Saturday, November 18, 2023

ECU Held Scoreless For the First Time in 26 Years in 10-0 Loss at Navy


ANNAPOLIS, MD – East Carolina’s football woes continued as they dropped to a 2-9 overall record and 2-4 in Annapolis, suffering a 10-0 defeat at the hands of Navy. The loss concluded the ECU’s road schedule for the season, with the Pirates finishing 1-5 away from home.

In a challenging offensive outing, ECU failed to score for the first time since October 4, 1997, when they suffered a 56-0 loss to Syracuse, ending a remarkable streak of 322 consecutive games with points on the board. The Pirates managed only 189 yards of total offense, including a season-low 34 rushing yards, highlighting the struggles on that side of the ball.

Despite the offensive difficulties, East Carolina’s defense showcased its resilience by holding Navy to 10 points. This marked the fourth time this season that the Pirates limited an opponent to 13 points or less. 

In individual player performances, quarterback Alex Flinn faced immense pressure from Navy’s defense but completed a career-high 24 of 38 pass attempts for 155 yards. However, he failed to secure any touchdowns and threw two interceptions. Flinn also led the team in rushing with 31 yards on 12 carries.

Chase Sowell emerged as a bright spot for the receiving corps, totaling 62 yards on 11 catches. On the defensive side, Teylor Jackson recorded his first career forced fumble, while Jason Shuford achieved his first career fumble recovery. BJ Davis stood out with a team-high 10 tackles, reaching double figures for the second consecutive week.

Looking ahead to their final game of the 2023 season, East Carolina is set to face Tulsa in an American Athletic Conference matchup on Saturday, November 25. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., and the game will be streamed live via ESPN+.

As the Pirates prepare to conclude their season, Coach Mike Houston remains focused on ending on a positive note against Tulsa, stating, “We have a chance to finish things off on a positive note with a win at home next week against a very talented Tulsa team."