Saturday presented the battle of the Carolinas on the teal Surf Turf in Conway, SC, but it wasn’t between North and South; rather, East and Coastal.
East Carolina ransacked Brooks Stadium, pulverizing Coastal Carolina in a 38-0 shutout. The Pirates accomplished a feat they hadn’t witnessed in a quarter-century, holding an FBS opponent to zero points for the first time since 2000 — when they shut out Duke on the road by an identical 38-0 result.
Coastal Carolina’s offense struggled mightily heading
into the contest, racking up just seven points in the opener at Virginia and 13 in their victory over FCS Charleston Southern. East Carolina ensured those woes would only sustain, limiting the Chanticleers to 67 rushing yards on a 2.6 average and dominating the turnover battle 5-1. The Pirates tallied five sacks and nine tackles for loss in the commanding victory, with Kendrick DuJour leading the charge with a team-high 1.5 sacks. After a thorough defensive domination, East Carolina now rides a streak of nine consecutive quarters of denying opponents from the end zone.
Offensively, the Pirates turned to their dynamic quarterback Katin Houser. Currently sixth in the FBS in passing yards, Houser diced up another defense. It was a season-low 293 yards for the gunslinger, but Houser showcased tremendous efficiency and explosiveness, completing 76 percent of attempts and connecting with Anthony Smith for a slew of significant pickups. Smith proved unguardable Saturday night on the Surf Turf, securing career-highs in receptions (11) and receiving yards (136) in the Pirates’ second-straight win. Another Smith in the receiver room was responsible for scoring duties as Yannick Smith contributed a pair of touchdowns, snagging a fourth down slant for ECU’s first score and corralling a jump ball in the early fourth quarter.
The ECU offense truly didn’t hit its full gear until the final frame. The purple and gold led 10-0 at halftime and 17-0 at the end of the third quarter before manufacturing a touchdown barrage to conclude the contest. Even backup quarterback Mike Wright Jr. (a former starter at Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and Northwestern) joined in the action, pulling on a zone read and sprinting 18 yards for his first touchdown as a Pirate.
What took ECU so long to build the lead? The Pirates moved the ball consistently into Coastal Carolina territory but three potential scoring opportunities were thwarted by other miscues. There was a turnover on downs and blocked field goal on a low snap in the second quarter, as well as Houser’s lone interception in the third. The pick was Houser’s first of the season and ECU has progressed exponentially in that field considering it threw the most interceptions in the FBS in 2024.
On the wrong side of the shutout was Coastal Carolina (1-2, 0-0 Sun Belt) which faced its first 0-point outing since joining the FBS in 2017. The Chanticleers are now 0-2 all-time against East Carolina, although this matchup’s place in the history books paled in comparison to the 2022 Birmingham Bowl meeting which the Pirates won 53-29.
East Carolina (2-1, 0-0 American) has righted the ship after a rough first half in the opener vs. NC State. ECU has won five of six halves this season and now improves to 7-2 under head coach Blake Harrell, who started as the interim last October. The Pirates prepare for a massive home matchup next Saturday, welcoming BYU to a rowdy Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium hoping to generate a signature victory.
