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Jenni Farrow/The Daily Reflector
East Carolina's Jeremy Chambliss walks off the field as the North Carolina State team celebrates after its stunning overtime win over the Pirates on Saturday.
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Pack stuns Pirates in OT
By Nathan Summers
The Daily Reflector
Saturday, September 20, 2008
RALEIGH — The wild ride was much shorter than No. 15 East Carolina had hoped or expected.
Greenville native Andre Brown overpowered the Pirates late Saturday afternoon, leading an N.C. State rally in the fourth quarter to tie the game, then flipping over a defender and into the end zone in overtime to give the Wolfpack a thrilling upset win, 30-24, in front of 57,583 at Carter-Finley Stadium.
The senior running back had just 29 yards rushing at halftime, but the J.H. Rose alum romped and stomped over the Pirates (3-1) for 54 more in the second, including his 10-yard OT burst that dissolved East Carolina’s hopes for an unbeaten season and a berth in a Bowl Championship Series postseason game.
“There is no gutsy effort,” Holtz said, downplaying the notion of his team’s effort serving as a moral victory. “We feel like we should be in a game like this, especially with where we are. You’ve got to make the plays at the end to win. I told this team they have 24 hours to get rid of this pain.”
ECU led 14-7 at the half, but the Wolfpack (2-2) rallied behind redshirt freshman quarterback Russell WIlson. N.C. State tied the game 14-14 in the third quarter, then fell behind 21-14 before outscoring the Pirates 16-3 the rest of the way.
After alternating in the first half with junior Harrison Beck on a play-to-play basis, Wilson became the main man under center in coach Tom O’Brien’s offense, finishing the day with 210 pass yards and three touchdowns.
That included a 5-yard pass to tight end George Bryan in end zone to tie the game, 24-24, with 3:03 left in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
“We had our chances there in the fourth quarter to stop them and we didn’t get it done,” Holtz said. “On third down, in some critical situations, I was really impressed with Wilson. They had to make the plays down the stretch and they made them.”
ECU had its chances to create a bigger deficit while leading in the fourth quarter, but settled for just one field goal in two drives inside the State 5-yard line.
ECU senior quarterback Patrick Pinkney, who fumbled away the ball on his team’s overtime possession, finished the day with an equal 210 pass yards, but the Pirates couldn’t execute when it counted.
“We had our opportunities,” Holtz said. “At the end of the game, they had to come up with a tough stop and they did. They arched their back and stood up and did a great job.”
Wilson, meanwhile, took the Pack on a scoring drive to knot the game on the first possession of the third quarter. He fired a 20-yard touchdown strike to former ECU recruit Jarvis Williams, who leapt into the air to snare the pass in coverage to tie the game 14-14.
The Pirates responded with an immediate scoring drive, as sophomore Norman Whitley took a handoff and zoomed 42 yards to the end zone to put the Pirates back in the lead, 21-14.
State then settled for Josh Czajkowksi’s field goal to make it 21-17 before ECU kicker Ben Hartman, playing in his first game of the season following a hip injury, kicked a 21-yard three-pointer to extend the Pirates’ slim lead to a touchdown, 24-17, with 4:27 to play in the game.
But the ECU defense was on its heels quickly. The Pirates were unable to hold off the Wolfpack’s game-tying drive, which included a reception and a ferocious run after the catch by Brown to steer State into ECU territory.
“The way they played for 60 minutes made me proud,” N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien said of his team. “They played like my kind of team.”
The Pirate offense made its lone touchdown charge of the first half with nine minutes to play in the second quarter.
After Pinkney found Jamar Bryant (five catches, 45 yards), Dwayne Harris (10-88) and Alex Taylor for consecutive completions to start the drive, the ECU quarterback zipped a third down pass to tight end Davon Drew (2-61) over the middle. Drew stomped between a couple of defensive backs and rambled 39 yards into the end zone to give the Pirates their second lead of the game, 14-7.
The second turnover in the first half by Beck was immediately transformed into ECU points. Beck’s pass with just under eight minutes to play in the opening quarter was tipped and picked off by ECU safety Van Eskridge, who went left, then cut right all the way to the sideline and into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
State countered two possessions later with a 10-play scoring drive behind Wilson. He shook off a sack attempt on the 4-yard line before slinging a pass into the end zone to an open Brown to tie the score at the onset of the second quarter.
Nathan Summers can be reached at nsummers@coxnc.com, or at (252)329-9595.
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Your comments
Leks Grease
09/22/2008 06:41:08 PM
Its the coaches fault! You have Storm'n Norman, Jon Williams, and Dwayne Harris all sophmores with playmaking abilities,Use them! Why go through recruiting talent if u not going to play them.
Suggest removalStill Smiling
09/22/2008 05:09:22 PM
Congratulations to the Wolfpack!
Suggest removalPirates,
We need to keep our focus...many of us had us playing in a bowl game after 3 games...we would still not be eligible after 4 (if we would have won). Remember to keep our focus in improving a little at a time. Good Coach! Good Team! Good Game!
Go Pirates
Bolt
09/22/2008 01:23:43 PM
refs suckk
Suggest removalwls
09/22/2008 10:48:32 AM
To overated,
Suggest removalState got handed to by William and Mary, The Wolf Pack could not afford to lose against us and had something to prove. The ECU football team probably thought that they could coast or it was playing without their starting O-lineman Cotton.
ECU Pirate 93
09/22/2008 10:05:47 AM
piratesareoverrated,
Suggest removalWhy do you make the comments you do then STORM the field after winning?
lovetobeatecu
09/22/2008 09:57:10 AM
GO HOUSTON!
Suggest removalUnknown
09/22/2008 09:45:22 AM
They shoulda had Samien Jones the #2 TE in the state in 1995.
Suggest removalpiratesareoverrated
09/22/2008 09:43:16 AM
let's see,, two bad NC State teams beat ECU two years in a row, yet ECU fans still claim to better than the Wolfpack. I would suggest that ECU fans should attend some classes at State, and at a decent university learn that to be better than your opponent, you have to beat them!
Suggest removalandrebrown
09/22/2008 09:43:07 AM
ECU, THE END ZONE JUST CALLED, WONDERING HOW YOU HAVE BEEN SINCE THE THIRD QUARTER OF SATURDAY'S GAME, MISS YOU.
Suggest removaljeff
09/22/2008 09:34:16 AM
GO WOLFPACK! GREAT GAME, BUT THE PACK SHOWED MORE HEART AND MORE CLASS. NEVER MOCK YOUR OPPONENT (WITH THE LITTLE WOLFPACK HAND GESTURES) UNLESS YOU CAN BACK IT UP.. WHICH E-Z-U COULD NOT.
Suggest removalConference Ties
09/21/2008 09:45:23 PM
The truth is ... no matter how ECU plays, so long as we stay in a conference like C-USA, we will NEVER get any credit for being a competent football program. As to the future of ECU football, Terry Holland (by getting ECU into a better conference) will play just as important a role as Coach Holtz.
Suggest removalPiratefball17
09/21/2008 08:19:20 PM
Take all the shots you want, it was a great game. We are still ranked, and even more importantly still have a chance at a conference championship. For all the talk the NC State fans are doing, let's hope you go bowling this year...if not...then a win against us is pointless.
Suggest removalwls
09/21/2008 08:09:08 PM
To JR,
Suggest removalThere has been a rivalry between the Pack and the Pirates for years. Your facts may be right but the fact is ECU is ranked nationally, while both UNC and NCSU are not even close. I admit the Pirates have been sloppy as of late. However, I only see them losing 2 more games this year, which is a major improvenment for the team.
JR
09/21/2008 07:49:29 PM
I am not an NCSU OR ECU fan, just enjoy college football and get lots of free tickets. ECU fans, it seems that you are tying to create a rivalry where there is none. As I remember NCSU and UNC were going to drop ECU from the schedule to go for bigger (higher paying) games and our law makers from the eastern part of the state were going to add a law to the book requiring the game. CHECK YOUR RECORDS ON THIS ONE.
Suggest removalJT
09/21/2008 07:06:02 PM
Hahaha ECU loses to the Wolfpack for the second straight year. That was an incredible game no matter who you were pulling for. GO PACK!
Suggest removalwls
09/21/2008 06:49:50 PM
To Kay,
Suggest removalYou must me in love with me!!! Besides, I am good with statistics some what and calculated how many spots that ECU would drop in the rankings. Later on I just wanted to rag on the team because they should be playing better than are now.
pirate '00
09/21/2008 06:00:00 PM
The truth is that ECU is still ranked in the AP top 25. Yes, we lost a single game (not a conference game). There are still 8 games left and a Conference USA championship on the line. GO Pirates!!!
Suggest removalKay
09/21/2008 05:48:26 PM
To wis, sorry that I did not read further down at Sat 5:17 when you said we would be ranked #23....interesting that you came up with the number...HUM. But later on you said we would not be ranked so I stand by my opinion. GO PIRATES ! ! !
Suggest removalpiratefan winterville
09/21/2008 04:26:59 PM
Flags are still flying high. Pirates never surrender. AARRGGHH!!!
Suggest removalwls
09/21/2008 04:25:56 PM
If you read my previous post I said they were going to drop to #23 before the votes were out!!!!
Suggest removalpirate'00
09/21/2008 04:06:22 PM
A blind squirrel can find a nut every once in a while. Pirates gave that game to the wolf-pax. Still AP #23...ECU will be fine. NCSU did not even get a single vote.
Suggest removalKay
09/21/2008 02:50:19 PM
Sorry wis, ECU is still ranked #23 in the AP poll. Although they were dropped in the USA poll, just watch. Based on the comments I see from wis, this person is very disturbed and all us should totally ignore him/her. Oh, and don't try to talk for Skip Holtz. He will stay because he cares about the Pirates, unlike wis. GO PIRATES ! ! !
Suggest removalECU Pirate93
09/21/2008 01:03:17 PM
It's not a fantasy playing in another Bowl Game this year Yankee Snob. How's Rutgers?Keep watchin!
Suggest removalNate
09/21/2008 12:56:33 PM
Ouch!! That hurt my feelings. I guess you told me.
Suggest removalI'm just behaving like a typical Pirate fan behaves at the stadium. Axe to grind?? Absolutely!!!!
Another decade of mediocrity is just around the corner for ECU and Skip will be skipping all the way to a major conference at the end of the season. The truth hurts, doesn't it??
M Gosman
09/21/2008 12:15:31 PM
Great game, but it look like ECU winning streak got halted by a not so hot NC State team. Could this mean that ECU got a little sweet toward this game and NC State capitalize on their sweetness. Sorry ECU, don't take those boys from Raleigh for granted.
Suggest removalYankee Snob
09/21/2008 11:57:22 AM
Now maybe ECU can get back to the business of education, not fantasy.
Suggest removalrealistic
09/21/2008 11:42:58 AM
Let's face it. When you have the ball inside the 5 twice in the fourth quarter and come away with only 3 points, you deserve to lose.
Suggest removalwls
09/21/2008 11:37:05 AM
-the truth hurts, ECU will not be nationally ranked any more this season because we play no one nationally ranked this year. Also, Marshall will spank the Pirates this year just like in the past. A lot of you seem to be in denial that they are sub par at best. Hey I like Skip and the Purple Pride but they play a football game with their heads cut off. Pickney is an average college QB, they have an average running game with average Wideouts. Where is their star player???
Suggest removaljust curious?
09/21/2008 11:25:13 AM
Which one of your players was it that ran on the field giving the wolfpack symbol with both hands? Thats gong on my screensaver.
Suggest removalGO PACK!
Pirate love!
09/21/2008 11:19:54 AM
Thanks to all the trash talkers on here! Worth noting that people love to talk about the Pirates! For all their insults, you can't ignore the fact that they love to spend time discussing the Pirates and their fans, so we must be important enough to consume their free time!
Suggest removaltypical mindset
09/21/2008 11:14:23 AM
"However, its clear that beating ECU has become the biggest thing that can happen to NC State each and every year. That at least makes me happy. We may not go to a BCS bowl, but that just means we will have still been to as many as NCSUX has."
Suggest removalWhat a joke. Typical EASY-U fan that thinks that anyone west of I-95 even knows who you are.
Nate
09/21/2008 10:23:23 AM
Now you Pirate fans can stop bragging about beating a WVU team ranked #8 in the country, which is now completely out of the rankings. Your team is average at best. I guess we won't see anymore purple shirts and flags flying. Good luck as you head into another rebuilding DECADE. Pirate fans are a JOKE!!!
Suggest removalOne more thing...
09/21/2008 09:36:28 AM
For all this Pirate pride, where were all the pirate flags on US 264 and in Greenville last night after the loss? A: Back in the trunk where they will probably remain until the next win. Pathetic.
Suggest removalPack Fan in Greenville
09/21/2008 09:23:49 AM
Glad to see the wake up call came early in the season. Let's face it, ECU and NC State are both average teams in average conferences... by no means BCS contenders. All this talk from ECU fans about a BCS birth prior to Saturday's game was both premature and ridiculous. Not to downgrade ECU's 2 big wins this year, but the bandwagon grew too big too fast.
Suggest removalPir8
09/21/2008 09:19:36 AM
Tough loss for the Pirates. However, its clear that beating ECU has become the biggest thing that can happen to NC State each and every year. That at least makes me happy. We may not go to a BCS bowl, but that just means we will have still been to as many as NCSUX has.
Suggest removalValerie
09/21/2008 08:23:38 AM
I'm proud of both teams. It was a GREAT game to watch. I told mom even if the pack doesn't win (which I didn't think they would.) that the team should be proud of how they played. Both teams played well. AND ya'll did beat Weat Va.! Great Job!! My neighbor pouted for a week!
Suggest removalBryant
09/21/2008 07:28:18 AM
Also if it wasn't for Bryant we wouldn't have beaten Tulane!
Suggest removalTough Break
09/21/2008 07:26:23 AM
ECU was in control the whole game up to the very end. Every team in the country will have tough games sooner or later. I would rather win ugly (Tulane) than lose pretty. We played worse against Tulane and won. You have to get a bounce or two go your way along the way and we didn't get it.(If Bryant just let the ball go by (to #80 in the end zone) with 4 minutes left it would have been 28-17 with 4 minutes left we would be 4-0.) Things like that have to happen to have a dream season! GO PIRATES!
Suggest removalOver Rated
09/21/2008 06:07:12 AM
ECU ... Best team east of I-95
Suggest removalRob
09/20/2008 09:40:50 PM
The ranking aren't worth anything as we saw today and in ECU's first two wins. There is only one team that NOBODY can touch...USC. After losing TEN seniors to the NFL last year they are still telling the world who is the Big Dog!! The Ohio St was a joke. With Rankings there is USC and then everyone else. Go Pack!
Suggest removalI Hate Losing
09/20/2008 07:24:52 PM
Maybe we should invite Bobby Knight in to have a little chat.
Suggest removalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw7KijRfU-c
you never know....
09/20/2008 07:03:59 PM
Notre Dame just got hammered by Michigan State. Look out, Skip might get a call from his alma mater.
Suggest removalPirate fan
09/20/2008 06:45:13 PM
Who cares about the rankings? We won three games total in 2003 and 2004. We are still looking at a potentially awesome year.
Suggest removalwls
09/20/2008 06:41:12 PM
Yeah, ECU has being playing like crap since beating West Virginia. I guess the Mountaineers were in fact overrated this year. The Pirates turned the ball over numerous times and some how skimmed by Tulane. I had a feely they would lose against NCSU because the Wolf Pack dont play, but I did not want to say nothing. Hopefully, this will act as a wake up call were they play like nationally ranked team instead of scrubs. WELL, they won't be nationally ranked after this awful loss to the Pack.
Suggest removalnear G-Vegas
09/20/2008 06:33:42 PM
ECU was overrated. Come on, Pinkney fumbled twice and threw two interceptions against Tulane last weekend. Do you really think you deserved #15 after that performance??? ECU just received the eye opener they deserved.
Suggest removalHey maybe Lee Fowler and Terry Holland will schedule another two years.....
OUCH!
09/20/2008 06:24:56 PM
Say bye bye to the BCS bid............
Suggest removalPirate fan
09/20/2008 06:17:22 PM
Regardless of the loss, ECU should be proud of themselves... 3-1 is not anything to be ashamed of! I hate that they lost, but I'll be there next week cheering them on!
Suggest removalandy
09/20/2008 05:17:36 PM
We would have won had we went for the field goal instead of running the same damn play.. Bad coaching.
Suggest removaln4cer
09/20/2008 05:17:11 PM
I bet they didn't rush the field today, ha ha ha
Suggest removalwls
09/20/2008 05:17:02 PM
East Carolina has been playing bad since beating West Virginia. Hopefully, the loss to NCSU will be a wake up call for them throughout the season. I think ECU will be ranked #23 for tomorrow. As long as they do not lose any more games for the rest of the season every things fine because ECU was not going to make it to #1 this year. I just hope they will go to the Peach Bowl.
Suggest removalPost a Comment
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