Under coach Mike Houston, East Carolina has put together consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the Pirates had three straight above .500 campaigns from 2012-2014. Keeping that streak intact will be challenging.
East Carolina went 8-5 last season, 4-4 in the American Athletic Conference, tying for sixth place. The Pirates defeated Coastal Carolina 53-29 in the Birmingham Bowl.
The biggest challenge is replacing quarterback Holton Ahlers, who played five seasons, threw for 13,933 yards and 97 touchdowns, and ran for 1,446 yards and 25 scores. That’s a lot of production to make up for.
Ahlers signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted rookie free agent.
The Pirates will be without first-team all-AAC running back Keaton Mitchell, who signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted rookie free agent. ECU also lost several other key players, so it won’t be easy to chalk up another winning season.
But this program earned a level of respect when the Pirates were picked to finish sixth in the AAC preseason media poll.
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East Carolina’s AAC Title Odds
East Carolina has the eighth-best odds to win the AAC at +4000, via BetMGM.
East Carolina’s Over/Under Win Total
East Carolina’s win total Over/Under is 5.5, with Under 5.5 at -115 and Over 5.5 at +110.
East Carolina’s Football Schedule
9/2 at Michigan
9/9 vs Marshall
9/16 at Appalachian State
9/23 vs Gardner-Webb
9/30 at Rice
10/12 vs SMU
10/21 vs Charlotte
10/28 at UTSA
11/4 vs Tulane
11/11 at FAU
11/18 at Navy
11/25 vs Tulsa
Bold indicates AAC contests.
Mason Garcia Appears Ready To Take Over At QB For East Carolina’s Offense
While listed as a sophomore, Mason Garcia enters his fourth season at ECU. He appears to be the No. 1 quarterback after participating in three games last year. Over his career, he has appeared in 12 games while making one start, which came in 2020. Garcia is known for his arm strength.
The team’s leading returning receiver is senior Jaylen Johnson, who had 26 receptions for 340 yards and four touchdowns while appearing in 10 games and making six starts. Junior tight end Shane Calhoun started seven of 11 games and had 25 receptions for 202 yards and two scores. Senior receiver Jsi Hatfield appeared in eight games with six starts and had 11 receptions for 178 yards.
The offensive line lost some key players, but junior Isaiah Foote started all 13 games last season at right guard. Players such as junior left tackle Walter Stribling, who logged just nine snaps on offense, are among those expected to contribute this season.
Julius Wood Is A Sure Tackler And A Solid Defender For East Carolina’s Defense
Senior safety Julius Wood led the Pirates with 87 tackles and will be one of the key defensive veterans. Wood had two interceptions, four pass breakups, and three forced fumbles. Junior safety Teagan Wilk made seven starts last season and appeared in all 13 games. He was fifth on the team with 55 tackles and added five pass breakups. Senior outside linebacker Jeremy Lewis has made 21 consecutive starts. Last season, he recorded 60 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.
Junior defensive tackle Chad Stephens started eight of 13 games and led the Pirates with 10 tackles for loss. He also contributed 40 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and four quarterback hurries. Elijah Morris, also a junior defensive tackle, started all 13 games last season. Morris had 23 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and 2.5 sacks.
Junior Mike Edwards III is among the players vying for time at linebacker. Edwards appeared in all 13 games last season, making 17 tackles.
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East Carolina Football Prediction
East Carolina won’t be the AAC champion and won’t reach its win total from last season. In fact, the Pirates will be hard-pressed to record six wins.
One of the reasons for that is a difficult non-league schedule, which begins with games against Michigan, Marshall (which beat Notre Dame last year), and Appalachian State. That is a difficult way to start the season.
In addition, there is a difficult three-game stretch beginning Oct. 28 at UTSA, then at home against Tulane, and at FAU. Tulane was picked to finish first in the media poll and UTSA was second. FAU could be among the surprising teams in the conference.
This appears to be a rebuilding year for the Pirates, although Houston has built a good culture and the team will have confidence after two straight winning seasons.
