East Carolina To Play Coastal Carolina In Birmingham Bowl
December 04, 2022 | Football
GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina University will represent the American Athletic Conference in the 2022 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl league officials announced Sunday afternoon. The Pirates, who are bowl eligible for the second consecutive year under head coach Mike Houston, will play the Coastal Carolina University from the Sun Belt Conference on Tuesday, December 27 at Protective Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN.
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"We are honored to accept an invitation to the Birmingham Bowl and play in the postseason for the second consecutive year under head coach Mike Houston," East Carolina Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert said. "I am excited for our student-athletes, coaches and staff to represent East Carolina University, our community and all of eastern North Carolina. In conjunction with Mark Meadows and the Birmingham Bowl, I know our young men will have a first-class bowl experience. We have a dedicated group including a special group of seniors that have worked to rebuild our football program. We are looking forward to Pirate Nation joining us in Birmingham."Â
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For the first time since the 2013-14 campaigns, the Pirates enjoyed consecutive winning seasons posting identical 7-5 marks. East Carolina features a high-powered offense led by quarterback Holton Ahlers, who has passed for a career-best 3,408 yards and 23 touchdowns, while first team All-AAC running back Keaton Mitchell has rushed for personal-best 1,325 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. Defensively, the Pirates have surrendered just 27.0 points per game (third fewest since 2015) and has held opponents to 111.4 ground yards per game in 2022, which ranks 18th nationally.
"This is an exciting opportunity for the young men in our program who have shown an exemplary commitment and dedication to moving our football program forward in a positive direction," Houston said. "Playing in back-to-back bowl games is another step in our journey to restoring the prominence of Pirate Football. I know our young men will be prepared, focused and enthusiastic to represent the Purple and Gold in Birmingham."
This will be the Pirates' second bowl appearance under Houston following the 2021 Military Bowl, which was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Boston College program. ECU is also set to play its third bowl game in the Birmingham area after participating in the Inaugural Papajohns.com Bowl in December of 2006 (vs. South Florida) and the Birmingham Bowl in January of 2015 (vs. Florida).
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Tickets for the Birmingham Bowl will go on sale Monday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. ET and can be purchased by clicking here.
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"We are honored to accept an invitation to the Birmingham Bowl and play in the postseason for the second consecutive year under head coach Mike Houston," East Carolina Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert said. "I am excited for our student-athletes, coaches and staff to represent East Carolina University, our community and all of eastern North Carolina. In conjunction with Mark Meadows and the Birmingham Bowl, I know our young men will have a first-class bowl experience. We have a dedicated group including a special group of seniors that have worked to rebuild our football program. We are looking forward to Pirate Nation joining us in Birmingham."Â
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For the first time since the 2013-14 campaigns, the Pirates enjoyed consecutive winning seasons posting identical 7-5 marks. East Carolina features a high-powered offense led by quarterback Holton Ahlers, who has passed for a career-best 3,408 yards and 23 touchdowns, while first team All-AAC running back Keaton Mitchell has rushed for personal-best 1,325 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. Defensively, the Pirates have surrendered just 27.0 points per game (third fewest since 2015) and has held opponents to 111.4 ground yards per game in 2022, which ranks 18th nationally.
"This is an exciting opportunity for the young men in our program who have shown an exemplary commitment and dedication to moving our football program forward in a positive direction," Houston said. "Playing in back-to-back bowl games is another step in our journey to restoring the prominence of Pirate Football. I know our young men will be prepared, focused and enthusiastic to represent the Purple and Gold in Birmingham."
This will be the Pirates' second bowl appearance under Houston following the 2021 Military Bowl, which was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Boston College program. ECU is also set to play its third bowl game in the Birmingham area after participating in the Inaugural Papajohns.com Bowl in December of 2006 (vs. South Florida) and the Birmingham Bowl in January of 2015 (vs. Florida).
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Tickets for the Birmingham Bowl will go on sale Monday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. ET and can be purchased by clicking here.
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Players Mentioned
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