3. Holton Ahlers had another huge game for East Carolina
East Carolina ultimately came out the losing team in this contest. But let’s acknowledge first of all just how exposed the SMU secondary was by East Carolina gunslinger Holton Ahlers. The Pirates quarterback carved up the Mustangs through the air, keeping the road underdog in the contest far longer than anyone expected they would manage to do.
Ahlers threw for 498 yards and six touchdowns in the losing effort, as he completed 32 of his 42 passing attempts against the Mustangs. Coupled with East Carolina’s close loss against Cincinnati in Week 10, it was the second straight game where the coaching staff seemed to open things up and let Ahlers loose on their opponent.
Of course, all the passing yards in the world don’t necessarily translate into victories. Plenty of teams over the years have lost more than they have won despite a prolific aerial attack. East Carolina has played several tough opponents close, however, and their record is hardly an indication of their quality relative to other 3-7 programs.
At the very least, things are entertaining for fans in Greenville. The latest loss in Dallas ensured that East Carolina won’t be bowling this year, but at least they can relive several close defeats against ranked opponents that serve as some semblance of moral victories for the Pirates.