Pirates find pay dirt

ECU receiver DaQuan Barnes made two receptions during Saturday's scrimmage. (Scott Davis/The Daily Reflector)Reflecting a much better week in practice, the East Carolina football offense flowed much more freely on Saturday morning.

In the Pirates’ second scrimmage of the preseason — staged exactly two weeks before ECU kicks off its season against Towson — sophomore starting quarterback Kurt Benkert fed the football to his many playmakers and gave the veteran Pirate defense considerably more to think about than in the team’s first mock game the week before.

Sixth-year head coach Ruffin McNeill preached patience after that performance, saying the offense would catch up quickly, and that proved…