this season has gone, I see only a single "should win" game remaining, their last vs. Temple. ECU is the dog in all of the other 5 remaining contests, and the injuries sustained yesterday only exacerbate matters; 2 out of those 5 to be bowl eligible (assuming a Temple W) is very possible, yet a tall order. Fortunately they'll have home cooking next Sat. night. If they cannot find a way vs. Memphis, and HA is not "on", then you have to wonder if Garcia starts to factor into the calculus. I THINK (not sure) that he could see time in 4 games, and still preserve 3 years of eligibility. I like and respect HA, and know what he can do when he's on, but the program needs to come first.

We clearly have a problem in the kicking game. It’s not just one thing. Sure, Daffer has had his problems. Still, we know that he can do the job. His confidence must be shaken somewhat, but I wonder if some of it is due to his lack of confidence in the snap/hold/ kick process. Coach Huston told the tv crew the blocked field goal was due to a problem with “cadence”. Apparently, the signal caller (assuming it’s the holder) lost his cool. Previous problems involved proper placement of the laces, and improper blocking. Some of these problems shouldn’t be happening five games into the season. The d-line did perform well enough, however, the secondary seldom contested Tulane receivers on 3rd down. And, a stupid penalty cancelled out another goal line stand. Ahlers continues to force passes unnecessarily. He knows better, throwing late down the middle into Tulane’s strength. The wheel route in the left flat was completely uncontested. It’s almost as if he lost patience with the short yardage game that took them down the field. By far, this is the worst performance as a team this year. Yet, also apparent on Saturday, is how far the Pirates have come under Coach Huston. They don’t quit. Hopefully, the problems are “fixable”. A solid season is still for the taking.

You are an idiot///you must be paid

The ECU defensive line showed up. Otherwise, yesterday’s performance begs the question whether the OT loss to Navy was a fluke, which I’d previously thought.

Never claimed to be an expert. But, I do remember how to tackle - from 50 years ago - as those fundamentals haven’t really changed. Let’s ask Coach Harrell and Coach Houston if they think being critical of poor technique is silly. I’ll bet, not. The fact that they are really good coaches, and have the Pirates playing at a higher level, proves it. I’ll bet they reinforce the fundamentals every practice. So, when I see a couple of prominent Pirate defenders lose their technical discipline in multiple games, I point it out.

The Pirates have definitely upgraded at the skill positions but what is most impressive to me about this team is the discipline and fighting spirit. That is a direct result of good coaching. We are in very good hands, imo.

Good thing we have experts to keep the coaching staff in line!! Dude, let's please remember where we were just 4 years ago folks. It's actually fun to watch the Pirates again. I genuinely can get excited again on game day. Love coach Houston!!!! His recruiting is better than at any other time in our history IMO and I've been watching and keeping track of it for over 30 years. Recognize when it's good fans and get behind 'em!!!! Enough with the critical silliness. Go Pirates!!

Solid win. Yet, the defense continues to snatch moments of mediocrity from a superior performance. Classic moment when our #14 bounces off a receiver after not wrapping up. I hope he is shown (and others) the video at least once a day for the remainder of the year. Pirate secondary must be better at tackling fundamentals, as they are seldom capable of lockdown coverage. Best offensive play-calling of the year, overall. Do what you need to do on first down to get ahead of the chains. While Coach and his crew have upgraded o-line talent, Pirates are very seldom dominant over anyone. I hope the use of a short - but vertical - passing game to set up the running game becomes the lynchpin of the offense. The Pirates CAN run the ball, just not as the basis of the offense. Also, keep Ahlers as a viable run threat - nothing reckless - but use him to keep ahead of the chains. Hopefully, this win will be the catapult the Pirates need. Much to be happy about, yet there are still several basic points to clean up. Overall, well done (A-).

While the Pirates defense wasn't perfect, it certainly showed up, and was pretty damn good on balance, vs. a difficult to defend option scheme with very quick and intelligent Middies. The individual killer plays were obvious, the turnover that yielded points for Navy, the interception late on a mental mistake, and the missed FG in OT, but generally the game IMO was lost in the offensive trenches, and (echoing another comment), the play calling didn't exactly help matters. Though Navy played outstandingly well, this was obviously a bad loss if ECU is who Coach thinks they are; hopefully it will make ECU more determined for next week, and beyond.

Ahlers decision making doesn’t match his physical gifts. At this stage as a 4 year starter he should be on top of the game, not struggling thru it each week.

Give it to Navy, first of all, because they played better than the Pirates. Navy wasn't the most talented team on the field. However, they were the best coached team. The Navy defense was coached up well, and the Pirate offensive play-calling on first down contributed to Navy's success. Maybe I am on my own about this, but the Pirate offense seemed to be playing behind the sticks almost the entire game. Running RH into a pile of waiting Navy defenders on first down didn't fool anyone, rather the Navy defense appeared to be waiting for it. Despite this, near the end of regulation, the Pirates had their chance. Ahler's mistake extinguished an opportunity for the Pirates to "walk off" Navy back-to-back. Bottom line, Navy has our OC figured out about 90% of the time, and it shows. Our defense continues to have tackling issues. Are the coaches teaching the "no wrap up" body block tackle? I get the issue with questionably applied targeting parameters muddling up the basic concepts of tackling, but several repeat offenders keep showing up on the field. I know the "D" was hung out to dry by the offense, so fatigue could have been an issue. Still, it happens routinely, every game. Also, I thought the secondary fell back into some bad habits with their coverage technique. Peeking into the backfield when you need to be laser-focused on a receiver is a very human error, particularly against a team like Navy. Bottom line, the Pirates lost a game which should have been a "W". The team played hard, never quitting. Too many mistakes, penalties, and a well-prepared Navy defense made the difference.

Great report !

Correct on that. ESPN has been no stranger to G*Vegas. Interesting an App St fan would chime in on our site unprovoked to 'brag' about superiority. Why did you feel the need to do that? Seems to me, we share a space in NC as the 'want to be's' in many minds with the 'other schools' present here. We should be allies to some degree. App has had a good run in the last several years, but the Pirates have had some pretty good times as well. it runs in cycles it seems depending upon who is at the helm. As of now, we couldn't be in better hands. Love our current leadership!! And don't worry App fan, the series has been renewed between the two schools. It'll be soon, only a year away that it can be settled on the field. Perhaps some humility may be in order. Go Pirates!!!!

I recall Game Day visiting Greenville in the 90’s. They ran a story on B’s BBQ and didn’t get there on time to get any. Came back the next year and got to B’s earlier. Maybe that was the Game Day B team.