
East Carolina Pirates at NC State Wolfpack
· Go Bowling Military BowlHarris' big run gives ECU 26-21 win over NC State. Then brawl breaks out near end of Military Bowl

Harris had 220 of ECU's 326 yards rushing, and his sensational sprint near the end of the game gave the Pirates (8-5) the lead back after they'd blown a 13-point advantage in the fourth. After an interception by Dontavius Nash ended NC State's final drive, East Carolina's attempt to run out the clock was interrupted by a large-scale fight between the two in-state rivals — who play each other again to start next season.
Three players for ECU and five for NC State were ejected.
ECU (8-5) trailed 21-20 and took over the ball at its own 14, and after two incompletions, the Pirates decided to run the ball with Harris. He had a good hole to the left for a big gain, then cut back past the final defender on his way to the end zone.
“That was a good play call by them,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said. “They're down one, third-and-10, you're thinking they're going to throw the football.”
CJ Bailey threw three touchdown passes for the Wolfpack (6-7), who rallied from a 20-7 deficit in the fourth. Bailey threw a 15-yard scoring strike to Justin Joly on fourth down, then NC State forced ECU's first punt of the game and took the lead on a trick play.
Bailey handed off to Hollywood Smothers, then Smothers pitched to Keenan Jackson, who pitched the ball back to Bailey. The NC State quarterback quickly dumped the ball off to Smothers, who had plenty of blockers in front of him and went all the way to the end zone for a 33-yard TD and a 21-20 lead.
It wasn't enough as the ACC completed a desultory day. ACC teams are 1-9 in postseason bowls and playoff games this year after four more went down Saturday. North Carolina (Fenway), Boston College (Pinstripe), Miami (Pop Tarts) and NC State (Military) all lost.
Louisville, Duke and Virginia Tech still have games in the coming days for the league.
ECU quarterback Katin Houser opened the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown run. After an East Carolina field goal, Bailey got the Wolfpack on the board with an 8-yard scoring pass to Dacari Collins in the second quarter.
The Pirates led 13-7 at halftime and then drove for a touchdown to start the third quarter. After Houser's 4-yard TD run, ECU lined up to go for 2, but after a delay of game penalty had to kick the extra point.
East Carolina: The Pirates have a lot to feel good about. They won five of their final six games after coach Mike Houston was fired. His replacement, Blake Harrell, was rewarded by having his interim tag removed, and this game showed why.
“How about Pirate nation just showing out tonight and packing the stadium,” Harrell said. “The purple and gold looked good up there."
However, the brawl means both coaches have work to do keeping their players under control when they meet again in the 2025 opener.
How To Watch
How can I watch East Carolina Pirates vs. NC State Wolfpack?
- TV Channel: Pirates at Wolfpack 2021 College Football, week 1, is broadcasted on ESPN.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
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TD | 1st Period 4:43 | Katin Houser 19 Yd Run (Noah Perez Kick) |
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FG | 2nd Period 7:17 | Noah Perez 24 Yd Field Goal |
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TD | 2nd Period 1:58 | Dacari Collins 8 Yd pass from CJ Bailey (Kanoah Vinesett Kick) |
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FG | 2nd Period 0:06 | Noah Perez 42 Yd Field Goal |
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TD | 3rd Period 9:17 | Katin Houser 4 Yd Run (Noah Perez Kick) |
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TD | 4th Period 13:04 | Justin Joly 15 Yd pass from CJ Bailey (Kanoah Vinesett Kick) |
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TD | 4th Period 9:49 | Hollywood Smothers 33 Yd pass from CJ Bailey (Kanoah Vinesett Kick) |
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TD | 4th Period 1:33 | Rahjai Harris 86 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed) |
Statistics
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|
---|---|---|
22 | 1st Downs | 21 |
12-16 | 3rd down efficiency | 5-12 |
1-1 | 4th down efficiency | 2-4 |
473 | Total Yards | 428 |
147 | Passing | 230 |
18/29 | Comp/Att | 19/26 |
5.1 | Yards per pass | 8.8 |
326 | Rushing | 198 |
39 | Rushing Attempts | 35 |
8.4 | Yards per rush | 5.7 |
4-30 | Penalties | 4-35 |
2 | Turnovers | 1 |
0 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
2 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
26:37 | Possession | 33:23 |
Game Information

Location: Annapolis, MD
Attendance: 23,981 · Capacity:
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