My little stepbrother is no more.
The dogfight that broke out Saturday night at the end of the Military Bowl between East Carolina and North Carolina State, just 133 miles apart, had been brewing for some time.
“We're going to be looked at like stepbrothers, and that's OK,” ECU head coach Blake Harrell said. Per ESPNafter his Pirates outscored the Wolfpack 26-21. “They're going to compete and they're going to take on the challenge.”
The challenge was accepted and the challenger, the bigger, stronger, more popular North Carolina State team, was defeated. But Goliath still kept on licking.
The brawl, which began with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, left benches cleared, punches thrown and officials bloodied.
Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey had just been picked off, and with a five-point lead, ECU was in a comfortable position to run out the clock.
Pirates receiver Yannick Smith ran off the field and appeared to yell something at North Carolina State defensive back Tamarcus Cooley.
The defender chased the receiver and pulled him to the ground, prompting pushes and shoves from several players nearby.
“This is not good,” color commentator Rocky Boyman said on video of the scuffle. Posted in X by Terrible Announcement.
“As I've said several times, there is no love lost in the 133 miles that separate our two North Carolina schools,” play-by-play broadcaster Jay Alter responded.
Match officials could not contain their anger and the shoving escalated until the field was littered with players, coaches, assistants and security guards.
At one point, an ECU player ran up behind an NC State player and was shoved from behind, causing his helmet to snap straight off. to the referee's faceattempting to divide the neighboring skirmishes.
The cut below the referee's left eye drew attention during live broadcasts of the match as officials gathered to try to resolve the fiasco. In the end, eight players were sent off.
“This is a horrible scene at the end of a great bowl game,” Alter said. “You hate saying this.”
It was the brawl, not the match, that drew attention, as the broadcasters suspected.
North Carolina State's near-reversal, with the Wolfpack rallying from a 20-7 deficit in the fourth quarter, was a matter of consequence. Just like the game-winning 86-yard touchdown run, ECU's Rajai Harris broke free and regained the lead with 1:33 remaining.
It was a challenging win for the Pirates, who entered the bowl game as a seven-point underdog. And given how often ECU is ignored and overshadowed by its ACC brethren in the state, it's all the more a win.
“I don't think you can look at our fans and say this isn't a rivalry. We have an hour and 15 minutes left,” Harrell said after the game.
“And there are a few other schools in about the same distance. Maybe they should put us on their schedule as well instead of trying to take our players,” Harrell said. continued. “They're calling our players and trying to get our players. So why don't they put us on the schedule?”
The 2025 schedule is already set, with the Pirates opening the season against the Wolfpack.
Circle the date August 30th.
