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Questions loom for East Carolina's defense

“Oh man, we’re two weeks away, but we’ll be ready,” said senior linebacker Zeek Bigger. “We’ve got every day to get better. Time is clicking down, so we’ve gotta be ready for that first game.”

On Wednesday, East Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill named sophomore Kurt Benkert the starting quarterback for the season opener, but several key positions on defense are still up for grabs, adding even more edge to what McNeill has called gritty practices.

“The two positions that we’re most concerned about is the boundary corner and the buck linebacker,” said defensive coordinator Rick Smith.