5 things to keep an eye on during ECU’s Purple-Gold spring game

Saturday marks a milestone for ECU Pirate football.

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The Purple-Gold spring game will be the first opportunity for fans and supporters to catch a glimpse of the 2016 ECU Pirates. Like any spring game, there’s sure to be several things to get optimistic about, as well as several things to improve on. For ECU, though, Saturday will serve as a jumping off point for new coach Scottie Montgomery and crew.

Here’s a list of five things to keep an eye on tomorrow.

All business

Ever since accepting the head coaching job with the Pirates, Montgomery has made no bones about his expectations. He expects effort, intensity and discipline out of his players. Saturday may be just a glorified scrimmage, but with Montgomery at the helm, you can expect a lot of contact, a premium placed on execution and an abundance of enthusiasm as the Pirates get to play in front of a crowd for the first time in 2016.

Attack, attack, attack

One of the main focuses of Montgomery this spring, which has trickled down to both his offensive and defensive coaches, is the implementation of an attacking style on both sides of the ball.

The new style wasn’t much of a shift for the Pirate offense, which still has the remnants of the Ruffin McNeill/Shane Carden days. Under new offensive coordinator Tony Petersen, the Pirates will look to combine the explosiveness of the past with a more balanced, controlled attack.

We’ll also get a good look at the new defense under coordinator Kenwick Thompson.

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Thompson’s 3-4 scheme also utilizes an attacking style, and with a host of hungry defenders under his command, expect to see the Pirate defense flying around to the ball on the day.

Welcome back

Two of the Pirates’ biggest potential weapons are looking to make impactful returns in 2016. First is quarterback Kurt Benkert, who missed all of 2015 with a torn ACL just a week after being named the starter. More on him in a bit.

Elsewhere, senior receiver DaQuan Barnes will be one of the key targets in the passing game in 2016. Barnes missed all of 2014 with a back injury, and had an up and down junior season last year. Saturday will be another opportunity for Barnes to get some more action in hopes of being ready for the regular season.

The QB battle

Saturday will also shed a little more light on the ECU quarterback situation. So far this spring, Benkert and senior transfer Philip Nelson have battled it out in practices and scrimmages, with both showing flashes of ability. It will likely be a while before Montgomery and Petersen make a decision on who the starter will be behind center, but Saturday will give both Benkert and Nelson a stage to show everyone what they’re capable of.

Benkert has already shown that he has the tools to win the starting job, being named the starter prior to the 2015 season before his injury. Nelson knows what it’s like to win a position battle as well, having started 16 games Minnesota as a freshman and sophomore in 2012-2013.

Other position battles to keep an eye on Saturday are at running back and corner back. Devin Anderson, Anthony Scott and James Summers have been competing for the running back job, while DaShaun Amos and Derrell Scott have impressed at corner this spring.

Same face, new place(s)

One of the busiest Pirates this spring has been Summers. With Benkert’s injury last season, Summers was thrust into the role of starting quarterback. It’s a testament to the senior’s athleticism and skillset that he performed admirably in the role, but now the Pirates are once again moving him around. He spent the first part of the spring at wide receiver, but recently he has emerged as one of the frontrunners to land the starting running back spot. When you look at his rushing numbers last season, it’s not much of a stretch. Last season, he rushed 96 times for 446 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry with eight touchdowns.

So, there’s your 2016 Purple-Gold Game primer. Tomorrow should give us a pretty good idea of what the Pirates will be working with during the upcoming season. One thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of energy and excitement when the game kicks off on Saturday.