In a thrilling back-and-forth game, East Carolina beat NC State in the Military Bowl 26-21. The Pirates’ up-tempo running game gave the Wolfpack defense problems. NC State fought hard in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough.
The Pirates came into the game with a chip on its shoulder ready to show what is to come in the future. The Wolfpack showed up not as motivated as their opponent. It cost them early in the game going down by two scores. Even with a great fourth-quarter comeback, the Pack could not completely overcome the odds. Now ECU has more momentum heading into 2025 while the Wolfpack has much to figure out.
ECU Riding Wave of Momentum
With this Military Bowl win ECU is riding a wave of momentum into the 2025 season. The Pirates have now won five of their last six games. Head coach Blake Harrell has his team fired up going into the offseason.
Beating an in-state rival is one thing but to do it in the fashion East Carolina did was a statement. The Pirates dominated on the ground with 326 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Rahjai Harris had 220 yards rushing and one touchdown. The Wolfpack defense could not stop him all night. They also could not stop quarterback Katin Houser.
He had 13 carries for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Houser did not do much in the passing game. The run game worked so well though the Pirates did not need it. A dominant run game and good red zone defense helped get ECU the win. A win that also gives the Pirates the momentum going into Raleigh week one of the 2025 season.
Wolfpack Looking for Answers
It was a rough ending to a tough season for the Wolfpack. The offense showed fight but struggled to finish drives. NC State had 428 total yards of offense but had a hard time scoring points until the fourth quarter. CJ Bailey played great for most of the game, keeping his team in it throughout. He completed 19 of his 26 attempted passes for 230 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception that wasn’t his fault.
The interception came on a good pass to Hollywood Smothers whose hands the ball deflected off of into the air. Besides that play though, Smothers had a great game as well. He ran for 139 yards on his 15 carries and caught a touchdown pass.
The NC State defense was gashed all night in the run game. The pass defense was great coming up with two interceptions. Both were made by redshirt freshman corner Tamarcus Cooley who also had nine total tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. Playing so poorly against the run will get you beat though. It was a disappointing ending to an underachieving season for the Wolfpack. Things in the program need to be figured out in order for NC State to take the next steps.
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