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East Carolina enjoyed unseasonably cool weather for their first day in full pads Friday morning. The Pirates concentrated on success on early downs. As it has for four seasons, that means focus on the short passing game on offense, probably looking ahead to a Week 2 encounter with a South Carolina team likely to lean heavily on true freshmen corners.
There was a brief scuffle between a couple of players, the type that occurs at every level of football this time of year. Fortunately, Coach McNeill stepped in a lot quicker than some coaches are apparently capable of, and everyone quickly got back on track.
McNeill was happy with what he saw from his players today. "I was once again pleased with the way we handled practice, especially moving forward to full pads. We are very physical even in shells around here, which is a big misconception about our team... I thought the guys did a great job with the transition."
The Pirates take to the field Saturday for the first of three pre-season two-a-days with a full pads session set for 8:45, and shells at 4:15. ECU continues to prep for the August 30 season kickoff versus North Carolina Central.