Back-To-Back Go Bowling Military Bowl Champs

Saturday, December 27

Annapolis, Md.

11:00 a.m.

East Carolina University

9-4 , 6-2

Pittsburgh

8-5 , 6-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Pittsburgh

East Carolina

December 27, 2025 | Football

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes Postgame Quotes

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – An inspired East Carolina team banking on a next-man-up mentality overcame mountains of adversity before and during the Go Bowling Military Bowl and dealt Pittsburgh a 23-17 defeat on a chilly, breezy Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

A relentless and ferocious defensive effort rattled true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel and a potent Panthers' offense from start to finish, forcing five turnovers and recording seven tackles for loss, including four sacks. Meanwhile, an offense missing four of its top weapons delivered just enough punch to deliver the second-straight win over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent in the Military Bowl.

The Pirates pulled out a dramatic 26-21 win over rival NC State in 2024. Saturday's win gives ECU its first back-to-back bowl wins since 1964-65 and first nine-win season since 2013

"I'm super proud of the guys," said senior defensive lineman Jasiyah Robinson, who helped set the tone Saturday with a hand in two first-half sacks and finished with five tackles. "We had all the adversity, everything against us going into the game, but we pulled through."

The Pirates, sporting throwback uniforms from the magical 1991 season, entered their fifth-ever meeting with Pittsburgh and first since 1992 as a double-digit underdog and without key personnel on the sidelines and on the field. Offensive coordinator John David Baker and defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge each exited Greenville after the regular season for new jobs, and four of the team's top offensive pieces opted out of the game to enter the transfer portal.

An offense averaging 33.5 points, 464.7 yards and 24.3 first downs missed the production of quarterback Katin Houser, wide receiver Yannick Smith, running back London Montgomery and tight end Jayvontay Conner against an aggressive Pitt defense led by Rasheem Biles, who finished with 16 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. The Pirates finished with season lows of 249 total yards and 11 first downs, converted just 2 of 15 third downs and gave up 12 tackles for loss.

But ECU's stifling and ball-hawking defense with head coach Blake Harrell back in the mix time and again provided prime field position and opportunities for freshman quarterback Chaston Ditta, who got his first collegiate start.

Ditta, who had attempted just seven passes this season. completed eight passes in 17 attempts against Pitt but connected on touchdowns of 47 and 72 yards to senior Anthony Smith and did not throw an interception. Smith, who transferred from NC State, capped his ECU career with four catches for a career-best 156 yards. His two scores give him seven for the year and 13 in his two years as a Pirate.

"We just made it about each other; that was the main thing," said Smith, who had nine grabs of at least 40 yards this season. "Just making sure we stayed tight and made it about the seniors."

Marlon Gunn Jr. stepped in as the featured back in place of the departed Montgomery, who had two of ECU's three 100-yard games this season, and finished with 50 yards on 18 carries but was robbed of a 68-yard touchdown run by an inadvertent whistle – a play that triggered a potentially devastating momentum swing about 10 minutes into the third quarter.

Until that point, the two teams engaged in a defensive slugfest. ECU led just 3-0 despite running 26 plays in Pitt territory (compared to just 1 by the Panthers in ECU territory). Three trips resulted in no points, including a 52-yard field goal into the wind that came up short and turning the ball over on downs at the 9. Nick Mazzie broke the scoreless deadlock with 11:42 left in the second quarter with a 42-yard field goal, and that stood until Heintschel lofted a 22-yard pass to Poppy Williams with just four seconds left in the half.

ECU quickly regained the lead in the third quarter. On the first play after Kendrick DuJour sacked Heintschel and wrestled the ball away, Ditta zipped a pass to Smith, who caught the ball in stride and cruised to a 47-yard touchdown.

The Pirates appeared to add another touchdown on their next possession when chaos ensued. Gunn emerged from a crowd on a fourth-and-1 carry from ECU's 32 and raced to the end zone, but the play was ruled dead at the 46 by an inadvertent whistle.

A holding penalty followed, then Biles jarred the ball loose from Ditta, scooped it up and scored for a 14-10 Pitt lead.

That lasted a mere 26 seconds as Ditta hooked up again with Smith, who hauled in a career-long 72-yard touchdown pass to give the Pirates a lead they would not relinquish.

"You've got to play the next play," linebacker Raheem Craig said. "We knew it was a bad call, but we came back and executed the next play."

Mazzie's 33-yard field goal with 14:18 to play boosted ECU's lead to 20-14, and the defense kept up the pressure to stop Pitt's final real threat and preserve it. Sophomore Kevon Merrell jumped a route on the Panthers' next possession, picking off a pass and returning it 70 yards from one 15 to the other. Mazzie's third field goal of the day from 28 yards with 6:41 gave ECU a 23-14 lead.

Pitt put together a 14-play drive for a field goal but drained 5:18 off the clock. The Panthers, denied in their quest for a ninth win for the sixth time, failed to recover an onside kick but did get the ball back with 57 seconds left. They reached midfield but after an offensive pass interference penalty, the game ended with Heintschel being smothered by Robinson and Craig.

"Coach Harrell just kept everything simple," Craig said. "He wanted us to keep it simple, play fast and go out there and have fun and that's what we did."