Greenville takes center stage Thursday night as East Carolina hosts Army in an American Athletic Conference matchup at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium – the only college football game on the docket.
The Pirates (2-2) open league play after a challenging non-conference slate, while the Black Knights (1-2) come to our state searching for consistency after a magical 2024 season that included a conference title. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with SportsCenter broadcasting live from Sup Dogs on Fifth Street earlier in the day.
Game Vitals
- Matchup: East Carolina Pirates (2-2) vs. Army Black Knights (1-2)
- Date/Time: Thursday, Sept. 25 | 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville, N.C.
- TV: ESPN (Matt Barrie, Tom Luginbill, Harry Lyles Jr.)
- Series History: ECU leads 8-1 (Army won 45-28 last year in West Point)
Storylines to Watch
📺 Spotlight on Greenville – ESPN will air live editions of SportsCenter from downtown Greenville (2 p.m. and 5 p.m.) before broadcasting the game nationally in primetime. The SportsCenter crew was in Charlotte last Thursday, giving North Carolina college football back-to-back showcase opportunities.
🏴☠️ ECU’s Turnover Battle – The Pirates started the year among the nation’s leaders in turnover margin, but two costly interceptions before halftime doomed them in last week’s 34-13 loss to BYU. Limiting giveaways is a must against Army’s clock-draining offense.
⚔️ Army’s QB Question – Will it be Dewayne Coleman or Cale Hellums under center? Coleman is the more experienced passer but has battled injuries. Hellums owns the program record for carries in a game (41 at Kansas State) and offers bruising run production. Either way, Army has a tough offensive style to stop when it’s humming.
📈 Houser’s Hot Hand – Since taking over as QB1 last October — against Army — ECU’s Katin Houser has thrown for 3,130 yards and 23 touchdowns. He’s already fourth nationally this year with 1,258 passing yards. He is second in our state behind Duke’s Darian Mensah (1,305 yards).
Key Players
- ECU QB Katin Houser – 68% completions, 1,258 yards, 5 TDs through four games. He’s topped 285 passing yards every week.
- ECU WR Yannick Smith – Coming off a 146-yard effort vs. BYU, he leads a deep receiving corps alongside Anthony Smith and Brock Spalding.
- Army RB Hayden Reed – Rushed for 113 yards vs. North Texas and is averaging nearly 5.0 yards per carry this season.
- Army LB Andon Thomas – The senior leads the defense in tackles and anchors a unit trying to regain its 2024 form.
Series History
East Carolina owns an 8-1 lead in the series, but the lone blemish came last October in a 45-28 defeat at West Point. That game triggered a midseason coaching change for the Pirates, with Blake Harrell elevated first to the interim role and then to permanent head coach weeks later.
What’s at Stake
- ECU: A win would open AAC play on the right foot and help the Pirates move past their missed opportunities against NC State and BYU.
- Army: A chance to stabilize a rocky start and prove its 12-win 2024 season wasn’t a one-year flash.
East Carolina enters the game as a 5.5-point favorite, per DraftKings on Wednesday. The line opened with the Pirates as 2.5-point favorites, so confidence in a home victory for the purple and gold has climbed through the week. The Massey Ratings see a closer game, with models predicting a narrow ECU victory, 24-23.
👉 Check out East Carolina’s full 2025 football schedule and also follow along Thursday night on our North Carolina Football Scoreboard Hub 🏈 for live updates.
