The bad blood between the rivals was evident.
Last December, East Carolina and NC State participated in a Military Bowl for the ages. NC State erased a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter, but ECU’s Rahjai Harris emerged with an iconic moment. The running back sprinted 86 yards down the field to hand the Pirates a 26-21 victory over the Wolfpack. But as ECU entered victory formation after a subsequent interception, tempers flared. A brawl started. Eight players were ejected.
The returning ECU
and NC State players certainly thought about this emotional matchup all offseason. Instead of the purple and gold triumphing, the Wolfpack exacted revenge in their own backyard. Fueled by a dominant first half, NC State bested the Pirates 24-17, fending off a furious second half rally to improve to 1-0.
It all came down to a 4th and 1 for ECU, nine yards short of glory. After a Parker Jenkins run up the gut amounted to zero yards on third down, the Pirates decided to switch things up and attempt a pass to the boundary. Katin Houser’s screen to Desirrio Riles was short of the sticks, and NC State’s Jamel Johnson stopped Riles in his tracks immediately. The turnover on downs completed the Wolfpack’s revenge tour on their in-state rival, giving NC State an all-time series lead of 20-14.
From the first half alone, the game didn’t look like it would come down to the final minute. NC State jumped out to a commanding 17-0 lead at Carter-Finley Stadium, but the score didn’t even showcase how lopsided it was. Including penalty yardage, the Wolfpack accrued 185 yards on their first four possessions while East Carolina went backwards with -28. ECU was held to four consecutive three-and-outs to start the contest, but the Pirates just needed a speck of life to regain their mojo. That occurred roughly two minutes before halftime when 6’4”, 231 pound tight end Jayvontay Conner caught a streak, pinballed off two NC State defenders, and raced to the house for a 79-yard touchdown.
NC State reopened its lead in the third quarter on a 2-yard run by running back Hollywood Smothers, and still, ECU’s hopes hadn’t evaporated. The Pirates were responsible for all 10 fourth quarter points and fell nine yards short of tying or potentially winning the contest with a 2-point conversion.
East Carolina figured out its offense when it ditched its running game (which produced 30 yards on 29 attempts) in favor of Katin Houser’s arm. The returning starting quarterback connected on 30-of-44 passes for a career-high 366 yards and a touchdown, as his team refrained from committing a single turnover. Brock Spalding, Anthony Smith, and Desirrio Riles all played a crucial role in ECU’s comeback, securing six receptions each.
As sharp as ECU’s passing attack was under Houser, NC State’s offense gained even more yardage thanks to tremendous balance exhibited by the unit. Quarterback CJ Bailey fired for 318 yards on a 24-of-34 showing, while Smothers added 76 rushing yards in a capable ground attack. The Wolfpack offense lost its groove from the middle of the second to the middle of the third quarter, and while they moved the ball well in the final frame, kicker Nick Koniecznski missed a pair of field goals to keep the door ajar for the Pirates.
Still, the result was an NC State victory in Raleigh, where the Wolfpack have won three-straight in the series. NC State carries a 1-0 record into its upcoming ACC opener vs. Virginia while ECU returns home to face Campbell of the FCS, searching for its first win since the Military Bowl.
