East Carolina coach Mike Houston’s his first day on the job could have named Holton Ahlelrs his starting quarterback and not raised an eyebrow among Pirate Nation faithful.
Ahlers, after all, was the returning starter, having earned the job at midseason when Reid Herring struggled with turnovers, injuries on the field and a concussion from an automobile accident that sidelined him for a game.
The big guy, a 6-foot-3, 236-pounder that can run and throw, is the hometown hero from Conley High. His father, Morgan, is the long-time Dowdy-Fickle Stadium public-address system voice shouting “Arrgh!” after ECU plays.
The Pirates can point to his absence, due to an injury, from last year’s embarrassing 58-3 loss to N.C. State in the regular-season finale as reason to believe this year will be different when the team’s opens the season at noon Saturday on the same Carter-Finley Stadium turf.
It all adds up to the guy born to be the face of the program.
But Ahlers had to earn the job in Houston’s eyes. Not that Ahlers is the type to rest on his laurels, but Houston’s job is to build a football program with depth, not create a marketing campaign.
“Both of them improved because of the push they got from the other,” Houston said. “You have to have that. If you didn’t have that have that competition during offseason and preseason camp, neither one would perform the way they’ll be able to perform.
“I think it’s healthy and something good for the program. You’ve got to have multiple guys ready at every position and that one is obviously critical. We’re excited to have Reid in the program. We have confidence in him and in Holton.
To appreciate Houston’s first crucial football roster decision in Greenville, look no further than Chapel Hill 110 miles to the west. These days, hanging on to backup quarterbacks isn’t easy, even for veteran coaches.
North Carolina coach Mack Brown, with his experience as a College Football Hall of Fame coach and national championship ring in his days at Texas, lost his backup, redshirt freshman Cade Fortin, once he signaled true freshman Sam Howell is the starter. Fortin promptly announced he’s transferring out.
Quarterbacks are so quick to transfer these days, “The Sporting News” earlier in the month came out with a ranking of 21 quarterbacks that left their school for another job.
In addition to not anointing Ahlers the starter upon taking the job, Houston and offensive coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick met with Herring about assuring him he’d have a fair shot at the job. Although Houston was new in town, having led James Madison to an 80-25 record with a 2016 Football Championship Subdivision title, there was a comfort level for Herring with Kirkpatrick.
Kirkpatrick, who was with Houston at JMU, was on Ruffin McNeill’s ECU staff when the Pirates recruited Herring out of Millbrook High in Raleigh. Houston and Kirkpatrick reassured Herring.
“I sat down with him the first week,” Herring said. “He told me if I was going to stay, he was going to give me a fair shot, and he’s done that. I’m grateful for that. It’s been a great off-season and preseason camp leading up to the opener.”
The decision to stay also was easier thanks to a Ahlers and Herring liking each other and that Herring has enjoyed his time at ECU.
“It hasn’t been difficult,” Herring said. “We’re pushing each other every day. We’re enjoying the competition. We both come ready to work. There hasn’t been anything negative between us. We congratulate each other when the other makes a good play. That’s how it needs to be, and I think that’s how it works.”
Herring started the first six games before Ahlers replaced him for the final five. Ahlers suffered an injury in the season’s 11th game, a loss at Cincinnati, and Herring started the N.C. State contest before he was re-injured.
In 10 games, he led the team in both passing (178.5 yards per game and rushing (59.2). The left-hander completed 127-of-263 attempts (48.3 percent) for 1,785 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions.
In his first start against UCF, he compiled 475 total yards – 406 passing and 69 rushing. The Pirates were down 23-10 in the third quarter and at the goal-line about to score until Ahlers fumbled. UCF returned it for a 94-yard touchdown and pulled away for a 37-10 victory.
In the 55-21 win over Connecticut that Ahlers started, he finished with 372 total yards (242 passing) and 130 (rushing).
Herring threw for 178.6 yards per game, but he had a minus-67 rushing total when sacks are factored in as they are at the college level. He completed 154-of-288 passes (53.5) for six touchdowns with 10 interceptions.
Although Herring accepted his role as the backup, he, like any football player, knows he’ one play away from entering a game. At no position is an experienced backup more crucial than quarterback. Rebuilding his confidence was a vital to bounce back from a long 3-9 season when the offensive line was battered by injuries and the running game failed to keep defenses off balance.
“It’s been a process,” Herring said. “I wouldn’t say it’s been hard, but it’s been a long journey from last year. I ended with an injury (at N.C. State). We didn’t win game. Coach has been taking it day by day. He has us staying focused as a team and trying to build our confidence.”
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Tom Shanahan, Author: Raye of Light http://tinyurl.com/knsqtqu
— Book on Michigan State’s leading role in the integration of college football. It explains Duffy Daugherty’s untold pioneering role and debunks myths that steered recognition away from him to Bear Bryant.
http://shanahan.report/a/the-case-for-duffy-and-medal-of-freedom
http://www.shanahan.report/a/forty-four-underground-railroad-legacy-facts
Don’t believe the myths at Duffy Daugherty’s expense about Bear Bryant’s motivation to play the 1970 USC-Alabama game or myths about the Charlie Thornhill-for-Joe Namath trade. Bear Bryant knew nothing about black talent in the South while he dragged his feet on segregation.
http://shanahan.report/a/myths-that-grew-out-of-1970-alabama-game-with-usc
http://shanahan.report/a/mystery-solved-in-thornhill-and-namath-myth
David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize winner and biographer; “History writes people out of the story. It’s our job to write them back in.”
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