ECU Inches Closer To First Scrimmage

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina inched closer to its first intra-squad scrimmage following its third consecutive full-pad workout of fall camp Thursday morning at Hight Field inside the Cliff Moore Practice Complex. Second-year head coach Scottie Montgomery and his staff guided the Pirates through a near two-hour practice under partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-80s.

"It was another solid day of work and I liked our tempo," Montgomery said. "For the second-straight day we focused on the red zone, and I liked what I saw. At the end of practice, we wanted to see the competitive nature of our offense and defense. Gardner (Minshew) found Davon (Grayson) in the endzone during the first overtime, but the defense battled back and got a huge stop later on."

ECU took the field for its seventh workout of the fall with emphasis on redzone efficiency. The Pirates spent 23 minutes of practice on special teams and a combined 40 minutes of team continuing their focus on all facets of the game, including 12 minutes on short-and-goal situations.

Following lunch, the Pirates returned to the field for a walk-through before closing with dinner, special teams and unit meetings.

Single-game, three-game mini packs and season tickets for all ECU homes games are still available to Pirate Nation and can be purchased by calling the ECU Athletic Ticket Office at 252-737-4500, through the Online Ticket Center, or by visiting the ECU Athletics Ticket Office. For all the latest ticket information, follow the ECU Ticket Office on Twitter (@ecuathletictix).

Pirate Profile: P Austin Barnes
My dream vacation is: Somewhere on a beach.
Best athlete I've played against: Khalil Mack (current Oakland Raider defensive end).
Player on this team who'll surprise this year: Tyshon Dye (running back).
If I could attend any sporting event it would be: The Super Bowl.
I can't imagine living without: Wi-Fi.
My favorite movie is: The Grinch.
My favorite cartoon/TV show as a child was: Barney.
If I were a superhero I'd be: The Hulk.
What's the No. 1 song on your iPod/phone: Professional Rapper by Lil Dicky.
If I could play a musical instrument, it would be: The violin.
My favorite pro sports team is: Chicago Bears.
The one thing I would most want to accomplish in football is: Being the best punter in the country.
The thing I like most about ECU is: Team chemistry and brotherhood.
My favorite toy as a child: My stuffed clown and his name was Clowney.
My favorite midnight snack: Chips and salsa.
When I played football as a kid, I pretended I was: Brian Urlacher.
My teammates don't know that I'm: That I'm a really big nerd and like to play a lot of League of Legends.
If I had 10 million dollars, I would buy: A yacht.
When I want to get away from my sport, I: Like to play golf.
My advice to kids is: Pursue your dreams, regardless of what other people might think.
The biggest obstacle I've overcome was: Making the transition from Eastern Michigan to East Carolina.
My worst fear is: Letting my teammates and family down.
After meeting Coach Montgomery for the first time, I thought to myself: He is a really cool guy.
Describe Coach Montgomery in three words or less: Interesting and smart.

Up Next:
Friday's Practice Time: 10:10 a.m. – 12 noon (ET)
Meet The Pirates: Aug. 12 inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (6-9 p.m.)
Season Opener: Sept. 2 vs. James Madison in Greenville (6 p.m.)

Players Mentioned

Austin Barnes

Tyshon Dye

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