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."

CHARLOTTE – The Charlotte 49ers went into Saturday’s
homecoming matchup against Navy looking for their first win as a member of the
American Athletic Conference. Standing in their way were the Midshipmen from
the US Naval Academy. In a game marked by stellar defensive play and a total of
twenty punts, the visiting Navy squad was able to sail away with a 14-0 win over
the 49ers in front of a sellout crowd.

An uneventful first half saw both teams punting six times
while their offenses struggled to find rhythm. The second half started as
the first half ended, but the stalemate was finally broken on a busted coverage
by the Charlotte defense. When Navy quarterback Braxton Woodson, in a relief role
after starter Tai Lavatai was injured early in the game, hit an open Eli Heidenreich
in the middle of the secondary, the sophomore raced sixty-nine yards to the end
zone to give the visiting Midshipmen a 7-0 lead.

It took until the fourth quarter for more points to be
scored. A fumble by Charlotte set up Navy with good field position and the Midshipmen
took advantage of another defensive miscue as Alex Tecza took a simple dive
play up the middle and sprinted sixty-two yards to set the final margin for the
game.

Demetrius Knight II led Charlotte with seven total tackles
and Nikhai Hill-Green added five solo tackles and a sack. Aside from the two
long touchdown plays, the Charlotte defense stymied Navy’s triple-option offense,
forcing seven three-and-outs and eleven punts. Although the Charlotte offense
never found the end zone, Shadrick Byrd effectively ran the ball,
tallying ninety-two yards on the afternoon.

Up Next

Charlotte travels to Greenville to take on East Carolina in
the first-ever football game between the two in-state conference foes. Both
teams are looking for their first conference win of the season. Kickoff is set
for 2 pm.