GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Katin Houser threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Payton Mangrum with 68 seconds remaining as East Carolina rallied to beat Memphis 31-27 on Saturday.
Houser led East Carolina (7-3, 5-1 American Conference) on a 75-yard drive in six plays, connecting with Mangrum for a 31-yard touchdown. He completed 23 of 34 passes for 332 yards.
On Memphis’ next possession, Ayden Duncanson and Josh Benton stuffed Frank Peasant on a critical fourth-and-1 run. The Pirates took over at their own 18-yard line with 5:49 left to play. However, four plays later, Everett Roussaw Jr. forced a Houser fumble, and Pooda Walker recovered it at the East Carolina 24. The Tigers capitalized with a 30-yard field goal by Gianni Spetic, regaining a 27-24 lead with 2:29 remaining.
East Carolina struck first, taking a 7-0 lead on its second possession when London Montgomery scored on a 1-yard run. Memphis (8-3, 4-3) responded early in the second quarter with Brendon Lewis’ 5-yard touchdown pass to Matt Adcock on fourth-and-3, tying the game.
The Tigers took their first lead after Sutton Smith raced 84 yards on a first-down run for a touchdown. Nick Mazzie and Gianni Spetic exchanged field goals over the final 2:19 of the half, sending Memphis into halftime leading 17-10.
Houser scored on a 1-yard run just three minutes into the third quarter to tie the game at 17-all. Lewis then gave Memphis a 24-17 lead on a 7-yard touchdown run, but Montgomery responded with a 23-yard scoring run to tie it again after three quarters.
Montgomery finished the game with 103 yards on 27 carries. Lewis totaled 209 yards, completing 32 of 43 passes, while Sutton Smith rushed for 109 yards on just seven carries.
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