Tulsa
4-8 , 2-6
ECU
4-8 , 1-7
Tulsa Closes Out Season with 49-24 Win Over ECU
11/30/2019 3:31:00 PM | Football
GAME STATS I POST-GAME NOTES I PHOTO GALLERY
GREENVILLE, N.C. –– Zach Smith passed for 5 touchdowns and Shamari Brooks rushed for 202 yards as Tulsa closed the season with a 49-24 victory over the East Carolina Pirates Saturday afternoon in front of 27,978 fans at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
Tulsa finished the season with a 4-8 overall record and 2-6 in American Athletic Conference play, while ECU closed the season also at 4-8 and 1-7 in league play.
Smith completed 21-of-30 passes for 331 yards and a new career-high of 5 TDs with those passes going for 66, 29, 4, 2 and 39 yards. Brooks averaged 12.6 yards per carry en route to his 202-yard performance.
Seven different players scored for the Hurricane as Brooks, Sam Crawford, Jr., Keenen Johnson, Keylon Stokes and Ethan Hall caught TD passes, and Corey Taylor II and TK Wilkerson scored in the run game.
Tulsa amassed 669 total yards, the most in an American Athletic Conference game for the Hurricane and the most in any game since gaining 667 yards against Louisiana on Sept. 9, 2017. Just like the passing game, the Hurricane run attack also produced over 300 yards with 338 yards on 44 carries for a 7.7 average per carry.
The Hurricane added to its 18-point halftime lead after the defense gave the Tulsa offense possession at the ECU 21-yard line. Jaxon Player caused the fumble that was recovered and returned 21 yards by Reggie Robinson. On the 4th play of the drive, TK Wilkerson raced in from 10 yards out to increase Tulsa's lead to 28-7.
ECU countered Tulsa's touchdown with a score of its own, going 75 yards in 12 plays as Holton Ahlers threw the final 3 yards to Blake Proehl for the score and cutting Tulsa's lead to 28-10 at the 6:55 mark of the 3rd period.
Tulsa responded with 2 straight scoring drives to go ahead 42-10. The first culminated in a 2-yard touchdown pass to Brooks, capping a 7-play, 58-yard drive for a 35-10 lead. Tulsa then marched 82 yards in 4 plays as Taylor's 12-yard run capped the scoring drive.
The Pirates went 78 yards in 9 plays for its 2nd touchdown of the day with 11:17 left on the game clock to cut the Tulsa lead to 42-17. Following the ECU score, the Hurricane took its 4th straight possession for a touchdown as true freshman Ethan Hall took a pass from Smith and went 39 yards the touchdown on his first career reception.
ECU closed out the scoring with 2:36 remaining on a 34-yard pass play from Ahlers to Proehl.
Tulsa had an opportunity on its first possession of the game to take an early lead after a 64-yard Brooks run to the ECU, but the Pirates held on a 4th down play.
ECU took a 3-0 lead on a 51-yard field goal at the 1:42 mark, but 0:36 later Smith connected with Sam Crawford, Jr. on a 66-yard strike down the ECU sideline to put the Hurricane ahead 7-3.
Tulsa added to its score on the next possession when the Hurricane marched 65 yards in 6 plays as Smith threw the final 29 yards for the TD and a 14-3 lead at the 12:09 mark of the 2nd quarter.
Smith threw his 3rd touchdown pass of the first half on a 4-yard toss to Keenen Johnson to cap a 92-yard, 10-play drive with 4:45 left in the first half.
At halftime, the Hurricane had put up 381 total yards on 40 plays, while the Pirates had 199 first-half yards on 39 plays. Tulsa converted 3-of-7 first downs, while the Hurricane defense held the Pirates to 0-7 on third downs.
Team Stats
TLS 0, ECU 3
ECU - VERITY, Jake 51 yd field goal 10 plays, 52 yards, TOP 3:20
TLS 7, ECU 3
TLS - CRAWFORD JR, S. 66 yd pass from SMITH, Z. (RAINEY, J. kick) 2 plays, 75 yards, TOP 0:36
TLS 14, ECU 3
TLS - STOKES, K. 29 yd pass from SMITH, Z. (RAINEY, J. kick) 6 plays, 65 yards, TOP 1:52
TLS 21, ECU 3
TLS - JOHNSON, K. 4 yd pass from SMITH, Z. (RAINEY, J. kick) 10 plays, 92 yards, TOP 5:00
TLS 28, ECU 3
TLS - WILKERSON, T. 10 yd run (RAINEY, J. kick), 4 plays, 21 yards, TOP 0:34
TLS 28, ECU 10
ECU - PROEHL, Blake 3 yd pass from AHLERS, Holton (VERITY, Jake kick) 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:45
TLS 35, ECU 10
TLS - BROOKS, S. 2 yd pass from SMITH, Z. (RAINEY, J. kick) 7 plays, 58 yards, TOP 2:45
TLS 42, ECU 10
TLS - TAYLOR II, C. 12 yd run (RAINEY, J. kick), 4 plays, 82 yards, TOP 0:50
TLS 42, ECU 17
ECU - JOHNSON, C.J. 35 yd pass from AHLERS, Holton (VERITY, Jake kick) 9 plays, 78 yards, TOP 3:14
TLS 49, ECU 17
TLS - HALL, E. 39 yd pass from SMITH, Z. (DONLEY, D. kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:41
TLS 49, ECU 24
ECU - PROEHL, Blake 34 yd pass from AHLERS, Holton (VERITY, Jake kick) 3 plays, 37 yards, TOP 1:11
