East Carolina University
2-3 , 1-1
Houston
2-2 , 1-1
Pirates Edge Cougars, 37-35
September 30, 2007 | Football
Sept. 29, 2007
HOUSTON (AP) -Chris Johnson rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns to lead East Carolina to a 37-35 win over Houston on Saturday night.
East Carolina (2-3, 1-1 Conference USA) led 34-21 in the third quarter and held on late as Houston (2-2, 1-1) missed two field goals in the game's final two minutes.
Houston's Donnie Avery returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to cut East Carolina's lead to 37-35 on the final play of the third quarter.
Avery also caught nine passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns.
But Houston's comeback fell just short as T.J. Lawrence missed a 37-yard field goal with 1:55 left. His 38-yard attempt with three seconds remaining went wide right.
East Carolina trailed 21-20 at halftime, but took the lead for the good on its first possession of the third quarter.
Rob Kass threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Lee to put East Carolina ahead 27-21 with 13:24 left in the third.
Johnson scored his second touchdown of the game on a 43-yard run that gave the Pirates a 34-21 cushion.
Houston cut into the lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by Anthony Alridge with 4:26 left in the third.
Alridge rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
Houston's Case Keenum threw two interceptions in the first half that set up East Carolina's first two touchdowns.
Keenum, who threw a 64-yard TD to Avery in the first quarter, was replaced by Blake Joseph in the second quarter.
Keenum's second interception set up Patrick Pinkney's 20-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Harris that gave the Pirates a 13-7 lead early in the second quarter.
Joseph, who was 24-of-29 for 250 yards, threw a 36-yard TD pass to Avery to put Houston ahead 14-13.
East Carolina took a 20-14 when C.J. Wilson blocked a 49-yard field attempt, and Zack Slate returned it to the Houston 11.
Two plays later, Brandon Simmons scored on a 1-yard run.
Joseph threw a 5-yard TD pass to Alridge to give the Cougars a 21-20 halftime lead.
Team Stats
ECU 0, HOU 7
HOU - AVERY, Donnie 64 yd pass from KEENUM, Case (LAWRENCE, T.J. kick) 1 plays, 64 yards, TOP 0:11
ECU 7, HOU 7
ECU - JOHNSON, Chris 14 yd run (HARTMAN, Ben kick), 1 plays, 14 yards, TOP 0:07
ECU 13, HOU 7
ECU - HARRIS, Dwayne 20 yd pass from PINKNEY, Pat (HARTMAN, Ben passfailed) 3 plays, 21 yards, TOP 0:26
ECU 13, HOU 14
HOU - AVERY, Donnie 36 yd pass from JOSEPH, Blake (LAWRENCE, T.J. kick) 4 plays, 38 yards, TOP 2:06
ECU 20, HOU 14
ECU - SIMMONS, Brndn 1 yd run (HARTMAN, Ben kick), 2 plays, 11 yards, TOP 0:09
ECU 20, HOU 21
HOU - ALRIDGE, A. 5 yd pass from JOSEPH, Blake (LAWRENCE, T.J. kick) 11 plays, 77 yards, TOP 2:06
ECU 27, HOU 21
ECU - LEE, T.J. 34 yd pass from KASS, Rob (HARTMAN, Ben kick) 5 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:36
ECU 34, HOU 21
ECU - JOHNSON, Chris 43 yd run (HARTMAN, Ben kick), 2 plays, 49 yards, TOP 0:41
ECU 34, HOU 28
HOU - ALRIDGE, A. 4 yd run (LAWRENCE, T.J. kick), 10 plays, 76 yards, TOP 3:49
ECU 37, HOU 28
ECU - HARTMAN, Ben 33 yd field goal 10 plays, 63 yards, TOP 4:16
ECU 37, HOU 35
HOU - AVERY, Donnie 100 yd kickoff return (LAWRENCE, T.J. kick)
