East Carolina Shocks Pitt

A shorthanded East Carolina team completed an improbable win against Pitt in the Military Bowl by a score of 23-17. The Pirates overcame the loss of starting quarterback Katin Houser and took advantage of sloppy play by the Panthers to win their second consecutive Military Bowl.

East Carolina Defeats Pitt in Military Bowl

Does Anybody Want to Win?

Both offenses got off to a slow start, with most drives ending in punts and turnovers on downs. In fact, Pitt scored the first touchdown of the game on a 22-yard dime from Mason Heintschel to Raphael Williams with barely a minute left in the first half. Thankfully for viewers and fans of the forward pass, the second half provided much more action.

Heintschel lost Pitt’s second fumble of the game while getting sacked on the first drive of the second half. ECU was very opportunistic in this game and immediately made a big play after the change in possession. Backup quarterback Chaston Ditta hit Anthony Smith on a deep 47-yard pass for a touchdown.

Pitt was also proficient in turning turnovers to points and returned a fumble for a touchdown, taking the lead in a 14-10 game. But unfortunately for the Panthers, that would be their last lead.

Shortly thereafter, Ditta hit Smith again in stride on a slant, and the lanky wideout showed impressive speed to outrun defenders for a 47-yard touchdown. ECU went up 17-14 with that scoring play and never relinquished the lead in the game.

Clean Play Wins the Day

The Pirates didn’t play a perfect game by any means, but they didn’t beat themselves. As we expected, both teams struggled against the opposing pass rush. But it was the favorite, Pitt, that lost four fumbles and threw an interception. East Carolina only committed one turnover in its Military Bowl win. Despite being outgained through the air and on the ground, the ECU made the most of its possessions.

Coaching staffs tend to go all out in aggressive play in non-playoff bowl games, and this one was no different. The teams combined to attempt eight fourth-down conversions, but ECU gained the first down on two of its three fourth-down attempts. The efficient Pirates were outmatched in yardage and time of possession, but held the higher number where it mattered the most – on the scoreboard.

Ditta was impressive in managing the game and making timely throws when his team needed him the most. The freshman finished with 177 passing yards and two touchdowns after only passing for 38 yards on the year. Smith was his favorite target and averaged almost 40 yards per catch in a huge day to end his college career. Their contributions were critical, as ECU only rushed for 1.7 yards per carry on the day. The Pirates finished with a 9-4 record and finished the season with a win over an ACC opponent for the second time in two years.