GREENVILLE — It was not Owen Daffer’s day.
The hero of last year’s 38-35 win at Navy, Daffer went on scholarship after a game-winning, game-ending 54-yard field goal against the Midshipmen.
His 41-yard attempt with five seconds to go against N.C. State in the season opener on Saturday was well within his range. But he pushed it to the right and the No. 13 Wolfpack left Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium with the gift of a 21-20 win after failing to score in the second half.
Daffer had missed an extra point with 2:58 to go that would have tied the score at 21.
He pulled the conversion attempt to the left and doused the hopes of Pirate faithful among a stadium record crowd of 51,711 by overcorrecting and sending the potential game winning field goal wide right.
“There’s not a whole lot to say,” said fourth-year Pirates coach Mike Houston, who lost his first game at ECU in 2019 by a 34-6 margin at State. “The kids fought their tails off.”
Down 21-7 at the half, the Pirates got a defensive stop to start the second half and drove 79 yards to pull within 21-14 on a 1-yard play-action pass from Holton Ahlers to Shane Calhoun with 5:17 left in the third quarter.
The Pirates made a pair of defensive stops deep in the red zone to keep within striking distance.
Gerard Stringer recovered a fumble caused by Myles Berry that stopped State’s first possession of the final period at the ECU 1.
The Pack went for a 4th-and-goal at the ECU 1 on its next possession, but a swarm of Pirates drove Demie Sumo-Karngbaye back for a loss.
ECU turned the ball over on downs at the NCSU 45 with 5:48 remaining but Jireh Wilson intercepted and made a 34-yard return to the State 27. Rahjai Harris got into the end zone from three yards out with 2:58 left.
After Daffer missed the conversion, the ECU defense gave him a shot at redemption. Houston used his last two timeouts during a three-and-out and the Pirates got the ball back at their 29 with 2:27 to go.
Ahlers had a 37-yard completion to Keaton Mitchell along the north sideline to put the ball at the State 31. Ahlers kept for nine yards to the 24 before the field goal unit rushed on. Pack coach Dave Doeren called time because he had two banged-up players.
The Pirates finished with a 383-344 lead in total yards and had more possession time, 32:18 to 27:42. ECU finished nine of 17 on third-down conversions while State was four for 13. ECU did not yield a sack and committed just two penalties for 20 yards.
Ahlers completed 25 of 41 passes for 274 yards with two TDs and two picks. He led the Pirates’ ground game with four carries for 48 yards.
C.J. Johnson finished with six catches for 90 yards and Isaiah Winstead had six receptions for 53 yards.
“We should have won the ball game,” Houston said. “We dominated them physically in the second half. … We’ve got a good football team.”
ECU looks to regroup for next Saturday’s 6 p.m. contest at home against Old Dominion, a 20-17 winner on Friday night in Norfolk over Virginia Tech.
Ahlers and his N.C. State counterpart, Devin Leary, who roomed together at a quarterback camp this past summer, traded touchdown passes in the first quarter,
Ahlers hit former D.H. Conley teammate C.J. Johnson for a 39-yard score with 10:03 left. Leary’s answer covered 12 yards to Thayer Thomas with 2:40 to go in the opening period.
State went up, 14-7, when Sean Brown recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown with 1:34 left in the first.
The Wolfpack lined up to go for it on 4th-and-8 at the ECU 40 on a possession following Ahler’s second interception but opted to punt after a Pirates timeout with 7:33 left in the half. Shane McDonough’s punt was downed at the ECU 1-yard line.
Mitchell bolted for 28 yards on 2nd-and-10. The possession stalled on the subsequent series of downs and the visitors responded with an 85-yard drive capped by a 24-yard scoring run by Sumo-Karngbaye with 1:09 left in the half for a 21-7 State lead.
The Pirates were working on consoling Daffer after the frustrating conclusion.
“I believe in him,” Ahlers said. “I’ve been through a lot here, too. … We’re going to need him if we’re going to win the American.”
Robert Jones, a linebacker on ECU’s 1991 team that topped State, 37-34, in the Peach Bowl watched his alma mater put forth an inspired effort after halftime. The 1991 Pirates lost their first game, but did not lose again, finishing 11-1.
“Either State is not No. 13, or we can play on that level,” said Jones, a Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys.
Pirates flying around, scratching, fighting, that was their goal line and they were not going to surrender it! Never been so proud of a bunch. 2 penalties, are you kidding me? The aggression without chippy attitude is intimidating to the opponent. Things are different in Greenville, 10 wins this year!
I certainly hope you are right, and I think after the game, State has more question marks and soul searching to do. They came in a 12 point favorite and ranked #13, and left wondering if they are really that good. I think the Pirates look more like a true Mike Houston team each game. ECU has some special team issues to address but the program has to feel good about itself and the prospects for a successful season after this overall solid effort. Lets just forcus on ODU for now.
I’m shocked that State didn’t try pounding the ball a lot more, and that 4th and goal try to go up by two scores late was really dumb. Basically, I think that State coaching was helpful to the Pirates, but that’s not meant to take one iota away from their truly gritty, courageous performance. My guess is that as good as Coach Houston might’ve felt about his team before the game, he felt even better about them afterward.
Based on the line, was State overrated, ECU underrated or both? I’m thinking both.
I always think that we can beat state. We have so many times in the past, but after learning that they were ranked 13th in the country, I must admit that my faith was a little questionable. I am really proud of how we played and disappointed that we did not win. BUT…. this is our first game against a good team. I am confident that we are going to sink some ships along the way. GOOO….PPIRATES!!!