You could be right... but Ahlers didn't come to ECU pretending to be a pocket passer who occasionally scampered out from the backfield. And he performed as advertised. So, is this a case where the coaches don't know how to - or won't - scheme the best scenarios to use his natural talent. He can clearly play at the D1 level. Maybe the DC and the Coach should acknowledge the o-line isn't quite what it needs to be to run "their" offense, and do as the Marines do - adapt and overcome.

I tend toward thinking that Ahlers just lacks that clutch ability that is hard to define but you know it when you see it, or in this case don’t. He doesn’t shine in the final moments of games. He has just enough talent to be a starter, but not a winner.

101% agree w/ the comment on HA, with one additional related point, which I've said before in this column, and that is that the "coaching out" of him of his natural proclivity to tuck the ball and go has tended to make him overthink, and in sports, when you think, you stink. ...not that HA stinks, but there have been a number of occasions this year in which he definitely seemed tentative behind the line, and I'd get the sense that a lot of it had to do w/ his talent for running being largely taken off the table. I totally get Houston's insistence on cultivating a traditional run game; it is simply indispensable, including to allow the pass attack the space it requires, but I think that he has overbaked it a little. All that said, the Pirates are fortunately to have him; they just need to learn to start closing these deals, being a handful of plays away from being 6 - 1. ...also agree that in college D1, you need to kick off into the ez on a regular basis, though the kid is a pretty decent FG man.

Kudos to everyone for coming out after a prolonged delay and competing from start to finish. That is a statement in itself. 1) Overtime didn't have to happen, but it did. I don't think the play-calling was all that great. If you couldn't produce a decently consistent running game for 60 minutes, what epiphany gave the OC and Coach reason to believe the o-line would do it in OT? Shouldn't you take your shot with what works BEST at the moment? Coach said the defensive call was perfect. Given the overall perfor-mance of the defense, I believe him. So I'm thinking the edge rusher from the secondary who blitzed into empty space wasn't part of the script. It happens, and on a 25 yard field, seldom ends well. Unfortunately, the O couldn't bail out the defense on this one. 2) Offensive problems continue holding the team back. You can't ask our defense to carry this team - every game - while you sleepwalk through half of the game. Penalties, really stupid penalties, questionable play-calling, and poor decisions make for a toxic brew known as inconsistency. Wanting to be an offense that is known to line up and play smash-mouth football on command is an excellent goal, but one that must be earned each time you play. This requires discipline and toughness to keep getting the 3-4 yard gains which are the benchmark (particularly when playing tough defenses, like UH). When you commit dumb errors and penalties you seldom have the luxury of playing short-yardage offense. Those exciting, back-breaking "gash" plays come when the defense knows you can line up, execute, and punch them in the mouth at ANY time to get a first down, forcing the defense to adjust to YOUR game. At present, we can't do that. Also, this directly and negatively affects the passing attack. So what do you do overcome this problem? I believe part of the problem is many teams no longer fear HA as a meaningful part of the running game. They know that he can still do it, but they also know HA has been conditioned to "not run". Our coaches, instead of building upon his natural instincts, have practically destroyed the innate ability HA brought with him to ECU. He just seemed to know when to tuck it and go. He didn't need a script. Teaching him how to refine his running (to include "when to get down") would have been far more productive than hobbling his instincts. The o-line can't protect HA well enough to exploit a truly vertical passing game. Opponents know this and generally lock down the 5-10 yard passing game the Pirates rely upon. So move the pocket some. Let HA do play-action roll outs (with or without a protector), and make a play. This would always allow him to be a run threat for which the defense must account, and give the receivers time to get separation. Given our newfound athleticism at the TE position, I think this would provide several passing options for HA to exploit. Let's take advantage of the skills we have now, and don't wait for what we "want to be", but cannot achieve. When the o-line can provide a consistent level of protection, then you can keep the quarterback between the tackles. 3) Special Teams Pleased with the punting, not the decision to kick to one of the best returners in the nation. Can we please get someone who can provide consistent kickoffs into the endzone? Daffer is a decent placekicker. He IS NOT a kickoff specialist. We don't have the best kicker/kick coverage team combina-tion in college football, and it cost us. 4) Defense BEST EFFORT to date! Well done, stud puppies! OVERALL - Helluva effort, but much to do - and not much time to do it.

Well said!! Go !!Go Pirates

The team has improved on both sides, no doubt, particularly the d, and is a couple of plays away from being 5 - 1. No doubt that continuing to build the run game is crucial on the o side, but I'm a little mystified by the play-calling vs. UCF. Snead is the Pirates single best, most consistent playmaker, and was barely involved vs. UCF. Maybe her was subpar. Anyway, they will need to bring everything they have in order to compete w/ UH tomorrow.

Wow, couldn't have said it any better. I also want to say that we need to give Coach Houston all the support we can. He is arguably the highest calibre Coach we have ever had, I mean all the way around. We are starting to see his recruits come through. I truly think that he wants to buld his own legacy here at ECU and I hope that the successed he brings us makes him want to stay here and not chase the stars, using us as a stepping stone. He can be a star right here. That is what has hiurt us in the past. Having great seasons and losing our coach to larger schools. Coach Houston is smart and has young kids he does not want to drag all over the country for a year here and a year there. I think Skip and others will tell you that the grass is rarely greener in the other stadium and with our growing Medical, Dental and other awesome schools within ECU can pay him what he is due to keep him. We need toget out of the coaching change cycle. We have a great opportunity here with Coach Houstan and we need to make sure we give him whatever he needs. He will make ECU a class act and I think he will stay.` We need fans in the seats for South Florida whether we beat Houston or not. A bowl would be great, but 5-5 would be a lot better than we have been. Alsom keep using the Old Gold and Purple colors, so much better than the yella we have dealt with for years, plus merch will sell ten times better.

Wow, couldn't have said it any better.

The Pirates must eliminate the big offensive mistakes which give teams extra possessions. Also, the O needs to play four quarters with urgency and consistency. Too many three-and-outs, which put extra pressure on a defense which has its' hands full on any given weekend. The defense has definitely stepped up its' game this so far this year. Still, not making signature stops when needed have cost the Pirates at least two games. On the positive side, we had players in position to make a play - a definite improvement over recent years. The big negative has been defenders not being in control when arriving at the point of contact. On all facets of the game, don't try to be the hero. Just do your job the way you've been coached. In the end, that will produce a full four quarters of performance. I think this will happen - this year! I'd love to see it start in Houston.

Too many empty seats. Should never have gone to 50K. It embarrasing to watch on TV and see a stadium that has so many empty seats. It doesnt look like big time football

Being 3-3 at the midpoint of the season indicates overall improvement by the team as a whole. Coach has the program going in the right direction. It's speaks well of the team that it didn't collapse after the first quarter miscues. At some point, hopefully, the offense will be able to do more at crunch time than three-and-out. Managing snap count/play clock in tight situations is a benchmark of good offenses, and we're not there yet. The defense must tackle in space. It does NO GOOD to run hard to the ball, then not have the control to even make contact with a receiver/runner. The effort is there - but not the results. 3-3 at the midpoint. Make some improvement during the second half of the season and a 4-2 finish isn't out of the question. That would be real progress.

The team is improving, overperforming even in losses. Like coach said, two plays from a one loss record but one issue needs to be addressed. The most frustrating thing, streaming on espn plus, every commercial break. Dave Doren decked out in red pitching coke zero to the Wolfpack nation, Insulting. Ecu athletics or conference head office needs to get that corrected. Insulting. Can we get our coach in purple and gold selling us something? Go Pirates, Aaargh.

Can't get over how exciting our game with Tulane was. It reminded me of some of our past years when we had a great team and it was always a pleasure to be at Downy-Ficklin. It also showed that we have the making of a great team and one hopefully going to a good bowl game this year. Great to be a Pirate!!

My impression is that HA is being seriously restrained from running, in tension with a hard wired inclination to do so, and that's making him overthink. Anyway, the Pirates surely know that their performance on Sat. on either side of the ball won't get it done in the upcoming league play.

I agree with Blue. It was clear the Bucs could move the ball on our defense, With 3:30 left in the game, all Donny Kirkpatrick's play-calling did was tell everybody he didn't think our o-line and running backs (including Ahlers in the RPO) could pound out a couple of first downs. That does not bode well, going forward. While I appreciate Ahler's ability to improvise, his decision-making continues to be questionable. I thought he had hung KM out to dry on the shuttle pass. I think he could have gained about the same yardage himself and protected himself with a slide. We also had some STUPID major penalties. The team isn't good enough to overcome the give away of yardage ( I don't count the targeting call because the quarterback lowered his head just before contact). All in all, we survived the ambush - and, that is a GOOD THING.