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Dallas Co Farmers Exchange – Buffalo, Fair Grove, Urbana |
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12/27 13:41 CST East Carolina takes advantage of 5 Pittsburgh turnovers, wins
23-17 in the Military Bowl
East Carolina takes advantage of 5 Pittsburgh turnovers, wins 23-17 in the
Military Bowl
By NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) --- Chaston Ditta threw two second-half touchdown passes,
and East Carolina overcame an inadvertent whistle that negated a long touchdown
in a 23-17 victory over Pittsburgh in the Military Bowl on Saturday.
ECU faced fourth-and-1 from its own 32 in the third quarter when Marlon Gunn
Jr. shed a couple of tacklers and went all the way to the end zone. That would
have put the Pirates up 17-7, but the play was called back because of a
whistle, and Gunn was credited with a 14-yard gain instead.
Two plays later, Ditta fumbled on a sack by Pitt's Rasheem Biles, who recovered
the ball and returned it 23 yards to the end zone to give the Panthers a 14-10
lead.
The Pirates rebounded quickly when Ditta threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to
Anthony Smith, and ECU led the rest of the way.
Down by six in the fourth, Pittsburgh was driving when Mason Heintschel's pass
was intercepted by Kevon Merrell --- the Panthers' fifth turnover of the game
--- and run back 70 yards to the Pitt 15. A field goal pushed the lead to nine.
The Panthers managed a field goal with 1:23 left to make it a one-possession
game, but an onside kick was unsuccessful. Pitt had enough timeouts to force a
punt, and the Panthers took over at their own 20 with 57 seconds left.
An offensive pass interference penalty derailed that last-ditch drive.
Ditta started this game after ECU quarterback Katin Houser announced recently
he was entering the transfer portal. The Pirates (9-4) also lost their
offensive and defensive coordinators, but they took advantage of four Pitt
fumbles.
The Panthers (8-5) also turned the ball over on downs twice.
The first quarter was played almost entirely in Pitt territory, but ECU's Nick
Mazzie was well short on a 51-yard field-goal attempt. The Pirates then
recovered a fumble at the Pitt 27 but ended up turning the ball over on downs
themselves.
ECU led 3-0 when Pitt finally produced a successful drive, taking a 7-3
advantage when Heintschel threw a 22-yard scoring pass to Raphael Williams Jr.
with four seconds remaining in the half.
The Panthers started the second half with the ball, but a fumble by Heintschel
gave ECU possession, and on the very next play Ditta found Smith for a 47-yard
touchdown.
The takeaway Pitt: It was the final game for defensive coordinator Randy Bates, who is retiring after more than four decades in coaching. His defense gave up a couple of big plays but also produced a touchdown of its own. Holding ECU to 23 points was pretty good considering the Pirates started seven drives in Pitt territory. ECU: It was a stellar performance by the defense, which had five takeaways and four sacks. The Pirates won the Military Bowl for a second consecutive year.
Up next Pitt: Heintschel is a freshman, and so is Ja'Kyrian Turner (93 yards on 16 carries Saturday), so despite this loss the Panthers could have a lot to look forward to. ECU: The Pirates have a lot to replace, but this effort was a positive sign. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
The takeaway Pitt: It was the final game for defensive coordinator Randy Bates, who is retiring after more than four decades in coaching. His defense gave up a couple of big plays but also produced a touchdown of its own. Holding ECU to 23 points was pretty good considering the Pirates started seven drives in Pitt territory. ECU: It was a stellar performance by the defense, which had five takeaways and four sacks. The Pirates won the Military Bowl for a second consecutive year.
Up next Pitt: Heintschel is a freshman, and so is Ja'Kyrian Turner (93 yards on 16 carries Saturday), so despite this loss the Panthers could have a lot to look forward to. ECU: The Pirates have a lot to replace, but this effort was a positive sign. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
