Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; East Carolina Pirates quarterback Katin Houser (4) passes the ball to running back Marlon Gunn Jr. (21) during the second half of the game against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

ECU Quarterback Reacts to NC State Loss

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 4:00 PM ET

RALEIGH -- East Carolina desperately wanted to get two straight wins over NC State, especially after the brawl at the end of the 2024 Military Bowl. The Pirates came up just one yard short on a fourth-down play in the red zone, eventually losing 24-17 after the Wolfpack kneeled away the game.

ECU quarterback Katin Houser experienced tremendous amounts of pressure throughout the game, but battled back to get his team in the game in the second half. He finished his night with 366 passing yards and a touchdown in 44 pass attempts.

Despite Houser's best efforts, the quarterback had to answer questions about a loss rather than a win when the clock hit zero in Carter-Finley Stadium late Thursday night.

What did Houser say?

On his what the team could take away from the loss

Houser: "(We) didn't do enough on offense, started out really slow. The defense played really well, got some key stops at the end, especially on those missed field goals. The offense, we have to capitalize, we have to do better. We started picking up steam towards the end of the game, but we just ran out of time there. We have to just pick it up. Our model on offense is 'start fast,' and we did not do that today, so we have to pick that up."

On the game-losing fourth-down play

Houser: "We knew they were going to play man coverage. We were going to get (Desirrio Riles) on the flat, get him a crack and try to get him a one-on-one and they just made a good play and good tackle on the perimeter. Props to them on making a good play."

On the difficulty of facing NC State pressure throughout the game

Houser: "You practice for it. You practice with pressure in your face, so I'm used to it. Obviously, if there's stuff in your face, then stuff is going to happen, but you just have to make those plays, you have to capitalize. It's part of football."

On issues with running the football against the NC State defense

Houser: "Some games you run the football well, some games you don't. I think it was one of those games where we just had to pass it. We'll get that figured out. We got some guys rotating on the o-line so once we get that figured out, I think we're going to start rolling."

This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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