ECU football finishes second spring scrimmage

East Carolina’s passing offense and stout run-defense highlighted the team’s second scrimmage leading up to the April 18 Purple-Gold game.

Quarterbacks Kurt Benkert, Blake Kemp and redshirt freshman Ray Smith all threw the ball well in the scrimmage. Benkert went 8-for-17, racking up 153 yards on the afternoon. He completed two big passes for over fifty yards, a 54-yard completion to senior tight end Bryce Williams and a 51-yard pass to junior receiver Davon Grayson. He threw his lone touchdown pass to freshman wide out Trevon Brown.

Kemp completed 10-of-18 on the afternoon, including a 29-yard completion to Grayson. Smith added an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Stanley, completing 5-of-8 passing attempts.

“The offense threw the long ball well,” said Head Coach Ruffin McNeill. "I thought the quarterbacks operated the offense well. Kurt has been in the system a lot longer, but Blake and Ray did a good job today.”

The Pirates’ defense was dominant against the running game, limiting the offense to just 2.4 yards-per-carry. Leading the way was junior Demetri McGill and senior Johnathon White, each were credited with a team-high four tackles and a tackle for loss.

Sophomore Marquez Grayson had the most success out of ECU’s running backs. He ran for 44 yards on six carries, but never reached the end zone. Sophomore Anthony Scott and senior Chris Hairston scored touchdowns on two goal line plunges but neither topped 20 yards on the afternoon.

The Pirates’ third down defense was especially strong, as it held on 16-of-20 third down attempts. The defense forced two turnovers, an interception by Trevian Smith and a strip and fumble recovery by redshirt freshman Drew Turnage and junior Drayvon Fairley.

"The competitive spirit from both sides was great," McNeill said. "One of the other things we talked about was being able to play the next play. When the defense made a great play, the offense came back from it. If the offense made a play, the defense rebounded from it.”

The Pirates’ defense managed to avoid penalties for most of the afternoon, as it was flagged just twice. Offensively, the team accumulated six penalties, four of which were holding. Despite the fouls, McNeill was pleased with the team’s ability to handle the scrimmage as though they were in mid-season competition.

“The execution was a lot better, handling ourselves in situations offensively and defensively with substitution patterns," McNeill added. "I liked the communication of our staff today.”   

The Pirates’ fourth and final week of spring workouts begins on Monday and culminates on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. when the team takes the field for the Purple-Gold game.