GREENVILLE — With the big-game experience of Shane Carden, Justin Hardy and company now gone, a new era began Saturday with East Carolina football’s Spring Game.

Changes from last season’s Pirate offense start from the top. ECU’s record-setting offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley departed from the team after five seasons to take the same position at Oklahoma, giving way to the promotion of Dave Nichol to offensive coordinator.

After Carden, ECU’s most prolific quarterback, was lost to graduation, the Pirates will look to a fresh face behind center in redshirt freshman Kurt Benkert. Benkert saw playing time in 2014 against North Carolina Central, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Florida, but will have his first chance to start this season.

The rising sophomore said he learned a lot while working under Carden and has built up his confidence over the past two years in the program.

“He really helped me figure out what I need to do in the film room and the kind of mentality you need in the weight room and in the offseason,” said Benkert. “He’s been a great leader and a great person to follow after.”

Benkert had a good showing Saturday in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, completing 11 of his 17 pass attempts, including a touchdown throw to sophomore Isaiah Jones on a screen. Benkert came out looking to show off his arm strength early in the Spring Game, but overthrew his first three deep balls from the pocket.

Benkert finally connected on his fourth attempt after being chased out of the pocket by the pass rush, throwing on the run and connecting with freshman Trevon Brown for a 44-yard completion down the sideline.

“Me and Kurt, we came in together so we had a bond as soon as we came in,” said Brown. “Now, I look up to him and keep pushing him. I tell him he’s a leader and I just feed off of his energy every day.”

The receiving corps will be without the FBS all-time leader in receptions this season. And along with Hardy, ECU lost another 1,000-yard receiver in Cam Worthy to graduation. To replace Hardy at the “Y,” the Pirates will look to junior Bryce Williams, whose big 6-foot-6-inch, 250-pound frame is a far departure from Hardy in the slot.

Nichol has options at outside receiver to replace Worthy this upcoming season. Brown, Davon Grayson, Brandon Bishop and former Pam Pack quarterback Jimmy Williams will all compete for playing time at the outside receiver positions next fall.

“We have a lot of receivers and we’re all good, so every day we compete together,” Brown said. “We help each other out a lot and push each other. We’ve got a few guys that can really play.”

Bishop was Benkert’s favorite target in the Spring Game, connecting with the redshirt sophomore five times for 76 yards. Brown said has built a strong relationship with Worthy and thinks they are very similar in the way they play.

“I’m trying to be just like Cam, he taught me everything,” said Brown. “He told me to just be better than him, so I’ve got to keep pushing.”

Nichol said that the connection with Benkert and his receivers will improve over the summer and it’s not just official practices that will improve their chemistry.

“A quarterback’s got to grab those guys and say, ‘Hey let’s throw and I’ll get you a burger’, you’ve got to bribe them,” said Nichol. “That’s what guys do. You’d come up here on Sundays and Shane and Hardy would be out here with Isaiah and Davon. We’ve got guys doing that, we just need to do it more. They can’t do just what we ask them to do.”

At running back, ECU will again have to find a new starter, as Breon Allen graduates this spring. Behind Allen was a running back by committee group last season that may continue to share the carries entering the 2015 campaign.

Nichol still sees no separation between the three running backs competing for the starting job in the fall. Anthony Scott had an impressive freshman season and led the team on Saturday with 55 yards on six carries. Marquez Grayson had five touches for 23 yards and Chris Hairston scored on his lone touch of the Spring Game.

“I think it’s going to be a three- or four-headed monster again and I’ve challenged them, I said, ‘If you want to be the guy, then play every play,’” Nichol said. “They’ve just got to grow up a bit. What’s good is they can tell they have to compete, they know they’re locked in a pretty good battle for playing time.”

With an overhaul at the skill positions and an influx of young players being pushed into bigger roles, Nichol said this summer will be important for the development of his athletes individually and for the offense as a whole.

“That’s everything now with coach [Jeff] Connors and what they’re doing is going to be huge for next season,” said Nichol. “We’ve got a bunch of gym rats, so I think they’ll get after it this summer and that’ll be very important. A lot of guys have to gain weight, some guys have to get faster and some guys have to run better routes and that’s what the summer is for.”