College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the East Carolina season with what you need to know.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– East Carolina Pirates Schedule Analysis
– East Carolina Pirates Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2020 Record: 3-6 overall, 3-5 in AAC
Head Coach: Mike Houston, 3rd year, 7-14
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 91
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 108
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 117
East Carolina Pirates College Football Preview 2021: Offense
– The offense wasn’t the problem. There weren’t enough third down conversions, and the consistency wasn’t there, but the defense was the real issue. The O averaged over 400 yards and 30 points per game, and there’s enough talent back to expect even more in Year Three under Mike Houston.
– It only seems like Holton Ahlers has been around for 19 years. The veteran Pirate quarterback is in his fourth year and he keeps on improving as a passer – he threw 51 touchdown passes in three years – and can run, too.
Leading yardage receiver Blake Proehl left early for the NFL, but everyone else is back. Tyler Snead led the team with 53 catches as a midrange target, and CJ Johnson is the home run hitter averaging over 21 yards per catch with a team-high six scores. A slew of transfers are coming in to help the cause.
– The offensive line isn’t all that huge, but it was okay for the running game. Now it has to do a better job of keeping defenses out of the backfield. All five starters are expected to be back up front to pave the way for leading running back Rahjai Harris along with Keaton Mitchell. The duo should combine to average over five yards per carry, but the backfield lost Darius Pinnix to the transfer portal.
– What You Need To Know: Offense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– East Carolina Pirates Schedule Analysis
NEXT: East Carolina Pirates College Football Preview 2021: Defense
4. East Carolina Pirates College Football Preview 2021: Defense
– The defense showed a glimmer of hope late in 2020. After a disastrous first seven games, the D shut down Temple and held up against SMU in wins. Even with the slight improvement, ECU allowed 447 yards and 35 points per game, having the biggest issues against the run. With 14 of the top 15 tacklers returning, get ready for a jump in production.
– The linebacking corps has a big hitter in Xavier Smith to anchor around, and he’s got speed around his size with Bruce Bivens and Jireh Wilson – who’ll work more as a safety – two strong tacklers who get all over the field. They’re the biggest playmakers behind the line, too, but the front four has to do its part.
There needs to be more bulk in the interior, but the young combination of Rick D’Abreu and Elijah Morris are active. Chris Willis is gone from one end, and hybrid linebacker/end Damir Faison has to become more of a pass rushing factor.
– Sophomore CB Ja’Quan McMillian is an all-around baller with a team-high four picks and 33 tackles, and sophomore S Shawn Dourseau is a good-hitter who finished third on the team with 58 tackles. Everyone of note is back in the secondary, but the group needs more help from the pass rush.
– What You Need To Know: Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– East Carolina Pirates Schedule Analysis
NEXT: East Carolina Pirates College Football Preview 2021: Top Players
East Carolina Pirates College Football Preview 2021: Top Players
Best East Carolina Pirates Offensive Player
QB Holton Ahlers, Jr.
RB Rahjai Harris is probably the real best ECU offensive player, but Ahlers is going into his fourth year as the starting quarterback – he’s the one who makes it all go.
The 6-3, 228-pounder improved his accuracy last year, cut down on his running – his completion percentage has improved in each of his three years and his rushing yards have gone down – and now it’s on. He’s got the experience, and he’s got the guys around him to blow up.
2. RB Rahjai Harris, RFr.
3. WR/KR Tyler Snead, Soph.
4. WR CJ Johnson, Soph.
5. RB Keaton Mitchell, RFr.
Best East Carolina Pirates Defensive Player
CB JaQuan McMillian, Soph.
He’s a 5-10, 161-pound corner who doesn’t come across as a tough hitter, but he’s solid in the open field with 71 stops in his first two seasons. But that’s not why you called … he’s a playmaker when the ball is in the air. Ultra-quick and with great recovery speed, he has seven picks in his first two years with 12 broken up passes.
2. LB Xavier Smith, Jr.
3. S/LB Jireh Wilson, Soph.
4. S Shawn Dourseau, Soph.
5. LB Bruce Bivens, Sr.
Top Incoming East Carolina Pirates Transfer
TE Ryan Jones, Jr.
Technically, he’s not an incoming transfer after sitting out last season, and technically, he might not even be a tight end. A big-time get for Oklahoma as a linebacker, he’s tough and has speed to be a factor in pass coverage. He might not exactly look the part of a tight end with his 6-2, 231-pound size, but that’s the plan. At the very least, he should be a tough blocker who adds another weapon to the mix.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– East Carolina Pirates Schedule Analysis
NEXT: East Carolina Pirates College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
East Carolina Pirates College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
East Carolina Pirates Biggest Key: Offense
Convert on third downs, and it starts with protecting the backfield. The Pirate offense had its explosive moments and it should be as good as it’s been in years, but the veteran offensive front needs to give everyone more time. ECU allowed 23 sacks and 64 tackles in the nine games, and the pressure allowed was a problem at keeping things moving.
The Pirates only converted 33% of their third down tries – the program hasn’t been over 40% for a season since 2017. There’s no excuse for this veteran group to not be around 45%.
East Carolina Pirates Biggest Key: Defense
Stop the run, stop the run, stop the run. The Pirates need to be able to control games on a more consistent basis – going back to the offense’s issues on third downs – and that starts with stopping teams from running wild.
East Carolina allowed over 200 rushing yards five times last season and lost all five. It was 0-6 when giving up 175 yards or more, and 3-0 when it didn’t. After shocking North Carolina early in 2018, the Pirates have lost 21 straight when giving up 150 yards or more.
East Carolina Pirates Key Player To A Successful Season
OT Walter Stribling, Fr.
He’s technically still a freshman in terms of eligibility, but he was a starter at left tackle last season. He’s only 252 pounds, but he’s 6-6 and has the size and frame to go along with his quickness as a key part of the line.
There’s enough bulk on the rest of the front five to make up for his lack of mass, but he needs to grow into a star on the outside to help the cause of keeping everyone out of the Pirate backfield.
East Carolina Pirates Key Game To The 2021 Season
Appalachian State, Sept. 2
Old Dominion in 2013. That was the last time East Carolina won a season opener over an FBS team, and 2016 against Western Carolina was the last time it won the first game of the year.
This time the opener is in Charlotte against a loaded Sun Belt team, and it needs to be when the program shows that it’s ready to make a big step forward. With South Carolina and at Marshall up next, the Pirates need this or it could be a rough start before facing Charleston Southern.
– East Carolina Pirates Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2020 East Carolina Pirates Fun Stats
– Punt Return Average: East Carolina 14.6 – Opponents 7.0
– 3rd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 79 – East Carolina 27
– Penalties: Opponents 85 for 774 yards – East Carolina 57 for 524 yards
NEXT: East Carolina Pirates College Football Preview 2021: What Will Happen, Season Prediction
East Carolina Pirates College Football Preview 2021: What Will Happen, Season Prediction
The program is way, way, way overdue to become a factor again in the American Athletic Conference.
Head coach Mike Houston has spent his first two seasons building everything up and going young in most spots, and now comes the payoff. Like everyone, there are some good super-senior players coming back for one more run, but most of the team has been built to this point.
The explosion and balance should be there on offense. If the line can be tighter at keeping teams out of the backfield, this should be the best offensive season yet.
The defense that was a disaster throughout last year is at least loaded with veterans and depth, so …
Set The East Carolina Pirates Regular Season Win Total At … 5.5
East Carolina has to be good enough to at least split the dates against Appalachian State and Marshall, and it needs to start winning the home games against the restaurant quality AAC teams like Tulane.
Assume losses to the stars like UCF on the road and Cincinnati at home, but the Pirates should be able to beat Temple again, and it should be able to handle USF and pull off an upset somewhere.
The program hasn’t gone bowling since 2014 and hasn’t been close since 2015. There might not be quite enough to get to six wins, there’s no reason to not be in the hunt for an extra game in late November.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– East Carolina Pirates Schedule Analysis
