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East Carolina turned its season around following an October coaching change. The Pirates became bowl-eligible, and their reward was a game against an in-state rival.

North Carolina State will meet East Carolina and new coach Blake Harrell in the Military Bowl on Saturday in Annapolis, Md.

Harrell, the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach, became the Pirates’ interim head coach on Oct. 20 when the program fired Mike Houston following a 3-4 start to his sixth year in charge.

East Carolina (7-5) proceeded to win four straight games under Harrell, who had the proverbial interim tag removed before the regular season came to a close.

The Pirates were invited to the 2021 Military Bowl but saw the game canceled when their opponent, Boston College, had to withdraw for issues related to COVID-19.

“We have 12 players on our current roster that were up there last time,” Harrell told WNCT in Greenville, N.C. “We made all those preparations, didn’t quite get to play in a game, but we’re looking forward to playing this time.”

There’s double the reason to look forward to a bowl game against a nearby rival. NC State owns a 19-13 edge in the all-time series and has won the past three meetings, though East Carolina made it hard in the 2022 season opener before the Wolfpack prevailed 21-20.

The only previous time the programs met outside the state of North Carolina was at the Peach Bowl following the 1991 season. East Carolina won, 37-34.

The Wolfpack (6-6) became bowl-eligible when they defeated another rival, North Carolina, 35-30 on the final day of the regular season. NC State trailed by a touchdown entering the fourth quarter, but quarterback C.J. Bailey led the offense to three touchdowns and a field goal as the Wolfpack turned the tables.

Bailey passed for 2,183 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions in the regular season after original starting signal-caller Grayson McCall sustained a season-ending concussion and eventually announced his retirement from football.

Bailey won’t have standout receiver KC Concepcion (53 receptions, 460 yards, six TDs), who entered the transfer portal, but most of the NC State roster is primed to play.

“We look forward to playing them,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said earlier this month. “It’s a game that goes a long way back. We don’t get to play each other very often. It’s been a while.

“I don’t know how many of our players, the way rosters change anymore, are going to remember the last time we played. They’re excited to go to a bowl game.”

NC State hasn’t won a bowl game since the 2017 season, losing in four trips since then. Meanwhile, this is East Carolina’s second bowl trip in the past decade. The Pirates won in their other appearance, the 2022 Birmingham Bowl.

Katin Houser has been in charge of the ECU offense since replacing Jake Garcia under center. He’s thrown for 1,859 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine picks. He’ll be missing wide receiver and portal entrant Chase Sowell (34 receptions, 678 yards, three TDs), but still has leading receiver Anthony Smith (767 yards, six TDs on 38 catches).

Smith had a breakout season after transferring from NC State to East Carolina. He gets to wrap up the year by facing his former team.

“It’s a fresh start, and sometimes that’s all we need as individuals to kind of spark us and get us going,” Harrell said, per the Raleigh News & Observer. “Anthony has certainly done that.”

–Field Level Media