ECU’s football team celebrated homecoming with a 28-12 victory over Rice in the American Conference opener.
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Photo and story by ECU Sports Information
The threat of rain and wind from the remnants of Hurricane Isaia put a small damper on East Carolina’s annual homecoming game and American Conference opener. But another big day from T.J. Engleman Jr. combined with a relentless defense ensured the party would not be spoiled.
Engleman, a running back in its third year at ECU, delivered a pair of 43-yard jolts to bookend a career day as the Pirates seized control in the second half and cruised to a 28-12 victory over Rice. The 5-9, 190-pounder from Atlanta finished with 136 yards on 14 carries and scored his fourth touchdown in two games.
With his second straight game eclipsing 100 yards, Engleman now has 354 yards on 30 carries in three games after gaining 24 yards in just five attempts in the first two outings.
“T.J.’s my guy,” ECU head coach Blake Harrell said. “… He has been very productive. He is freaking running the ball hard and making guys miss. He has some Keaton (Mitchell) flashes in there where it’s not particularly there, you know, bounce it and make a guy miss until you get seven or eight yards out of nothing. So excited about him.”
Engleman has provided a boost with Ashton Gray sidelined with an injury. Gray has since returned, but Engleman’s production keeps the ball in his hands. He ripped off at least one explosive run in each of the last three games, sprinting for 40 yards against Old Dominion, 88 for a score against N.C. Central and his two 43-yarders Saturday against the Owls.
“I was just waiting on my opportunity, taking it day by day,” Engleman said. “I never got too down on myself. I’m glad it’s showing right now. Hopefully I keep it going.”
Engleman struck first on ECU’s second possession and accounted for one of the few highlights of a first half that saw a combined seven three-and-out series and ended with ECU up 7-3. On first down from the 3, Engleman shot through a hole, then darted up the right sideline before being forced out of bounds at the 46. The Pirates (3-2, 1-0) found the end zone six plays later when Ray Ray Joseph grabbed a third-down pass from Emory Williams, eluded two defenders and finished off a 22-yard score.
“They called inside zone,” Engleman said of his run. “I just read the blocks and cut off the blocker. I was just trying to get as many yards as I can. I was trying to stay in … that was a big drive.”
But not as big as ECU’s first possession of the second half. Rice (1-5, 0-2), which did not have first down until the 13:16 mark of the second quarter and managed just 86 first-half yards, suddenly found a spark on its opening series of the second half and zipped 75 yards in four plays for a 9-7 lead.
ECU responded with its longest drive of the season, both in plays and time, marching 75 yards on 17 plays in 8:10 to regain the lead and ignite a run of 21 unanswered points. The Pirates converted just 5 of 16 third downs on the day but picked up three in the pivotal drive. Williams and Engleman also converted a pair of fourth-and-1 runs.
Joseph, who had a team-high six catches for 68 yards, once again added the finishing touch with a 6-yard dash on a jet sweep.
“We knew we had to score,” Engleman said. “Rice was running the clock, so we knew we had to go down there and score. We got some key third downs – I was happy to see us get some third downs.”
Harrell called the drive a defining moment as ECU extended its winning streak to three games.
“It’s everything,” Harrell said. “I mean you get down there and whether it’s third and short or fourth and short and you keep holding the football and moving the chains, I think that’s just the momentum and the tempo for the sidelines, for the stadium,” Harrell said. “Hey, we’re going to put this thing in the box. It’s huge. And that’s who we need to be. That shows toughness. That shows fighting through adversity. Regardless of how things went in the first half, it’s focus on the next play, and we’re learning to do those things.”
Engleman extended the lead to 21-9 on ECU’s first play of the fourth quarter and his final carry of the day, bouncing outside around right end and sprinting 43 yards for the score.
An interception by Julien Davis off a tip by J.D. Lampley set the Pirates up for their final touchdown just 69 seconds later with Williams scooting in from the 12.
Williams, making his second start at ECU, followed up a career-best 341-yard performance by completing 19 of 31 passes for 143 yards. He also rushed for 23 yards on six carries, outgaining Rice quarterback Jacurri Brown, who directs a run-heavy offense.
ECU limited Brown to 19 yards on 19 carries and held Rice to 164 rushing. Brown struggled mightily in the passing game, connecting on just 2 of 10 passes for 21 yards. Tyvonn Byars emerged as the lone weapon for the Owls with 111 yards on 14 carries, highlighted by a 23-yard scoring run.
“We talked all week about any time you play an option team, whether it’s Rice or the academies, they pride themselves in just being more physical, being tougher than you are, and we challenged our guys to do the same,” Harrell said. “I think that starts up front. It starts with guys like J.D. Lampley, who made a big play, had a punch out, Rion Roseborough, Preston Carr, Julien Davis, Kieran Davis, Jasiyah Robinson. I thought those guys, defensively up front, were phenomenal.”
Along with forcing two turnovers, ECU recorded two sacks and 12 tackles for loss, boosting the season total to 51.
“I thought defensively we were lights out for most of the night,” Harrell said. “I’d love to have the first drive of the second half back. We kind of had a miscommunication there and misfit one. But other than that, I thought defensively they played lights out.”