ECU Hammered 58–24 at UTSA: Pirates Overmatched from the Opening Kick

Photo Credit: Stephen Igoe, Hoist The Colours

East Carolina walked into the Alamodome knowing exactly what UTSA’s reputation is under Jeff Traylor — nobody in the American has beaten the Roadrunners there. That streak didn’t end Saturday. The Pirates were overwhelmed from the jump, falling 58–24 in their worst performance of the season.

Afterward, Blake Harrell didn’t hold anything back about what went wrong.

“Hats off to Coach Traylor and UTSA, they clearly whipped our tails today,” Harrell said. “I talked to our team, we gotta control us and this might be the first time all year we didn’t.”

A Meltdown That Started Early

UTSA blitzed ECU with explosive plays, tempo, and physicality right away, sprinting to a 31–0 lead and never letting the Pirates catch their breath. ECU couldn’t protect, couldn’t stop the run, and couldn’t get off the field on third down. The Roadrunners did whatever they wanted offensively.

The Pirates didn’t help themselves either, racking up 12 penalties for 120 yards, many of them coming at the worst possible times.

One moment that set the tone came just before halftime, when UTSA ran a fake kneel and scored on ECU.

Harrell didn’t dodge responsibility.

“That’s on us, we gotta be better prepared for it. You gotta know that’s coming,” Harrell said.

Offense Never Found a Rhythm

ECU finally mustered a little life in the second half, but the hole was already massive.
Katin Houser threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns, but UTSA’s pass rush and pressure forced mistakes and stalled drives. Houser admitted this one stung.

“We didn’t play hard enough. We tried to come back but at that point it was too far gone,” Houser said.
“They didn’t surprise us with anything. We didn’t execute.”

Anthony Smith had a monster day with 8 catches for 143 yards and a TD, and Jayvontay Conner added 4 for 55 and a score, but big plays didn’t translate into sustained drives.

Defense Overrun by UTSA’s Tempo

ECU’s defense has been a strength all year, but UTSA shredded the Pirates with speed, motion, and chunk gains. The Roadrunners piled up points before the Pirates even settled in.

Linebacker Donte Johnson led the defense with 10 tackles, and Jack Riddle added 7, but the group had zero sacks and just three TFLs, a clear sign of how out of rhythm the Pirates were.

Harrell summed it up bluntly:

“Your past can build you confidence but can’t make you a play. Our players know they had their tales whipped, so I know they will bounce back.”

A Chance to Regroup Before the Finale

The Pirates didn’t look like themselves tonight, and they know it.
But the season isn’t done. ECU still has a chance to finish with eight wins and set up an intriguing bowl matchup.

Houser made it clear the team won’t quit.

“We still have a game next week and a bowl game… we’re gonna prepare better so we don’t feel this again.”