Senior running back Rahjai Harris (47), who had 220 of the Pirates’ 326 rushing yards, ran for an 86-yard touchdown with 1:33 remaining to give East Carolina (8-5) the lead for good, on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, during the Military Bowl matchup between East Carolina and North Carolina State at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — NC State and East Carolina each traveled more than five hours to play in the cold and rain for a different version of their in-state matchup.
Pirates fans exceeded the Wolfpack turnout, and it carried over to the field as East Carolina came back to win the Go Bowling Military Bowl on Saturday, 26-21, after blowing a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Senior running back Rahjai Harris, who had 220 of the Pirates’ 326 rushing yards, ran for an 86-yard touchdown with 1:33 remaining to give East Carolina (8-5) the lead for good.
East Carolina kicked a 42-yard field goal to end the first half and opened the second half with a 75-yard touchdown drive to extend its lead to 20-7.
NC State (6-7) struggled to get any offense going in the third quarter. But after East Carolina missed a field goal toward the end of the quarter, the Wolfpack responded.
Freshman quarterback CJ Bailey led the offense down the field for his second passing touchdown of the game. On fourth down and 2 with pressure in his face, Bailey found junior tight end Justin Joly for a 15-yard score.
A giant American flag is displayed on the field Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, before the start of the Military Bowl matchup between East Carolina and North Carolina State at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
East Carolina was forced to punt after a three and out. NC State responded with a 60-yard touchdown drive to take its first lead of the game, 21-20, in the fourth.
“We were in the middle of a TV timeout. I said, ‘You’re the best fourth quarter team in college football. Let’s go win,’” NC State coach Dave Doeren said.
The Wolfpack, who intercepted the Pirates twice, still led with 1:51 remaining.
East Carolina started the possession with two incomplete passes before Harris broke his big run to put the Pirates up 26-21. They failed on a 2-point conversion attempt.
“It’s a move I do every year,” Harris said. “Big shout out to the big boys up front. They opened that thing up for me. On third down they didn’t flinch. They just had that one percent mentality, one play at a time. And we finished rounds tonight.”
North Carolina State head coach Dave Doeren walks to the sideline Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, during the Military Bowl matchup between East Carolina and North Carolina State at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
Doeren credited East Carolina with a good play call.
“They’re down one, third and 10, you’re thinking they’re going to throw the football. And then he was in a pass blitz, and they split it, and we didn’t get it done,” he added.
East Carolina sealed the game with a late interception. However, a fight broke out toward the end of the game. Eight players from both teams were ejected before the game could finish.
“Congrats to ECU on the win, they earned it,” Doeren said. “I’d also like to apologize for our football team, for how that ended. I’m embarrassed as a coach and I know our players are, too. It’s not how people of this program … want anything to do with something like that.”
The two schools came into the game with different mindsets. NC State wasn’t calling it a rivalry, East Carolina did. As the game clock got closer and closer to zero, the Pirates’ band started singing “back to Raleigh.” East Carolina fans were itching to storm the field after retaking the lead. The stadium security could not stop the fans from running down to celebrate.
“I don’t think you can look at our fans and tell them it’s not a rivalry. It’s an hour and 15 minutes up the road,” East Carolina head coach Blake Harrell said. “Maybe they should put us on their schedule as well. If we’re gonna be looked at like stepbrothers … that’s fine. But these guys are gonna compete. They’re going to take up the challenge.”
Harrell ended by saying they will enjoy Saturday’s victory.
NC State won its season finale against rival North Carolina to become bowl eligible. The Wolfpack received the opening kickoff ball but turned it over on downs at the East Carolina 25-yard line.
East Carolina, which won four of its last five regular season games, marched 75 yards down the field for the game’s opening touchdown to take the lead, 7-0.
The respective offensive drives from each afterward resulted in the opposite result. NC State’s drive lasted just over six minutes with a missed field goal. East Carolina’s drive lasted nearly six and half minutes ending with a field goal to extend the lead to 10-0.
East Carolina players begin to celebrate their win Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, before the end of the Military Bowl matchup between East Carolina and North Carolina State at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
Bailey responded with 50 total yards on a 78-yard drive to cut the deficit to 10-7 with under two minutes before the half.
“In the first half, we had drives that ended without points several times. Moved the ball well throughout the first half and did nothing to stop them,” Doeren said.
Bailey said the bowl trip was fun but it would have been a “way better experience” if they had finished the game.
Harris had 17 carries for the Pirates and the touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Katin Houser added 84 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Though each school’s season is over, the Wolfpack and Pirates will face each other to start the 2025 college football season. East Carolina will travel to Raleigh on Aug. 30, 2025.
“We got time to think about that,” Doeren said. “Tonight’s more about these guys and things we got to do. We come back in January, we’ll start forward and you’re not going to be talking about the first game for a while. We got a lot of things to work on. Playing them is not one of them.”
