Mike Houston's Pirates are about as ready as they can get with just days to go before the kickoff of a new season this Thursday against Appalachian State.
ECU is riding a two game win streak with wins over SMU and Temple after losing six of seven games to open an abbreviated season in 2020.
Houston likes where his team is heading into game one and talked about it on Monday in Greenville.
"Game week is finally here and to be honest we're late into game week with this being what would be our Wednesday afternoon practice this afternoon," said Houston, "We had a really sharp practice last night. You could tell that the kids are excited to play and had a different pep in their step. Great energy and focus and certainly excited about the matchup this Thursday night and certainly a great challenge against a very good Appalachian State football team."
It will be a monumental challenge against a Mountaineer team that is used to winning and having success. Last year Appalachian State went 9-3 including a bowl victory over North Texas in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
The prior season, ASU lost only one game the entire season by just three points 24-21 to Georgia Southern.
"We're facing a good football team. It's a team that has had a lot of success. Most of those guys are fifth or sixth year seniors. They've won a lot of games since they've been there so it is a great challenge and a great opportunity. It's going to be a good matchup. I'm excited about the group we have," Houston told PirateIllustrated.com, "They'll be ready to play and I expect us to play very well. It's a chance on a little bit of a national stage in an NFL stadium, ESPN game and a chance to find out a lot about ourselves and to be in a situation to play against a very good program."
The matchup will give veteran ECU quarterback Holton Ahlers the kind of opportunity he wants to go up against a solid team in an NFL stadium where he will get some key exposure nationally.
"It's very important. Anytime you've got a chance like that in front of an in-state rival to play in front of your fans again, we've missed them and last year was tough not having them. We're excited to have them back and hopefully this year we'll show out."
Ahlers comes in with a noticeable excitement level to hopefully turn the Pirates' fortunes this season.
"I think we're super excited. It's finally here - three days away after all of the offseason training. We're just excited to get going," Ahlers told PI, "I think we match up good with them. They're a hard nosed team and that's kind of what we've embraced here too. We're experienced too and we've got guys going in there who have played a lot of snaps and they do too. It's going to be a dog fight til the end but we're ready to go."
Ahlers says it starts with the run for the Pirates and using the run game to set up the pass and mainly protecting the ball.
"Turnovers are going to be big in a game like this with two veteran teams who have played a lot of snaps, so just keeping the ball, establishing the run game and let the pass game come."
ASU defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor and a cast of others around him will have the full attention of the ECU offensive staff this week.
"They have a lot of good players. He definitely is obviously an aggressive guy, knocks the line of scrimmage back. They've got ten starters back on defense. They're a very experienced team," said ECU offensive coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick, "I think they give up 16 points a game. The whole group is like that."
"Some of them are bigger and stronger and they bull rush and knock you back. Some of the are quick and they run around you. There are a lot of guys who concern me and he would be one of them."
Finding ways to limit ASU's point production will be paramount in any success the Pirates are able to achieve. At 6-2, 220, running back Cam Peoples rushed for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns and nearly seven yards per clip.
"Cam Peoples is a really good football player and had a really nice season last year, " said ECU defensive coordinator Blake Harrell, "He's a big kid and has great speed too. We know a lot about him and the speed he has. It's hard to simulate, but we've got to make sure we do a good job of just wrapping him up and tackling. Nate Noel is more of their speed guy. He's listed at 190 pounds and he can get going. They both have good speed. Noel may be the faster of the two on tape. They've had some big runs. Both have home run ability and great vision to work the outside zone stretch, be patient and get the cutback."
"We've got to do a nice job every snap, play after play just fitting our gaps, being where we're supposed to be and doing a good job tackling and try to force some turnovers with those two guys."
Harrell likes the matchup against Appalachian State and says his team has put in the work to be successful.
"Our guys have been working their tails off they've been doing it ever since the last game at SMU last year. Working to this point and this game this Thursday night against App. State and putting themselves in a position to have a great ballgame," Harrell told PirateIllustrated.com, "We've got to make sure that these final days of preparation, we're doing everything we can to put us in a position to be successful Thursday night whether it's mental preparation, taking care of our bodies, ice tub, getting our legs back - whatever that may be, we've got to make sure we're ready to go Thursday night in the best shape of our lives and feeling the best that we can."
One of the more important cogs in the defensive machine for ECU is Xavier Smith who could be coming off the edge a great deal on Thursday night.
"They've got a great offensive line so I'm just trying to focus on hand placement, staying in our gaps, not giving up any cheap plays, making them work harder for any play that they get. So that's the focus along with the game plan," said Smith, "We've just got to lock in on the game plan. We don't have to learn a new defense so we can actually focus and lock in what it is we have to be doing. Now we can actually sharpen up on the mistakes we're making in preparation for the game."
Smith says the team has made huge strides defensively and he hopes that shows on Thursday.
"It's night and day. We're finally coming into a second year knowing the defense. Now we just work, work, work. I'm in a new position but I'm still familiar with the defense so it's easier for me to learn that new position and I know the surrounding pieces. When you know the surrounding pieces and you have other guys that know the defense, we're all on one cylinder."
Game time is set for 7:30 pm Thursday night in Charlotte when ECU takes on Appalachian State on ESPNU. Stay tuned to PirateIllustrated.com for the very latest.
