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Athlon Sports
East Carolina Football: 2024 Pirates Season Preview and Prediction
By Athlon Sports,
17 days ago
East Carolina just never seemed to get their feet under them on the way to a 2-10 record last season. In four one-score losses, the Pirates couldn’t get out of their own way. Coach Mike Houston now has seen three of his five seasons at ECU end with a losing record, which has no doubt left a bad taste in the mouth of the former FCS championship winner (at James Madison).
No one thing cemented the Pirates’ fate as one of the worst teams in FBS last season. However, the severe lack of points certainly contributed.
The Pirates scored a league-low 22 touchdowns last season and mustered only 17.3 points per game, ranking them in the bottom five in FBS. They failed to score more than 10 points on five separate occasions, including a 10-0 loss to Navy in the second-to-last week of the season.
Quarterback play certainly played a part, with departed QB Alex Flinn throwing 12 interceptions compared to six touchdowns. To help correct that, Mike Houston’s staff signed two former Power 5 quarterbacks in Missouri’s Jake Garcia and Michigan State’s Katin Houser.
For what it’s worth, ECU’s defense was definitely the stronger side of the ball in 2023. ECU allowed opponents an average of 5.2 yards per play last season, ranking just behind Tulane among teams returning to the AAC in 2024.
Up front, the depth of ECU’s defensive line is exceptional. However, the Pirates’ pass rush generated only 18 sacks last season. Returning veterans like Chad Stephens and newcomers like Louisville transfer Ryheem Craig alike will need to help correct that deficiency. Redshirt senior D’Anta Johnson was an All-AAC selection last season with four sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss. Ohio State graduate transfer Jaden McKenzie also adds an interesting element to that position group.
Another name that could be of interest to NFL Draft fans this season is senior cornerback Shavon Revel, a playmaking machine. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder was a second-team All-AAC selection last season. He totaled 54 tackles with 3.5 for a loss along with an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown. He broke up 12 passes and blocked two kicks as well.
Punter Luke Larsen returns after 60 punts in 2023 with just one touchback and 19 kicks landing inside the 20-yard line. Andrew Conrad also returns at placekicker after averaging 1.5 made field goals per game last season, although he missed seven of his 25 attempts. Neither Javious Bond nor Josh Murphy really had a signature moment in the return game in 2023.
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