Pinned
Link copied
The East Carolina Pirates will be returning home after a two-game road trip. The Pirates and the Navy Midshipmen will face off in an American Athletic battle at noon ET on Saturday at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Both teams seek to continue their momentum from their previous wins.
East Carolina didn't have too much trouble with the South Florida Bulls on the road last week as they won 44-24. QB Holton Ahlers and RB Rahjai Harris were among the main playmakers for East Carolina as the former passed for three TDs and 222 yards on 26 attempts in addition to picking up 35 yards on the ground and the latter rushed for two TDs and 115 yards on 19 carries. Ahlers hadn't helped his team much against the Georgia State Panthers two weeks ago, so this was a nice turnaround for him.
Special teams collected 14 points for East Carolina. K Jake Verity delivered a perfect 3-for-3 game.
Meanwhile, Navy sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 31-29 victory over the Temple Owls last week. Navy's FB Nelson Smith looked sharp as he rushed for two TDs and 120 yards on 20 carries. That nimble footwork stands out as the first time Smith has hit the 100-yard rushing mark this season.
The Pirates found themselves the reluctant recipients of an unfortunate 42-10 punch to the gut against the Midshipmen when the two teams previously met in September of last year. Maybe East Carolina will have more luck at home instead of on the road? Watch the matchup and check back on CBS Sports for all the details.
