GREENVILLE – Andrew Conrad had not attempted a field goal in a game since 2024. On Friday night, East Carolina called on the veteran kicker from 55 yards out with two seconds remaining and a chance to beat South Florida.

He delivered twice.

Conrad connected on a career-long field goal as time expired, lifting East Carolina to a 20-17 victory over South Florida and sending fans pouring onto the field at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

The dramatic finish capped a night in which the Pirates lost three offensive starters to injuries, turned to their backup quarterback and erased an early deficit against a South Florida team that entered with six victories.

East Carolina improved to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in American Conference play, moving within one victory of bowl eligibility. South Florida fell to 6-3 and 2-3 in the conference.

The winning kick came with an unusual twist. South Florida coach Brian Hartline called timeout just before Conrad's first attempt, but the kicker followed through and sent the ball between the uprights. After the timeout, Conrad lined up again and delivered the same result.

"I knew when I hit it, it had a very solid chance of going in," Conrad said.

Conrad, a Kernersville native in his fifth season with the Pirates, had previously made a 52-yard field goal. His last game-winning kick came from 33 yards against BYU in October 2022.

The opportunity Friday came after East Carolina took possession at its own 14-yard line with 1:42 remaining and the score tied at 17.

Backup quarterback Emory Williams directed a 10-play, 49-yard drive, converting a third down with a completion to Jason Dickerson before finding Ray Ray Joseph Jr. for 14 yards. A pass interference penalty and an 18-yard reception by Ashton Gray helped move the Pirates into field-goal range.

East Carolina coach Blake Harrell said the decision to use Conrad rather than Noah Perez came down to distance. Perez had already connected from 44 yards earlier in the game, but Conrad was the choice for the longer attempt.

The winning drive completed a comeback that required significant adjustments after East Carolina's offense was hit hard by injuries.

Offensive lineman Karson Jones left in the first quarter, followed by starting quarterback Mitch Griffis after a hard hit late in the period. Leading rusher TJ Engleman Jr. suffered a lower-leg injury early in the second quarter.

Williams entered in relief and completed 19 of 27 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Both scoring passes went to Landon Sides, who finished with 14 receptions for 126 yards.

The Pirates trailed 10-3 late in the first half after South Florida quarterback Luke Kromenhoek connected with Brysin Rodgers for a 26-yard touchdown in the opening quarter and Nico Gramatica added a 30-yard field goal.

Williams changed the momentum with a four-play, 65-yard drive in just 40 seconds, finding Sides for a 15-yard touchdown with 31 seconds remaining before halftime.

The connection struck again midway through the third quarter when Williams hit Sides for an 8-yard touchdown, giving East Carolina its first lead at 17-10.

South Florida answered in the fourth quarter. Jason Collins Jr. scored on a 1-yard run with 9:42 remaining, tying the game at 17 and setting up the final sequence.

The Bulls had opportunities throughout the night but struggled to sustain drives against East Carolina's defense. South Florida converted just one of 10 third-down attempts and finished with 329 yards of offense.

Kromenhoek completed 17 of 21 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown, while D.J. Crowther rushed for 111 yards on 17 carries. South Florida also failed on its only fourth-down attempt, with Torin Brazell stopping Kromenhoek on a fourth-and-3 play at the East Carolina 29 in the third quarter.

The Pirates recorded three sacks and 10 tackles for loss, while Gray provided offensive balance with 101 rushing yards on 18 carries.

"You have a guy go down, the next guy steps in and makes big plays," Harrell said. "There never was a doubt on our sideline."

The victory marked East Carolina's fourth consecutive win over South Florida and continued the Pirates' success in close, low-scoring games under Harrell.

For Conrad, the finish carried additional meaning after spending the season without a field-goal attempt. His first kick of the night turned out to be the final play of the game.

East Carolina now turns its attention to an in-state conference matchup at Charlotte, where the Pirates will have an opportunity to secure their sixth victory and become bowl eligible.

BIRMINGHAM, AL – East Carolina spent most of Thursday night looking like a team headed for its fourth consecutive victory. Instead, the Pirates watched an eight-point lead disappear in the final 35 seconds of regulation before UAB completed a stunning comeback with a 30-17 overtime victory at Protective Stadium.

The Pirates (3-3, 1-1 American) led 17-9 with less than two minutes remaining and had pinned the Blazers at their own 7-yard line. But UAB quarterback Ryder Burton engineered a 93-yard touchdown drive in just 62 seconds, then ran for the tying two-point conversion to force overtime.

UAB (4-3, 2-1) took its first lead of the night on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Burton to Roderick Robinson II in overtime. East Carolina's opportunity to answer ended when Delvon Gulley intercepted Emory Williams and returned the ball 80 yards for a touchdown, completing a 21-point unanswered scoring run.

The dramatic finish spoiled an otherwise strong defensive performance by East Carolina, which held UAB without a touchdown for more than 59 minutes and limited the Blazers to 99 rushing yards.

"We hadn't let them in the end zone all day," ECU head coach Blake Harrell said afterward. "You've got to make them go 90 yards with just a little over a minute to go. The defense needs to go win the game there and we just couldn't get the plays made that we need to make."

East Carolina appeared firmly in control early, scoring touchdowns on two of its first three possessions while its defense overwhelmed the UAB offense.

Williams directed a 13-play, 75-yard opening drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ray Ray Joseph Jr. The Pirates converted four third downs during the possession and consumed nearly five minutes before taking a 7-0 lead.

ECU extended its advantage early in the second quarter on an unusual scoring play. Williams completed a pass to Ismael Smith Flores, who fumbled near the goal line after being hit by UAB defender Jo Pierce. Freshman Dawson Quarterman recovered the loose ball in the end zone for his first career touchdown, giving the Pirates a 14-0 advantage.

The Pirates' defense controlled much of the first half, holding UAB without a first down throughout the opening quarter for the second consecutive game. The Blazers managed just 91 yards before halftime, while ECU recorded eight tackles for loss and three sacks.

UAB finally broke through with a 41-yard field goal from Jonah Delange midway through the second quarter, trimming East Carolina's halftime lead to 14-3.

The momentum gradually shifted after intermission.

Delange connected from 26 and 50 yards in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 14-9 as East Carolina's offense struggled to sustain the early success that had produced its two touchdowns.

The Pirates answered with a 13-play, 50-yard possession that ended with Noah Perez's career-long 43-yard field goal with 9:24 remaining. The kick pushed ECU's lead to 17-9, forcing UAB to score a touchdown and two-point conversion just to tie.

East Carolina's defense then forced a turnover on downs with 5:34 remaining. The Pirates used nearly four minutes on their ensuing possession before a 33-yard pooch punt by Perez left UAB facing a long field with only 1:37 on the clock.

The Blazers were backed up even farther by a penalty, but Burton found his rhythm against a defense that had frustrated him throughout the night.

He eventually connected with Braylon McReynolds on a 17-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining. Burton followed with a successful quarterback keeper on the two-point conversion, erasing East Carolina's lead and sending the game into overtime.

Burton finished 19-of-37 passing for a career-high 262 yards and two touchdowns. CJ Smith was his primary target, catching eight passes for 119 yards.

East Carolina's offense, meanwhile, never regained its first-quarter efficiency.

Williams completed 18 of 27 passes for 126 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The Pirates finished with 317 total yards, including 191 on the ground, but scored only three points after taking their 14-0 lead.

Running back TJ Engleman Jr. provided much of the offensive production, rushing for 104 yards on a career-high 26 carries. It marked his third consecutive 100-yard performance, making him the first ECU player to accomplish that feat since Keaton Mitchell in 2022.

"It's a tough one to take," Engleman said. "I feel like we had so many opportunities to score. We've just got to clean stuff up man, bring the guys together. We've just got to go score at the end of the day."

The Pirates finished with 10 tackles for loss, marking their fourth consecutive game reaching double figures in that category. Ashton Levells-Mitchell led ECU with six tackles, while Preston Carr, J.D. Lampley and Josh Benton each recorded a sack.

UAB's defense also made several important contributions. Pierce finished with a game-high 16 tackles, while Muaaz Byard added 15. The Blazers forced three ECU fumbles, recovering one, before Gulley's interception ended the game.

For East Carolina, the loss represented a missed opportunity to build momentum in American Conference play. The Pirates held the lead for virtually the entire night, controlled possession for more than 34 minutes and outgained UAB on the ground by 92 yards.

But those advantages were not enough to overcome an offense that stalled after its fast start and a defense that could not deliver one final stop.

UAB, which trailed by 14 points early and never led during regulation, emerged with a victory that ended a seven-game losing streak against the Pirates.

HAMPTON, VA – For one half, Campbell's first game as a nationally ranked football program wasn't going according to plan.

Then came the third quarter.

No. 22 Campbell turned a 13-13 halftime tie into a 44-13 runaway with a stunning 31-point third quarter Saturday night, overwhelming Hampton 44-20 at Darling Stadium and making the Camels' first game with a number beside their name a memorable one.

Campbell improved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in CAA play in the 200th game in program history.

But before the celebration came a first half filled with opportunities for Hampton.

Campbell fumbled away the opening kickoff, giving the Pirates possession at the Camels' 35. Hampton converted the mistake into a 37-yard Brett Starling field goal and an early 3-0 lead.

The Camels answered quickly. Kamden Sixkiller found Connor Adair for a 28-yard touchdown to put Campbell ahead 6-3, but another Campbell fumble late in the opening quarter set Hampton up at the CU 20. Gracen Goldsmith scored four plays later to put the Pirates back in front.

Campbell responded again when Sixkiller connected with Chinua Ezeigbo for a 34-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter.

Hampton then threatened to take control just before halftime, driving 78 yards to the Campbell 1. But the Camels' defense kept the Pirates out of the end zone, forcing them to settle for a 19-yard field goal and a 13-13 tie.

It proved to be Hampton's last chance to keep pace.

Campbell's first five possessions of the second half produced points.

The first was an 82-yard march capped by De'Von Thomas' two-yard touchdown run. After the defense forced a Hampton punt, Campbell went 45 yards for another score, this time with Sixkiller finding Thomas from 29 yards out.

Kaleb Robison's 24-yard field goal made it 30-13.

Then the Campbell defense joined the avalanche.

AJ Benton recovered a Hampton fumble, giving the Camels possession at the Pirates' 22. Three plays later, Sixkiller connected with freshman Christian Campbell for a six-yard touchdown.

Six seconds of game time later, Gavin Harris intercepted Tre'Von Taylor.

It took Campbell exactly one offensive play to capitalize.

Sixkiller hit Ezeigbo for a 64-yard touchdown, and a game tied at halftime had suddenly become a 44-13 rout. Campbell's five third-quarter scoring drives covered 82, 45, 34, 22 and 64 yards.

Sixkiller was at the center of nearly everything.

The Campbell quarterback completed 24 of 31 passes for 308 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. He also led the Camels with 73 rushing yards on only five carries. It marked his fourth 300-yard passing performance through Campbell's first five games.

Ezeigbo made the most of his opportunities, catching only two passes but turning them into 98 yards and two touchdowns. Twelve different Campbell players caught a pass as the Camels finished with 534 yards of offense – 337 through the air and 197 on the ground.

The defense did its part as well, holding Hampton to 62 rushing yards while recording nine tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions. Campbell forced three turnovers after halftime after committing two of its own before the break.

Hampton added a fourth-quarter touchdown, but by then the result had long since been decided.

Campbell's first half looked nothing like the debut a newly ranked program might have envisioned.

Its third quarter looked exactly like one.

GREENVILLE – Maybe the warning came before the football was even kicked.

During pregame ceremonies for East Carolina’s home opener Saturday afternoon, the ECU faithful gasped as the head of PeeDee the Pirate fell off.

For the Pirates, things did not get much easier from there.

Appalachian State erased an early deficit, built a 14-point second-half advantage and survived a furious late ECU comeback to leave a sunny Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium with a 27-24 victory.

ECU scored with just 21 seconds remaining to pull within three, but the Pirates could not recover the ensuing onside kick, allowing the Mountaineers to escape Greenville with the win.

The loss came despite ECU outgaining App State 417-384 and finishing with a 22-21 advantage in first downs. The Pirates rushed for 187 yards and passed for 230, but App State controlled the ball for nearly 36 minutes and turned three trips inside the ECU red zone into three touchdowns. 

ECU initially appeared ready to give the home crowd plenty to celebrate.

The Pirates opened the game with a 12-play, 60-yard drive before a missed 33-yard field goal, but their defense quickly gave the offense another opportunity. After forcing an App State punt, ECU marched 83 yards in eight plays, with Michael Allen scoring on a 2-yard run to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead with 4:11 remaining in the opening quarter.

App State responded with James London’s 41-yard field goal in the final minute of the quarter, and from there the afternoon began turning toward the visitors.

The Mountaineers took their first lead just 43 seconds into the second quarter. Quarterback Malachi Singleton finished an 83-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, putting App State ahead 10-7. 

App State struck again midway through the quarter when Jamarian Lewis scored on a 10-yard run. ECU managed only a 33-yard Noah Perez field goal before halftime, leaving the Mountaineers with a 17-10 advantage.

The Mountaineers immediately added to it after the break.

App State took the second-half kickoff and drove 80 yards in seven plays, with Treyaun Webb scoring from 13 yards out. The touchdown pushed the lead to 24-10 with 12:12 remaining in the third quarter.

ECU finally found the explosive play it needed less than two minutes later.

Quarterback Mitch Griffis connected with Jacobe Dickerson for a 61-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 24-17. But App State answered once again, getting a 37-yard London field goal with 3:57 remaining in the third to restore a two-score advantage at 27-17. 

From there, the game became a test of whether ECU could generate enough offense quickly enough.

The Pirates had opportunities. App State failed to score in the fourth quarter, but ECU’s first two possessions of the period ended in punts. A promising 11-play drive then reached the App State 23 before Griffis was intercepted with 2:16 remaining.

It appeared to be the final blow.

Instead, ECU got one more opportunity.

The Pirates forced another App State punt and took possession at their own 40 with 1:56 remaining. Griffis directed a nine-play, 60-yard drive and found Jonathan Hamilton for a 7-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left.

Perez’s extra point made it 27-24.

ECU’s comeback, however, needed one more possession.

It never came.

App State let the ensuing onside kick go out of bounds and ran out the final seconds, turning away the Pirates’ last attempt to steal back a game that had slipped away during the middle two quarters.

Singleton finished 19 of 27 passing for 255 yards for App State while also scoring on the ground. Lewis led the Mountaineers with 73 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. App State finished with 129 rushing yards and 255 through the air. 

Griffis completed 21 of 37 passes for 230 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for ECU. He also rushed for 52 yards, while Ashton Gray led the Pirates’ ground game with 99 yards on 16 carries. Ja’Melvin was ECU’s leading receiver with seven catches for 94 yards, while Dickerson’s lone reception produced the 61-yard third-quarter touchdown.

ECU’s defense kept the Pirates alive, holding App State scoreless throughout the fourth quarter. But the Mountaineers had already done enough damage, particularly during a stretch in which they turned a 7-3 deficit into a 24-10 advantage.

The Pirates were also unable to consistently extend drives, converting only two of 12 third downs. App State converted five of 14 and held the ball for 35:50 compared with ECU’s 23:54. The Mountaineers also produced seven points off turnovers, while ECU produced none. 

The atmosphere still had one quintessentially Greenville moment left. As the fourth quarter began, Greenville native Petey Pablo raised ECU’s “No Quarter” flag, bringing the home crowd back to life for one final push.

The Pirates nearly gave them the comeback to go with it.

Instead, App State walked away with a three-point victory on an afternoon when PeeDee’s head hitting the ground before kickoff turned out to be an unfortunately appropriate bit of foreshadowing.

ANNAPOLIS, MD – East Carolina secured a 23-17 victory over Pittsburgh in the Military Bowl at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon, claiming its ninth win of the season and second consecutive bowl victory.

True freshman Chaston Ditta, making his first career start at quarterback, completed 8 of 17 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Both scoring strikes went to wide receiver Anthony Smith, who was named the game's MVP after catching four passes for 156 yards. Smith's touchdown receptions of 47 and 72 yards proved to be the difference in a game that featured five Pittsburgh turnovers.

The Pirates improved to 9-0 when scoring first this season after Nick Mazzie connected on a 42-yard field goal with 11:42 remaining in the second quarter to give East Carolina a 3-0 lead. Pittsburgh responded with a 10-play, 77-yard drive capped by a 22-yard touchdown pass from Mason Heintschel to Raphael Williams Jr. with four seconds left in the first half, sending the Panthers into the break with a 7-3 advantage.

The third quarter belonged to East Carolina. After Pittsburgh had driven to the East Carolina 44 on the opening possession of the second half, Heintschel was sacked and fumbled. Kendrick DuJour recovered at the Pittsburgh 47, and on the very next play, Ditta found Smith for a 47-yard touchdown pass. The extra point gave the Pirates a 10-7 lead just seven seconds into the drive.

Pittsburgh answered quickly when Rasheem Biles returned a fumble 23 yards for a touchdown at the 4:33 mark of the third quarter, putting the Panthers back in front 14-10. The lead lasted only 35 seconds. Ditta connected with Smith again, this time for a 72-yard touchdown on a two-play, 75-yard drive that gave East Carolina a 17-14 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

The Pirates extended their lead to 20-14 on Mazzie's 33-yard field goal with 14:18 remaining in the game, capping a seven-play, 19-yard drive that started after another Pittsburgh turnover. Mazzie added a 28-yard field goal with 6:41 left to push the margin to nine points at 23-14.

Pittsburgh mounted a furious rally in the final minutes. Heintschel, who finished 25 of 40 for 256 yards with one touchdown and one interception, led a 14-play, 72-yard drive that resulted in a 21-yard field goal by Trey Butkowski with 1:23 remaining. The Panthers' onside kick attempt traveled only seven yards and was recovered by East Carolina at the Pittsburgh 42.

The Pirates ran three plays and punted with 57 seconds left, giving Pittsburgh one final chance from its own 20-yard line. Heintschel completed passes to Justin Holmes and Justin Cook to move the chains, but a pass interference penalty on Raphael Williams Jr. pushed the ball back to the Pittsburgh 34. Heintschel's final rush ended at the 38-yard line as time expired.

Pittsburgh's ground game produced 120 yards on 40 carries, led by Ja'Kyrian Turner's 93 yards on 16 attempts. However, the Panthers' four fumbles lost proved costly. Turner fumbled twice, while Kenny Johnson and Heintschel each lost one fumble. East Carolina's defense also recorded an interception by Kevon Merrell, who returned it 70 yards to set up the Pirates' third field goal.

Heintschel was sacked four times by the East Carolina defense. DuJour led the pass rush with two sacks for 18 yards, while Jasiyah Robinson added 1.5 sacks for 12 yards. The Pirates finished with seven tackles for loss totaling 45 yards.

For Pittsburgh, Holmes led all receivers with six catches for 100 yards, while Cook added six receptions for 30 yards and rushed for 28 yards on eight carries. Williams caught five passes for 57 yards and the Panthers' only receiving touchdown.

East Carolina's ground game managed just 72 yards on 42 attempts, with Marlon Gunn Jr. leading the way with 50 yards on 18 carries. The Pirates' offensive success came through the air, where Ditta averaged 22.1 yards per completion.

Teagan Wilk paced the East Carolina defense with nine tackles, including six solo stops, and forced a fumble. Fumble recoveries by DuJour, Jordy Lowery, Jackson Barker and J.D. Lampley gave the Pirates four takeaways on fumbles alone.

Pittsburgh controlled time of possession 33:05 to 26:55 and held advantages in first downs (24-11) and total offense yards (376-249). The Panthers converted 5 of 15 third-down attempts and 3 of 5 fourth-down tries. East Carolina converted just 2 of 15 third downs but capitalized on Pittsburgh's mistakes.

The victory marked East Carolina's 12th bowl win in program history and improved the Pirates' all-time bowl record to 12-11. The nine-win season was the program's first since 2013 when the Pirates won 10 games. East Carolina has now won three consecutive bowl games, matching the program's longest bowl winning streak set from 1963-65.

Top Performers:

• Anthony Smith (ECU): 4 receptions, 156 yards, 2 TDs
• Mason Heintschel (Pitt): 25-40, 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
• Chaston Ditta (ECU): 8-17, 177 yards, 2 TDs
• Justin Holmes (Pitt): 6 receptions, 100 yards
• Ja'Kyrian Turner (Pitt): 16 carries, 93 yards