ECU football way ahead of recent years this spring, ready to put on a show at the spring game on Saturday

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - It’s game week for ECU football, spring game week at least, it’s Saturday at 12:30 PM at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

The Pirates have said throughout camp they are ahead of where they have been in recent years. Even the rookies are coming along fast.

“Anytime you have 18, 19 guys returning and we really have more than that. A lot of us are in our fifth spring here I mean we know, we’ve been around it, we know how it’s going to be and stuff like that,” says ECU quarterback Holton Ahlers, “So, more just getting these young guys and pulling them along. We have a lot of talented young guys that can really help u us this year.”

“It’s next man up. We lost some key guys but, we have some young guys that are ready to step in,” says ECU linebacker Myles Berry, “We have a lot of experience guys from last year that might not of started but still got a lot of key experience. So those guys are just ready to fill in those big shoes.”

Coach Houston has been very pleased with the offensive line and with his two star running backs Rahjai Harris and Keaton Mitchell. They’ve addressed receiver through the transfer portal adding Isaiah Winstead from Toledo this week. The spring game is the final rehearsal before fall camp. It will be offense vs defense on Saturday.

“That’s Eastern North Carolina, that’s ECU. The pigskin pig out and all that,” says Ahlers, “It’s just I mean it’s a spring game, fans back in the stands, it’s great. Growing up and going to it and playing in it now I mean that’s what ECUs about.”

“There was just a couple positions that I’m really worried about the depth. We have tremendous steps at some positions there’s other positions where the depth Will be here in May or June when we get the rest of our guys here. It’ll be office versus defense scoring system I will give it to you early so you can study,” says head coach Mike Houston, “We want it to be a competition so we want to put something on the line for the kids to play for. But I’m just ready to see fans back in Dowdy-Ficklen and see Pirate nation come back together again.”

game format courtesy ECU:

GAME ELEMENTS

*Four 15-minute quarters (running clock except the last 2 minutes of each half) …

*Each team will have three timeouts per half (each will be 1 minute in length) …

*There will be a 2-minute break between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters …

*Halftime will be 5 minutes

*Field goals and extra points will be LIVE …

*Quarterbacks are down when tagged, not tackled …

*All returns (kickoff, punt, interception, fumble) will be blown dead upon receipt …

*Officials are assigned by the American Athletic Conference.

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