that point since week two against North Carolina. After losing to Tulane 18–24 the next week, he would lead the team to its third and final win on the season against UConn. Against the Huskies he went 22 of 31 for 242 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. He added 130 rushing yards and another touchdown on twelve carries. He finished the year off with a 6–56 loss to Cincinnati in which he left the game early with an injury to his knee and non-throwing hand which caused him to also miss the final game of the season against NC State. 2019 In 2019, Ahlers started all twelve games for the pirates after winning the starting job over the offseason. He finished the season with 3,387 yards and 21 touchdowns. In the season-opener against NC State he would finish the game 22 of 39 for 168 yards and an interception before being pulled in favor of Reid late in the game. In the team's home-opener against Gardner–Webb the next week they would get their first win on the season. Ahlers went eighteen of 29 for 195 yards and one interception and touchdown. They would win 48–9 as he also tallied two rushing touchdowns and 85 yards on the ground. He would struggle against Navy in a 10–42 loss before winning back-to-back against William & Mary and Old Dominion. They would go on to lose to Temple, UCF, South Florida, Cincinnati, and SMU before bouncing back against UConn. In the game against Cincinnati he set a East Carolina record for passing yards and total yards in a game with 535 and 556 respectively. Despite also throwing for four touchdowns, a late surge by Desmond Ridder and eighteen points in the fourth quarter by the Bearcats caused the Pirates to fall 43–46. His 535 yards passing is only third to Anthony Gordon's record of 606 and 570. The next week against SMU he once again set an East Carolina record as he threw for six touchdowns. On top of throwing for a record six scores he also completed 32 of 42 passes for 498 yards while scoring 51 total points. Even with his offensive excellence it was not good enough to best Shane Buechele who had five touchdown passes as they would lost 51–59 against the Mustangs. East Carolina won their final and fourth game on the season the following week against