There’s a chance this is a decent, spirited game between two North Carolina schools that know each other well – NC State is 19-13 all-time against East Carolina. This matters to the respective fan bases, but it’ll really matter more to get the 2025 season started now. On the down side, ECU started out 3-4 and was going nowhere. But that led to Blake Harrell becoming the interim head coach, the team won four straight – against four bad teams – lost to Navy, and he’s now the main man going forward. This is the program’s first bowl game since beating Coastal Carolina in the 2022 Birmingham, but it’s just the second bowl appearance since the end of the 2014 season. NC State was supposed to be a major player in the ACC race, but it never got going. It was a fight just to get here – needing to beat North Carolina in the regular season finale – but there’s a chance to do something special. The Wolfpack are 0-4 in bowls since 2017, and a victory can make this the tenth winning season in the last 11 years.
NC State vs East Carolina: How to Watch the Go Bowling Military Bowl, Game Preview
Date: Saturday, December 28, 2024 Game Time: 5:45 pm ET How To Watch: ESPN Venue: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD Teams: NC State (6-6), East Carolina (7-5) Fiu Bluesky | CFN Bluesky | CFN X | CFN FB – Bowl Schedule, Scoreboard, Predictions
Why East Carolina Will Win
There’s a little bit of continuity here. There are some missing parts – the receiving corps is a problem – but overall the lines are fine, the coach is in place, and there’s a sense that big things could be coming in the AAC next year.
This season’s team can wing it around with a good downfield passing game, the defense is solid at getting into the backfield, and the fast-tempo style could keep the Wolfpack on their heels. NC State’s lines have struggled, turnovers are a problem, and there’s no consistency on the team whatsoever. But …
Why NC State Will Win
Again, start with this when it comes to East Carolina – the wins are a tad light. It beat Temple, Florida Atlantic, Tulsa, and North Texas late in the season – hardly a bunch of killers – and this is the first game all year against a Power Four team.
NC State his hardly perfect, but there’s a decent running game that went off over the last month with 220 yards or more in three of the last four games. That might lead to the biggest overall positive – slow and steady should win this race. East Carolina only keeps the ball for around 25 minutes a game. NC State should have it around 35 minutes, and as long as it doesn’t press too much there shouldn’t be a problem because …
NC State vs East Carolina: Who Will Win?
NC State should be in command as long as the turnovers aren’t there. The Wolfpack lose a few linemen, and the receiving corps and secondary are concerns, but the Pirates losing leading receiver Winston Wright Jr. along with Chase Sowell might be bigger. Theres’s still some pop and explosion, though, and Katin Houser is a nice enough quarterback to be a problem…