Drayton Considers Effect of ECU Coaching Switch on Games.

After defeating Tulsa at home, Temple will now take on East Carolina, who recently fired head coach Mike Houston after two big losses to Charlotte and Army, leaving them with a 3-4 record. The ECU had a drastic drop in performance, going 2-10 last year following a bowl game win in 2022. Blake Harrell, who serves as defensive coordinator, will be taking on the role of interim head coach.

Before the game at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, N.C., Coach Stan Drayton was unsure if the Pirates would have a different appearance under Harrell during Temple’s weekly press conference on Monday.

Drayton said he’s not sure, but he believes that, given their talented players on offense and defense, they will likely stay consistent. I believe they would not make extensive changes with that kind of shift occurring on a Sunday. They were able, they were able. Perhaps with a bye week, you might witness some of those things occurring. They’ve been successful on offense and defense, particularly on defense, so I don’t expect much change.

Mike was an aggressive individual and they achieved some positive outcomes by running the ball and utilizing the edges. I anticipate that they will persist in their current activities since they are skilled at them. However, time will tell. I believe there will be something hidden behind door number two, as there usually is, and we will make adjustments if necessary.

Drayton observed that he experienced a sudden and surprising head coaching transition while at Ohio State, giving him insight into the challenges faced by the East Carolina coaches and players.

Drayton commented that when Jim Tressel was let go and Luke Fickell stepped in, the situation became quite uncomfortable. The players at Ohio State are still motivated to play because the brand is the most important thing. However, it is not the same. I am uncertain of how East Carolina will react, but they need to continue forward. I’m confident that’s the message being relayed to the players by the coaches. If there is strong leadership within the program, the players will communicate that with each other. I’m confident they will gather the soldiers and cause trouble for us on Saturday.

It is important to mention that Tressel left Ohio State in May, not during the middle of the season.

The Owls are coming off their most complete game of the season, a 20-10 victory over Tulsa. For the second consecutive week, quarterback Evan Simon distributed the ball to 13 different receivers and the run defense remained solid. Most notably, the Owls managed to take the lead early in a game this season, establishing a 17-0 advantage by halftime.

Drayton commented that our defense showed strong football skills from the beginning, achieving 21 first downs quickly and keeping the drives going. “Our special teams performed at a moderate level.” Just believed it was solid teamwork that helped us take the lead.

Drayton stated that standout wide receiver Dante Wright, who exited the game prematurely without a catch, had a likelihood ranging from questionable to probable to participate in the game against ECU. His presence would provide another advantage to the team in their efforts to end a three-year streak of losing on the road.

The Owls have been unsuccessful in winning any away games in Drayton’s three-year tenure and are currently experiencing a 17-game losing streak on the road since their 45-24 win against Akron in the second game of the 2021 season.