Two North Carolina rival programs will meet in the 2024 edition of the Military Bowl. North Carolina State and East Carolina will meet for the 23rd overall time in Annapolis, Maryland for the bowl game. This will actually be the first of two straight meetings between these teams. The Wolfpack and Pirates will also meet to open the 2025 season.
Both programs had turbulent 2024 seasons. Still, each was able to fight hard enough to earn bowl eligibility. Now the roads have led to an early revival of a 54-year-old North Carolina rivalry.
In-State Rivals Meet in the Military Bowl
Bringing Back the Rivalry
For the first time since 2022, NC State and ECU will face off. A rivalry dating back to the 1970s between two schools an hour and a half apart will be renewed. The Wolfpack lead the series 19-13. They also currently hold a three-game winning streak over the Pirates.
The last meeting between East Carolina and NC State ended in a one-point victory for the pack 21-20. The last time the two programs met in a bowl game was in the 1992 Peach Bowl. The Pirates won that game 37-34. The last meeting at a neutral site between the teams was in 1996 in Charlotte. East Carolina won that matchup as well 50-29. Now these two North Carolina programs will forge a new chapter in their rivalry in the 2024 Military Bowl.
North Carolina State in 2024
NC State makes it into the Military Bowl after becoming bowl-eligible in the last week of the regular season. The Wolfpack earned its eligibility by defeating another in-state rival UNC. That win brought the Pack’s record to 6-6 overall. This was a disappointing finish to a season that started with high expectations for Dave Doeren’s team. Many people had NC State as a team that will contend for a spot in the ACC Championship game in the preseason. Things did not turn out that way for the Wolfpack though.
NC State went through some tough downs but has also shown promising upside. The biggest example of this is at the quarterback position. Grayson McCall transferred to Raleigh from Coastal Carolina where he had a great career. The 10,000-yard passer came in with lots of hype surrounding him. Injuries quickly sidelined McCall though and forced him to retire from football.
This gave true freshman quarterback CJ Bailey the chance to step in early and show what he can do. He has had some great moments and has also made some freshman mistakes. Bailey threw 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in the regular season. He has already shown some growth from his first start against Clemson to the Pack’s last game against North Carolina.
For NC State this game is about bringing the excitement back into the program. Much of the talent on offense will be back and playing in the bowl game. The biggest impact player the Pack will be missing is leading wide receiver KC Concepcion who entered the transfer portal. Putting on a great performance against the Pirates will help keep the momentum building.
East Carolina in 2024
NC State is not the only team that has gone through major mid-season changes. After starting 3-4 this season, East Carolina fired former head coach Mike Houston on October 20th. Pirates defensive coordinator Blake Harrell was assigned the interim head coach role the same day. After finishing the regular season 4-1, bringing ECU’s overall record to 7-5, Harrell earned the official title.
The Pirates have an explosive offense that can put up yards and score in an instant. They are also prone to giving up turnovers though. The ECU defense gives up its fair share of explosives as well. That will not help East Carolina much against an NC State team that has won games by way of explosive plays.
Matchup One of Two
As previously mentioned, this matchup will be the first of two straight between these programs. The Wolfpack and Pirates are scheduled to play each other in week one of the 2025 season in Raleigh. Before that though they will meet in Annapolis in what should be a great bowl matchup.
Both teams can make explosive plays on both offense and defense. The gambles taken by both coaches and players on either side can pay off well and cost their teams equally though. The Wolfpack and the Pirates average over 28 points a game but also have over 20 turnovers.
East Carolina likes to use tempo and try to catch defenses off guard with its fast pace. NC State tries to be more methodical with its drives taking what the defense gives them. Doeren offensively wants to be solid in the run game in order to open up the passing game. Either defense will give up big plays in both the run and pass game too.
This game will be determined by The Wolfpack’s ability to run the ball and stop the run. The outcome will also be influenced by the Pirate’s ability to limit turnovers and prevent giving up too many explosive plays.
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