ECU Drops Season FInale, 29-27

Saturday, November 25

Greenville, N.C.

2:00 P.M.

East Carolina University

2-10 , 1-7

Tulsa

4-8 , 2-6

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Tulsa

East Carolina

November 25, 2023 | Football

Box Score Game Book ECU Quotes ECU Notes

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina stood less than three minutes away from a Senior Day victory celebration Saturday, but an unfortunate turn of events resulted in a 29-27 season-ending loss to Tulsa.

After a defensive stand, the Pirates owned a 27-26 lead and the ball at the Golden Hurricane 24 with just 2:31 to play. Disaster then struck on first down when running back Rahjai Harris mishandled a direct snap, and Tulsa's Ben Kopenski recovered at the 33.

Tulsa, looking to end a six-game losing streak, then drove in position for Chase Meyer to knock through a 37-yard kick with 1 second left, spoiling the day for 14 ECU seniors on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Meyer's first miss of a point-after kick this year in the first quarter loomed as a large point throughout the day, and he also had a field goal attempt blocked before converting three second-half field goals.

"Tonight should not have ended the way it did," fifth-year ECU head coach Mike Houston said. "We should be celebrating and singing the fight song right now. I hate it for all of our players. It's not just the way it should have happened."

Quarterback Alex Flinn, who threw a pair of touchdowns as well as two interceptions, said the Pirates (2-10, 1-7 AAC) simply did not execute.

"We've had that planned all year," said Flinn, who completed 12 of 18 passes for 184 yards and rushed for 51 yards on 11 carries. "We've repped it in practice. It was a direct snap, and the snap was just a little bit to the right. We've just got to execute better in that moment."

The call wound up being the final one for offensive coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick, who will not return next season. Houston did not elaborate on the play choice but said it ultimately is his responsibility.

"I was looking at the kill the clock sheet and turned around; it just looked like we dropped the snap," Houston said. "Not ideally what you want in that situation.

"I'd like to see us put the game away," Houston said. "That's why I said we shouldn't be in this situation right here. It's on me. I'm the head football coach here. I'm responsible for everything that goes on, on the field."

Before the bitter end, the Pirates put together many of the ingredients to produce a win. They rushed for a season-best 225 yards en route to a season-best 409 total yards and had their highest-scoring half of the year, striking on four of five first-half possessions for a 24-20 lead.

ECU produced both its longest scoring plays by ground and by air for the year, getting a 50-yard run from Harris in the first quarter and a 31-yard reception by senior Jsi Hatfield in the second. Harris, who carried just once for minus-1 yard last week at Navy, ground out a season-high 145 yards on 21 carries. Transfer Chase Sowell led the receiving corps with five catches for 108 yards.

"We haven't had that feeling pretty much all year, so to have that momentum going into the half, it definitely felt great," Sowell said.

Houston credited establishing the running game early. The Pirates had 143 yards on the ground and 268 yards overall by halftime.

"I think the ability to run the football set everything up," Houston said. "That opened up the passing game and allowed us to extend drives. It's more of what we've been accustomed to the last couple of years with the ability to drive the football."

Tulsa (4-8, 2-6 AAC) countered behind true freshman quarterback Kirk Francis, the fourth starter for the Golden Hurricane this year, and bullish senior running back Anthony Watkins. Francis completed 23 of 37 passes for 297 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Watkins rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries -- the third 100-yard game this season and fifth of his career.

Although it finished with 446 total yards, Tulsa hurt itself with three personal foul penalties, two penalties on fourth-and-1 situations that forced it to punt, one interception, a missed PAT and a blocked punt.

After their fast start, the Pirates managed just an Andrew Conrad field goal in the second half and turned the ball over on three of six possessions.

The two teams traded blows in an entertaining and somewhat unexpected offensive show in the first half.

Tulsa needed just four plays to score on its opening possession with Francis floating a 31-yard pass to big-play senior receiver Kamdyn Benjamin, who finished with six catches for 143 yards.

ECU answered with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Flinn to Jayden Johnson and a 50-yard sprint by Harris for a 14-6 lead. Tulsa forged ahead 20-14 with a 15-yard pass from Francis to Luke McGary and a 1-yard run by Bill Jackson.

Hatfield's touchdown grab and a 29-yard field goal by Conrad put ECU up 24-20 at the half. Meyer kicked a 28-yard field goal to trim the lead to 24-23 then put Tulsa up 26-24 with a 26-yard field goal with 3:15 left in the third quarter. That boot came after a review reversed an apparent interception by Isaiah Brown-Murray in the end zone.

"It looked good from what I saw," Houston said of Brown-Murray's diving pick. "They said he did not have complete control of the ball through the ground. We'll have to look at the film and see, but obviously that's three points."

ECU still had its chance to walk away with a victory. Conrad put the Pirates in front 27-26 with 12:12 to play with a 26-yard field goal.

The Golden Hurricane could not muster a threat on the next three possessions and turned the ball over on downs with 2:31 to go when a fourth-down Francis pass fell incomplete.

"It's really tough, but I know this is a team game," said junior Shavon Revel, who collected his first career interception and blocked a field goal. "I was doing it for the seniors. For us to get that loss in a close game hurt me. Even though I'm not a senior it hurt me because I know how they felt."