Blake Harrell says ECU must respond quickly against Army

Blake Harrell says ECU must respond quickly against Army originally appeared on The Sporting News

East Carolina doesn’t have time to dwell. Just days removed from a humbling loss to BYU, the Pirates face a big test tonight against the reigning American Conference champions, Army. Head coach Blake Harrell put it bluntly: “One game, one loss is not going to define us, but how we respond to that does.”

Harrell admitted Saturday’s mistakes cost them against a quality opponent but stressed there were building blocks to carry forward. “Offensively, I think that’s only the second time BYU’s given up 400 yards. I think that’s the best our offensive line’s probably played as a group. We were able to run the football against a good defense…when it mattered.”

But the challenge tonight is a different animal. Army’s option attack demands precision, discipline, and focus on every snap. “That O line won the Joe Moore award last year which is the top O line in the nation. They’re averaging about 280 on the ground, over 400 yards of offense,” Harrell said. He singled out running back Hayden Reed and speedster Noah Short as threats who can change the game with one crease.

Here we go! 🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/H8MKaI7P8j

— ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) September 25, 2025

Preparation, though, has been condensed. “Somebody says, ‘Hey, you got a short week to prepare for Army.’ I say, ‘Army’s got a short week to prepare for us.’ And that’s kind of the mindset,” Harrell explained. The plan is to simplify, keep players fresh, and “allow your guys to go play fast on both sides of the ball and play with the culture you expect.”

Harrell insists his team understands what’s at stake. “You’re either on board or you’re not. Ain’t no in between. Ain’t no gray area. You either you touch the line or you don’t. You make the third down or you don’t. You make it to class on time or you don’t.”

ECU fans won’t have to wait long to see how that message takes hold. The Pirates open conference play under the lights at Dowdy-Ficklen, fueled by a fan base Harrell can’t stop praising. “Our students, I know they’re going to pack out the Boneyard and they’re going to bring the energy and we feed off that thing. And I appreciate them.”

For Harrell, it’s simple: mistakes must be cleaned up, focus must be sharpened, and effort must be relentless. “Life is full of adversity,” he reminded. “One loss is not going to define us.”

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