LYNCHBURG, VA — East Carolina was unable to finish on a strong start as host Liberty rallied for a 35-24 win on Saturday night — and Sunday morning — at Williams Stadium.
For the second straight week, the Pirates had a multiple-possession lead but were unable to maintain it.
The Flames overcame a 17-0 deficit to go ahead, 21-17 on a 14-yard scoring pass from Kaidon Salter to Reese Smith with 2:52 left in the third quarter.
The previous week, Appalachian State came back after trailing, 16-0, to edge ECU, 21-19, in Greenville.
“We had, once again, every chance in the world to win that ball game,” said ECU coach Mike Houston on the Pirate radio network “We didn’t make the plays — and we have to.”
After the Flames had taken a lead on Sunday morning, Winston Wright Jr. had a 33-yard kickoff return compounded by a personal foul on Liberty to start the Pirates at their 48. Rahjai Harris went into the end zone seven plays later from two yards out to give ECU a 24-21 lead with 41 seconds left in the third quarter.
Smith’s third scoring catch covered 15 yards from Salter and put the hosts ahead 28-24 with 8:10 remaining.
Harris lost a fumble at the Liberty 23 with 6:03 to go. Smith dropped a 57-yard pass in the end zone with 3:26 left. The Flames converted a 4th-and-2 from the ECU 38 with 2:24 left.
Quinton Cooley helped Liberty to a 35-24 lead with a 21-yard scoring run at the two-minute mark.
Garcia was picked off on ECU’s last series, his ninth interception of the season.
Liberty won its 11th home game in a row.
The Flames improved to 4-0 as the Pirates slipped to 2-2 going into their American Athletic Conference opener against Texas San Antonio on Saturday at 4 p.m. in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
After a weather delay of about 4 1/2 hours with the Flames in a punting situation with 13:35 left in the first quarter, Garcia drove the Pirates 68 yards in 10 plays to score on an 8-yard scramble.
Garcia spun out of the grasp of a defender in the pocket before diving across the goal line with 9:52 left in the first quarter. Garcia hit Chase Sowell for 42 yards to the Liberty 19. Andrew Conrad kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
ECU’s third possession culminated with a Luke Larsen punt that went out of bounds at the Liberty 1. The hosts lost the ball at their 1-yard line on second down and D.J. Johnson Jr. recovered to set up a 1-yard scoring run by Marlon Gunn Jr with 3:18 in the first period.
A 33-yard punt return by Brock Spalding to the Liberty 40 provided good field position for the Pirates late in the opening quarter. The series finished with a 35-yard field goal by Conrad for a 17-0 lead with 11:52 to go in the half.
Conrad was wide right from the right hash from 25 yards with 9:25 left in the half after an interception return of 35 yards by Isaiah Brown-Murray and a personal foul penalty put ECU at the Flames 7-yard line.
Liberty moved 80 yards in 12 plays after the missed field goal to reduce the lead to 17-7 on a 14-yard scoring A pass from Salter to Elijah Canion with 2:53 in the half.
A midnight timer shut down the stadium lights momentarily with 2:17 to go in the half.
Halftime, on Sunday morning, was shortened because of the late restart after the delay.
The Flames took the second half kickoff and drove 75 yards in 11 plays to pull within 17-14 on Salter’s 17-yard pass to Smith with 9:16 left in the third quarter.
Garcia completed 20 of 36 for 204 yards, Chase Sowell had five catches for 72 yards.
Liberty led 414-331 in total yards. The Flames converted 13 of 17 third downs.
With what now appears to be a very ordinary back end on defense, the Pirates are in trouble. It’s clear no one currently on the depth chart can provide the lockdown coverage of SR, #28. Time after time Liberty completed 3rd down conversions without anyone from ECU being in the same Zip Code. The defensive scheming has been changed to keep from getting beat over-the-top. Consequently, the the first down stick is basically undefended. Any team with a decent passing game will keep the Pirate “D” on the field, as proven by the Flames.
As a result, the Pirate offense is kept off the field. This means less possessions, and ramps up the pressure to score big EVERY time you have the ball. After four games, it’s obvious the Pirates “O” is not yet up to the task. Garcia is, and will continue to be, a work in progress. The receiving corp also is short on “game” experience within a new system, with QB and receivers trying to get on the same page. This will not get easier as the Pirates move on to conference play.
Bottom line, If ANYONE on the roster can provide a semblance of the coverage given by Revel, he needs to be playing. The Pirates “D” has lost its’ identity. I think that is far more troublesome than the work-in-progress offense currently on display.
It is hard to watch the Pirates defensive backfield . Someone needs to look at Liberty defensive scheme with their backs . They are tight on our receivers and we gain little yardage after the intial catch in most pass attempts . We are getting out coached and it is time to evaluate our quarterback situation . He has been below average .
I was at the game and I concur. Every team remaining on the schedule will use Liberty’s game plan to beat us.
With an experienced team- when will we make the plays when needed? We hear this after every game- “we had chances but did not make the play”. We start strong but then go dormant and can’t do anything. It is not all about losing #28- yes it hurts but what happened against App? Our conditioning did not match Liberty. They got stronger and we faltered. ECU has potential- it is now up to coaching. Liberty made adjustments to move the ball- ECU did not. 2 weeks in a row we start strong and then it just stops.
I cannot add to what has already been said, except to suggest that the home game this Sat., in which ECU is actually slightly favored (surprisingly, in my view) vs. their first conference foe this year and a team that has been very good in recent history, has got to be considered to be a MUST WIN. Short of that, nothing can be considered as having changed in this program from the debacle that was 2023; a reckoning would be sorely in order.