Tulsa Grabs 29-27 Win at East Carolina to Close Out Season

Saturday, November 25

Greenville, N.C.

1:00 p.m.

Tulsa

4-8 , 2-6

East Carolina

2-10 , 1-7

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Tulsa

East Carolina

Tulsa Grabs 29-27 Win at East Carolina to Close Out Season

11/25/2023 6:42:00 PM | Football

Box Score

GAME STATS

GREENVILLE, N.C. –– Chase Meyer's 37-yard field goal with 0:01 remaining on the game clock gave Tulsa a 29-27 victory over the East Carolina Pirates Saturday in front of 29,567 fans at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

With less than three minutes remaining it was a game that looked like would end in favor of the host Pirates, but Ben Kopenski recovered a fumble on ECU's first play from scrimmage after holding Tulsa on a 4^th-and-3 at the Tulsa 24-yard line.

Tulsa ends the season with an overall 4-8 mark and 2-6 American Athletic Conference record in Kevin Wilson's first at the helm. East Carolina fell to 2-10 and 1-7 in league play.

It was a game that saw the two teams total 44 points in the first half, but just 12 in the final 30 minutes, all on field goals. Meyer knocked through two third-quarter field goals covering 28 and 26 yards before knocking through the game-winner for Tulsa's long points in the final stanza.

On Tulsa's game-clinching drive, Kirk Francis led the Hurricane 48 yards in 11 plays to the ECU 19-yard line setting up Meyer's field goal.

Francis finished the game with by completed 62% of his passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns, while finding Kamdyn Benjamin six times for 143 yards and one score. Anthony Watkins rushed for 106 yards to lead the Tulsa run game. Overall, Tulsa out-gained ECU 446 to 409 yards.

It was a pretty even first half as the hometown Pirates held a 24-20 lead at the intermission. There was just a seven-yard difference in total yardage in the first 30 minutes. ECU gained 268 yards to Tulsa's 261 while the Hurricane had more than a four-minute edge in possession time.

Tulsa opened the scoring on the first possession of the game, going 75 yards in four plays and culminating with a Francis 31-yard pass to Benjamin.

The Pirates scored the next 14 points for a 14-6 lead before Tulsa responded with two scores of their own. The first of those coming on a Bill Jackson one-yard run and the second on a Francis 15-yard toss to fellow true freshman Luke McGary.

ECU closed out the final nine minutes of the first half with a touchdown and field goal.

1^st Quarter Breakdown
•      Tulsa took the opening drive 75 yards in four plays taking just 1:26 off the clock as Kirk Francis hit Kamdyn Benjamin, however the PAT kick failed.
•      ECU responded with a 75-yard drive of its own to take a 7-6 lead at the 10:20 mark.
•      Tulsa moved down the field to the 4-yard line but a Hurricane penalty brought Tulsa back to the ECU 23-yard line … Tulsa's 46-yard field goal attempt was blocked.
•      The Pirates took possession at the Tulsa 40-yard line … after a penalty on the first play ECU's Rahjai Harris ran 50 yards for a second score and a 14-6 lead at the 4:48 mark of the period.
•      Tulsa's Dayne Hodge forced a fumble on a punt that Kanion Williams recovered the the ECU
•      The Tulsa offense took possession and went 26 yards in four plays as Francis hit Luke McGary for a 15-yard TD to make the score 14-13 after the PAT.

2^nd Quarter Breakdown
•      Tulsa took its first second quarter possession 45 yards in six plays as Bill Jackson II scored his first career touchdown on a one-yard run to retake the lead at 20-14.
•      ECU scored on the subsequent possession on a 39-yard toss into the end zone, giving the Pirates a 21-20 lead, capping a 78-yard, nine-play drive.
•      An interception at the ECU 28-yard line ended a Tulsa drive with 3:27 remaining on the first half clock.
•      After the turnover, the Pirates went on a 60-yard drive but the Hurricane defense forced ECU to settle for three points.
•      ECU went into halftime with a 24-20 lead.
•      Both teams totaled over 260 yards in the first 30 minutes, ECU 268 yards and Tulsa 261.

3^rd Quarter Breakdown
•      Tulsa's defense held ECU on its first second-half possession, while the offense drove to the Pirate 10-yard line but had to settle for a 28-yard Chase Meyer field goal to bring Tulsa to within one point at 24-23.
•      On ECU's subsequent possession, Tulsa's Demarco Jones had his second interception of the season, stopping an ECU drive at the Tulsa 25-yard line in the third quarter.
•      Tulsa proceeded to drive to the ECU nine-yard line and took a 26-24 yead on a 26-yard Chase Meyer field goal with 3:15 left in the quarter.
•      In the period, Tulsa held a 107 to 64-yard edge in total yards, while 82 of Tulsa's yardage came through the air.

4^th Quarter Breakdown
•      The two teams swapped field goals for the only 4^th quarter scoring, but it was Tulsa's that proved to be the difference in the game.
•      After Tulsa took its two-point lead, ECU took the next possession 66 yards in 11 plays but the Hurricane defense forced the Pirates to a field goal that put the home team ahead 27-26 with 12:12 remaining in the contest.
•     The teams went back-and-forth in the final quarter and what appeared would be Tulsa's last opportunity on a failed 4^th-and-3 from their own 24-yard line proved otherwise.
•     ECU took over possession with 2:31 left in the game but a fumble on the shotgun snap resulted in a Tulsa recovery by Ben Kopenski to give the Hurricane new life at their own 33-yard line.
•     Kirk Francis marched the Hurricane 48 yards in 11 plays to set up Chase Meyer's 37-yard game-winning field goal.