One problem with a 35-24 loss at Liberty that ended in the early hours of Sunday morning was that the Pirates had to take the bus back to Greenville after the end of the non-conference match in Lynchburg, Va.

“We got there around 7 a.m.,” coach Mike Houston said in an exclusive interview Monday. “It was a long night.”

Houston has adjusted ECU’s normal Sunday schedule ahead of its American Athletic Conference opener against Texas San Antonio at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Saturday at 4 p.m. (ESPN+).

“The staff went home for a few hours,” Houston said. “I got back here around 9am and then we brought the kids in at 3pm. We didn’t do that much. We watched the film and then did a little tour to prepare for UTSA, but I talked to them.

“The main focus is for them to get back to sleep, recover from the game and get ready for training on Tuesday. So we just make it a point to give them some rest.”

Physical days

Preparation for the Roadrunners includes physical exercises on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

“Having a great Tuesday and Wednesday is the most important thing,” Houston said. “These are two big, hard days of work as we continue to strive to improve. We saw improvements from week one to week two, from week two to week three, and from week three to week four. So please continue to see improvements.

“And then a few things that we didn’t do well on Saturday night, we really worked on those and we were better prepared to play better in those situations come Saturday.”

Turning point

An interception return by Isaiah Brown-Murray and a personal foul penalty against the Flames gave ECU a 1st-and-goal at the Liberty 7 in the second quarter for a 17-0 lead.

The chance ultimately ended with a missed 25-yard field goal from the right hash.

“We need to score points right there, and you really want to score a touchdown,” Houston said. “At the seven you were first and scorer. You can’t have the punishment. And then we had a dropped pass on third down that would have put us in the one.

“But you have to get points. It’s a chip shot. It’s an extra point of perspective. You have to blow that away. I think that took the wind out of our sails a little bit, but we have to react.

“When you have the momentum you have to keep it, and when it goes against you a little bit you have to find a way to get it back. … They took the ball down and ran it for a touchdown to end the first half, and that gave them some momentum before halftime.”

Houser on hold

Michigan State transfer Katin Houser hasn’t played since her brief appearance in the final period of a 42-3 win over Norfolk State in the season opener.

Jake Garcia completed 20 of 36 yards for 204 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in the fourth quarter at Liberty.

“Katin is very valuable to our offense,” Houston said. “He’s just one play away from being the starter and obviously he’s very, very talented.

“We have often said that it was a tough competition. With that being said, Jake, he has earned the right to be the starter at the start of the season and I think he has played better every time, including this past weekend.”

UTSA

Frank Harris passed for 395 yards and four touchdowns for the Roadrunners in a 41-27 road loss for the Pirates in 2023. Harris is gone, but UTSA (2-2) has some returning talent.

“They lost some talented people, but there’s a lot coming back,” Houston said. “Both of their top two running backs are back, (Robert) Henry and (Kevorian) Barnes. They are old, they are experienced, they are explosive. They are very, very good players. Their top receiver they have this year started for them last year, played a lot, played against us. No. 3, (Devin) McCuin.

“Their tight end is a multi-year starter. One of the better tight ends in our conference. No. 0, (Oscar) Cardenas. And then last year when Harris was out, the quarterback started a few games for him. So Owen McCown, Luke McCown’s son, is their starting quarterback. And he has improved every week. Really good passer, very precise, strong arm, comes from a good lineage.

“They have a few starters on offense, a few transfers, so a great offensive front. So you are facing a very explosive offense.

“In defense, the front is the same as last year. Their top linebacker is back from last year. They lost the one-rush backer to the University of Texas, but they have a very explosive kid replacing him and they are doing well in the secondary.

“So it’s a good football team. I think they were picked maybe second or third in the conference in the preseason, so they obviously have a lot of talent. They got a big win at home (45-7 vs. Houston Christian), so they have a lot of momentum here.”

Revel’s absence

The Pirates played without Shevon Revel at cornerback for the first time this season. Revel is out for the season with a knee injury.

“You’re never going to be able to replace a guy with that level of performance,” Houston said. “So it’s next man up and they have to be ready to go. Dontavius ​​Nash and Andrew Wilson-Lamp, those are the next guys. Both have great length. Both can walk. They are good athletes. They are not old, but they are older.

“So the challenge is for them to step in, do the job and give us a chance to win. And so Coach (Jules) Montinar works diligently with these guys. We have been working to prepare them in case this should happen. The reason I moved Nash to the corner during preseason camp was to protect us there. So you’ve been waiting for this opportunity and now it’s time.”

1999 Pirates

East Carolina’s 1999 football team will be honored Saturday. The 1999 team went 9-3 against West Virginia, Duke, South Carolina, Miami of Florida and NC State.

Bonesville’s Kevin Monroe was a senior cornerback on that team.

“I know coach (Steve) Shankweiler has been working very closely with this group since the spring to plan this event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the flood that moved the (Miami) game to Raleigh and everything, what’s involved,” Houston said. “The way the community welcomed them and the first responders.

“The way they helped with the transition and made sure everything went as smoothly as possible and then this big win.” And that’s why it will be great to have them back. Coach Shankweiler does an excellent job communicating with our alumni and our alumni are very important to us. We want to make sure it is a special day for them and their families.”