ECU Coach Searches For Answers After NC State Loss

RALEIGH -- Beating NC State in back-to-back games was always going to be a tall task for East Carolina head coach Blake Harrell. In just his seventh game as a collegiate head coach, going against Dave Doeren in his 13th season with the Wolfpack, Harrell came up just short with the Pirates falling 24-17 in the season opener.

The Pirates beat NC State in the 2024 Military Bowl shortly after Harrell became the permanent head coach in Greenville. The Wolfpack sought revenge all offseason long, but the Pirates didn't go quietly.

After a brutal, failed fourth-down attempt to ice the game, Harrell searched for answers as to what went wrong after the matchup.

ECU Pirate — Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; East Carolina Pirates quarterback Katin Houser (4) passes the ball to running back Marlon Gunn Jr. (21) during the second half of the game against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

What Did Harrell Say After the Game?

On small mistakes and self-inflicted mistakes which caught up

Harrell: "Those are obviously game one things, but you don't want those to happen against a good football team and you get your tail beat like it did tonight. But we've got to get those things cleaned up. The snap over the head, and then some of the penalties defensively, the late hit on the quarterback, I guess, and then the PI in the end zone, cost you points.

"We get a third down, down here when it's 3-0. And, you know, he runs the ball. We just have to be smarter and do a better job there and hold them to a field goal. Then it's 6-0, and field goals won't get you, but touchdowns will. And obviously, touchdowns got us beat tonight."

On the inability to run the ball against the NC State defense

Harrell: "In the bowl game, I think we rushed for a pretty good amount. They got some looks in the bowl game that just kind of gave you some third-down looks that we run the football against. Obviously, the big run at the end of the game there, and we popped some other ones in there too, but they were pretty sound tonight.

"Obviously (DJ Eliot) did a great job with the defense and bringing some new pieces in there and they were really sound. Some of that, too, is just when they go three and out, we get behind the sticks and we don't get them tired. And they can be fresh, and they can get their third-down package in. Everything plays into their hand, rather than us having an advantage."

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren walks out during the warmups prior to the game against East Carolina Pirates at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

On falling behind in the first half

Harrell: "I think we let the crowd maybe affect us a little bit. We go to Annapolis, you know, eight months ago, our crowd was bringing the energy, and we didn't do a great job of that early in the game. We've got to do a better job of that.

"Some of that comes with success and moving the sticks. You know, when you're getting three and out, three and out, you kind of pause a little bit. But we've got to do a better job of playing ahead of the sticks. We missed some blocks on the perimeter. That was probably the biggest area that, got us behind the sticks, on the offensive side of the ball, is the blocking on the perimeter. We've got to do a better job there."

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @WolfpackOnSI and @SennettTucker for more about NC State and ECU's week 1 matchup.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.