CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- — Chase Brice threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns and Appalachian State ran for 226 yards to beat East Carolina 33-19 in a season opener on Thursday night.
Holton Ahlers gave the Pirates the lead on a 63-yard touchdown pass to Keaton Mitchell early in the first quarter.
Brice engineered a pair of scoring drives, hitting Thomas Hennigan from 34 yards out to cap a seven-play, 66-yard drive, and moving 78 yards in nine plays, with Camerun Peoples scoring on a 21-yard run.
Chandler Staton kicked two second-quarter field goals, from 21 and 43 yards, to put to put the Mountaineers up 20-6 at halftime.