East Carolina found itself being doggedly pursued by Towson in the second half on Saturday night, and the Pirates did just enough to survive the chase and avoid becoming the prey on the opening night of their football season.
ECU opened the campaign with a 28-20 win that was anything but convincing and saw the home team clinging to a 14-13 edge in the third quarter following a Towson field goal. And even after that, the Tigers’ rally persisted.
First-time ECU starting quarterback Blake Kemp at times commanded the ECU offense, though it was senior tailback Chris Hairston’s 154 rush yards and four touchdowns that spelled the ultimate difference against the upset-minded Tigers.