Sarah Cochran // Archive
Redshirt sophomore tight end Dylan Parham grabs an ECU player as tensions rise on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018 in Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack beat the Pirates 58-3.
NC State football will host East Carolina on Thursday, Aug. 28, for its season opener in Carter-Finley Stadium.
This game will mark the third time in seven years that NC State opens its season against ECU and is a rematch of the Wolfpack’s most recent game — the 2024 Military Bowl, a 26-21 loss. The Pirates are looking to pick up their second win in a row against the Pack, while NC State is looking to start the 2025 season right after a disappointing 6-7 season in 2024.
The Wolfpack and Pirates have met on the football field 33 times, and NC State leads the all-time series 19-14. While most fans would argue that this rivalry is the fiercest on the baseball diamond, it has had its fair share of classic moments on the gridiron as well.
In 2022, when the Pack and Pirates played in Greenville for the season opener, No. 13 NC State led 21-7 at halftime, but the Pirates staged a steady comeback and got very close to stealing the game. Fortunately for the Wolfpack, ECU would miss a game-tying PAT, and a few minutes later, would miss a game-winning field goal, handing the game to NC State 21-20.
Last year in the Military Bowl, NC State again found itself leading 21-20, but a late 86-yard touchdown run from ECU’s Rahjai Harris gave the Pirates a five-point lead. NC State drove down the field, but true freshman quarterback CJ Bailey’s pass was intercepted in Pirate territory. Soon followed a brawl between the two teams as emotions were flying high.
East Carolina is led by head coach Blake Harrell in his first full season as head coach of the Pirates. Harrell became the interim head coach when ECU fired previous head coach Mike Houston after a 3-4 start to the 2024 season. Under Harrell, ECU went 5-1 and finished the season with an 8-5 record, with the only loss coming to a 10-3 Navy team.
On the offensive side of the ball, ECU is led by quarterback Katin Houser. Houser played in the Pirates’ first game in 2024, but he became the ECU starter at the beginning of October against the Charlotte 49ers, and then started for the rest of the season. Houser threw for 2,006 yards, 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Sophomore London Montgomery is ECU’s projected running back. Montgomery got limited playing time in 2024 behind Rahjai Harris, but totaled 359 yards and two touchdowns. All three of the Pirates’ top receivers from last year are no longer with the team after either graduating or entering the transfer portal.
ECU’s defense was a major highlight during the 2024 season, averaging 21.2 points per game. Its biggest strength was the secondary, totaling 14 interceptions.
What might present a big weakness for this ECU team is its defensive line. In 2024, it had an inconsistent pass rush and allowed nearly 170 rushing yards per game. The Pirates’ defense also struggled without a home atmosphere, allowing more than 40 points in two straight road games against Charlotte and Army in 2024.
As the 2025 season kicks off, both of these teams will be looking to assert themselves as one of the best programs in the state of North Carolina. After the way the season ended last year, the stakes could not be higher in the rivalry.