ECU football: Pirates' offseason fueled by disappointing 2023 season

East Carolina football coach Mike Houston was asked this week about the new College Football 25 video game and if he heard any players complain about their ratings in the game.

The players who opted to be represented in the game were given $600. It was the first time that college athletes were compensated for their name, image and likeness in a video game. Houston said the game should help fans connect with the Pirates.

“It’s exciting for the sport,” Houston said. “It’s good to have college football back. My son took East Carolina to the national championship, so he informed me of that. I just think it helps maybe connect kids and some of our fans to our players. I think it gives them a lot more visibility nationally, and so I think it’s a good thing for East Carolina and for our players.”

Cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. has the highest rating of any ECU player at 88 overall. Defensive end Chad Stephens is next at 81 and running back Rahjai Harris is an 80 overall. The rest are in the 70s. So has any player complained about their ratings?

“I would tell them that whatever their rating is is going to depend on what they do on game day,” Houston said. “So if they don’t like their rating they better work a little bit harder.”

Working harder has been the theme of this offseason for the Pirates.

Coming off a 2-10 season where nothing seemed to go right has fueled the offseason approach. New offensive coordinator John David Baker brought in a fresh, up-tempo offense, two new quarterbacks transferred in to boost the quarterback room and a revamped wide receiver group should help move the ball more effectively.

The defense has spoken all season about wanting to be the strength of the team, and so far it has looked the part. The veteran unit is expecting to get to the quarterback more often and disrupt plays behind the line of scrimmage.

All of this is talk before the first game of the season on Aug. 31 against visiting Norfolk State. But they are talking a big game.

“For me personally, and I think that most of the returning players and the returning staff would feel the same way, is that it was very difficult to go through last year and it’s not something that any of us want,” Houston said of last season’s 2-10 record. “It’s certainly not an acceptable win-loss record. I think that fueled all of us. I love East Carolina University and I’m blessed to be here. I don’t want that to be the product we put on the field and so for me, it’s driven me all offseason. I think that the players feel the exact same way. It’s driven them and I think we all feel confident in our ability to go out and play at a much higher level.”

Houston credited a healthy recruiting class to the increase in NIL dollars collected from active participation in programs like Team Boneyard and others. He added that the team was able to make competitive offers to players in the portal and the high school ranks with the help of NIL funds.

“It’s the difference in our ability to recruit this year versus last year in the offseason,” the sixth-year coach said. “And when I say that, Team Boneyard and our collective, NIL is the No. 1 factor that will shape the future of our football program here.

“I am dead serious. We have a very talented roster right now as we start to kick off the season and NIL is a big piece of that. None of our kids are making ginormous amounts, but they’re able to live comfortably, they’re able to pay their bills and it will allow them to do some things which I think is really, really good. But that is a big piece for the future of our program here.”

Women’s soccer

The East Carolina soccer team came from behind to defeat UNC Greensboro 2-1 on Thursday night in Johnson Stadium. Taylor Mentzer scored the opening goal for the Spartans, but it was all ECU after that.

Goals from Sydney Schnell and Emma Sheehan pushed the Pirates back in front for the victory, their second in as many tries. This is the first time since 2017 the Pirates began a season 2-0 and just the seventh time ever.

UNC Greensboro took the lead in the 11th minute with Mentzer’s goal.

The Pirates (2-0) responded in the 30th minute with a goal by Schnell which took the Pirates into halftime tied at 1-1.

ECU didn’t break through until the 76th minute when Sheehan found herself on the end of a looping cross from Isabella Gutierrez. Sheehan calmly gathered the pass alone behind the keeper and drove the ball into the back of the net.

The Pirates are back in action at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday when they host Campbell.