GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina ignited the fireworks early but could not deliver the grand finale and suffered a gut-wrenching 21-19 loss to in-state rival Appalachian State on Saturday.
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With an energetic, electric atmosphere not witnessed in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in two years, the Pirates blazed to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter before several critical errors derailed a bid for the first 3-0 start since 2008. The Mountaineers (2-1) took the lead for good on Joey Aguilar’s 36-yard touchdown pass with 41 seconds left in the third period and held on to claim their third straight win in the series.
“Obviously tough to lose that one the way we did,” sixth-year head coach Mike Houston said. “A lot of credit goes to Appalachian State. They made plays there late in the game, and we didn’t. We had some mistakes in the first half that got us, let them off the hook a little bit. They were able to get a couple of extra possessions when we had opportunities. We missed some plays that are the difference between winning and losing the ballgame.”
Several key plays stand out in each phase of the game.
On special teams, kicker Andrew Conrad missed an extra point for the second straight week and hooked a 36-yard field goal early in the second half.
On offense, a dropped pass on third down and a fumble after a first-down catch thwarted two potential scoring drives.
On defense, Gavin Gibson saw a sure interception slip through his fingers and the Mountaineers subsequently ran out the clock.
Two of the Pirates’ six penalties especially hurt. A roughing-the-passer penalty on a failed two-point conversion gave App State another chance following its first touchdown, which it converted. With ECU facing a fourth-and-3 from the Mountaineers’ 20 and trailing 21-16, a false-start penalty brought on the field goal unit instead.
“It’s a team deal,” Houston said. “We’ve got to play better defensively, We’ve got to play better offensively. We’ve got to play better in the kicking game. We’ve got to play better in all three phases if we want to win that game.”
The Pirates certainly started that way scoring just 31 seconds into the game and led 16-0 with a little more than 10 minutes elapsed.
“We came out on fire,” quarterback Jake Garcia said. “It’s important to start fast in the first half and start fast in the second half too. We came out and started fast just like last week. We just have to find a way to continue that and keep the rhythm going throughout the rest of the game.”
Garcia, who completed 18 of 28 passes for 226 yards, got ECU on the board on the game’s third snap when he found Winston Wright Jr. open behind the App State defense for a 65-yard strike.
The Pirates, aided by one of two App State’s two targeting penalties on the night, then put together a 12-play drive on their second possession before Conrad knocked through a 48-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead.
Shavon Revel Jr. boosted the lead to 16-0 three plays later, snatching an Aguilar pass and racing 50 yards to the end zone, dazing an App State team that gave up 35 points in the first quarter last week in a 66-20 drubbing at Clemson.
“I kind of baited the quarterback,” Revel said of his second interception of the year. “I stayed behind him, seen his shoulders and went after it.”
But the methodical Mountaineers controlled the second quarter, rolling up 168 yards to ECU’s 63 and scoring three times – a 6-yard touchdown pass and two-point conversion toss from Aguilar to Eli Wilson and a pair of Michael Hughes field goals to make it 16-14.
App State continued to play keep-away in the second half and wound up with decisive advantages in time of possession (39 minutes to 21 minutes), plays (83-58), first downs (25-15) and total yards (505-324).
Aguilar, the preseason Sun Belt Conference player of the year, finished with career highs in completions (32), attempts (47) and passing yards (424) while throwing for two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was able to spread the ball to nine different receivers, led by Kaedin Robinson with seven catches for 129 yards. Tight end Eli Wilson had four catches for 53 yards, all of which proved to be critical plays.
Meanwhile, ECU’s up-tempo offense that averaged 81.5 plays through the first two games sputtered after the quick start. The Pirates converted 5 of 13 third downs and had four three-and-out series, matching the total combined for the first two games.
“It kind of feels like we didn’t catch a real rhythm,” Garcia said. “When we catch our stride, we’re supposed to be finishing in the end zone.”
Still ECU had an opportunity in the final five minutes after Zakye Barker dislodged the ball from Robinson and Ryheem Craig recovered at the Pirates’ 13. A 6-yard run by Javious Bond and a 29-yard reception by Yannick Smith moved the ball to the 48 before Seth Robinson picked off a pass intended for Wright Jr. with 4:13 to go.
The Pirates never got the ball back.
“He had Winston on the over route; he was wide open,” Houston said. “The corner ran with the post and then fell off at the last second, and Jake didn’t see him. It was a good play by that kid. I’m sure he wants that one back because we had all the momentum then and getting ready to drive down and score and win the ballgame.”