East Carolina Wins 2024 Go Bowling Military Bowl

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Just when it seemed like the East Carolina Pirates were headed to a crushing defeat in the 2024 Go Bowling Military Bowl, running back Rahjai Harris delivered a play that will be remembered for quite some time, from the Tar Heel state all the way through those in attendance on an electric night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Trailing by a point with less than two minutes remaining in a game that once seemed under control and facing third-and-10 deep in his own end, Harris took a handoff to the left, burst through a hole, juked the last defender and outraced everyone to the end zone for an 86-yard touchdown, lifting East Carolina to a thrilling 26-21 victory over rival NC State before a crowd of 23,981.

For Harris, who earlier in the game reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season, it was the longest run of his five-year career and the perfect way to finish the season and a wonderful Bowl Week in the National Capital Region.

“Well how about Pirate Nation showing out tonight – they packed the stadium with purple and gold and they set the tempo from the beginning,” East Carolina Coach Blake Harrell said. “We had the lead for most of the game, they took the lead in the fourth quarter and our guys were resilient. Not just tonight, but all season long.”

The game featured NC State (6-7) rallying from a 13-point deficit and taking a 21-20 lead on quarterback CJ Bailey’s third touchdown pass of the game, a 33-yarder to Hollywood Smothers on a reverse turned into a flea flicker with 9 minutes 49 seconds left.
East Carolina’s next two possessions ended in interceptions by NC State’s Tamarcus Cooley, but the Pirates got one more chance starting at their own 14-yard line with 1:59 left.

Two incompletions left East Carolina (8-5) with third and 10. With the entire crowd standing and yelling, the Pirates turned to Harris and he delivered, finishing with 17 carries for a career-high 220 yards.

“It’s just a go-to move for me,” Harris said. “Big shout out to the boys up front, they were opening holes for me. The offensive line had that one play at a time mentality and I’m proud of them big boys.”

The exciting game capped a memorable Bowl Week that saw both teams enjoy the sights of Washington, D.C., including a tour of the U.S. Capitol and visits to the National Mall and several monuments. East Carolina’s players also enjoyed attending a Washington Wizards game.

East Carolina took a 7-0 lead when quarterback Katin Houser scrambled 19 yards for a touchdown on third-and-6. That finished off the Pirates’ only possession of the fast-paced first quarter. Andrew Conrad’s 24-yard field goal gave East Carolina a 10-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

The Wolfpack got on the board when quarterback Bailey threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Dacari Collins, pulling within 10-7 with two minutes left in the half. Noah Perez booted a 42-yard field goal with six seconds left in the half, sending East Carolina to halftime with a 13-7 lead.

Houser’s four-yard touchdown run capped a nearly six-minute drive opening the second half, making it 20-7. But then NC State scored two touchdowns in less than four minutes, with Bailey floating a 15-yard touchdown pass to Justin Joly on fourth-and-2 and then hitting Smothers for an improbable 21-20 lead.