ECU turns on burners in second half, handles Rice 28-12

The East Carolina Pirates were in search of an offensive spark.

Down every offensive starter from 2025 and their coordinator, the Pirates struggled moving the ball during the first three weeks of the season. In Week 4 against FCS competition, ECU made a change at quarterback to Emory Williams which sparked the unit.

And the flame remained ignited even after a bye week. Williams remained QB1 and led the Pirates’ best offensive showing against an FBS opponent this year. ECU was subject to a slow start, but the Pirates turned on the burners in the late third and early fourth quarters to upend Rice 28-12 in their conference opener.

East Carolina outgained Rice, 376-233, as Williams threw for 143 yards and two touchdowns, while running back TJ Engleman Jr. exploded for a season-high 136 rushing yards and a score — his second consecutive game exceeding 120. Rounding out the star offensive trio was Ray Ray Joseph who notched his first two touchdown receptions as a Pirate on a 6-catch, 68-yard outing.

The Pirates established a 7-0 lead on their second drive of the game, one that traveled nearly the entire length of the field at 97 yards. But the late first quarter and entire second quarter were defined by punts and turnovers on downs, as Rice’s defense — which shut out UTSA in the second half seven days prior — traveled well to Greenville.

Thanks to the defensive support, Rice’s offense finally manufactured its first lead of the contest with 12:47 remaining in the third quarter. Running back Tyvonn Byars broke free for two explosive runs on the same drive, finishing in the end zone with a 23-yard touchdown sprint. Byars, who posted a career-high 111 rushing yards, handed the Owls a 9-7 advantage — which remained at 9-7 due to a blocked extra point.

That special teams play swung the momentum of the game. ECU responded with a methodical 17-play, 75-yard drive, finishing with one of Joseph’s two touchdown receptions. Then in the early fourth quarter, the Pirates put the game out of reach in a 90-second span. Engleman ran in a 43-yard touchdown on the first play after a punt. Two plays later, ECU defensive end JD Lampley deflected a pass at the line of scrimmage, and Julien Davis secured an interception. And three plays after that, Williams recorded a 12-yard rushing touchdown, suddenly flipping a 9-7 deficit into a 28-9 advantage.

Lampley was one of many defenders with a productive day for the Pirates. East Carolina, which entered this matchup ranked second nationally with 9.8 tackles per game, registered 12. The entire Pirates defense lived in the backfield against the Rice option attack as Crews Law, Kevon Merrell Jr., and Kamaurri McKinley each produced 1.5 tackles for loss in the victory.

One interesting statistical quirk in this game: only one Rice player secured a reception. The Owls’ passing game finished 4-of-14 for 69 yards, and all four receptions were courtesy of wide receiver Jordan Clark, who stepped up in an offense deprived of several key running backs and receivers.

Rice (1-5, 0-2 American) now rides a five-game losing streak. The Owls have been within one score in the fourth quarter of each of their last four losses to Western Michigan (4-2), Fresno State (4-2), UTSA (5-1), and East Carolina (3-2), but the Owls fell just short of all four opponents. Rice aims to snap its longest in-season losing streak since 2019 next Saturday when it hosts Tulsa, which has dropped three in a row.

East Carolina (3-2, 1-0 American) now rides a three-game winning streak. The Pirates overcame their slow start by rattling off three consecutive victories, and now they are 11-3 in conference matchups under Blake Harrell. ECU aims to sustain the momentum on a short week. It travels to UAB on Thursday for its first game against the Blazers since 2013, when both programs were members of Conference USA.