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NC State to play East Carolina in Military Bowl

image_6483441 (3)by:Noah Fleischman•12/08/24•

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Dave Doeren
Nov 30, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doreren leaves the field after the game at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

NC State is headed north this month for its bowl game. The Wolfpack was tabbed to play East Carolina in the Military Bowl on Dec. 28 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. 

This marks the Pack’s fifth straight bowl appearance under coach Dave Doeren and the program’s first-ever trip to the Military Bowl. 

“We are excited to be headed to the Military Bowl and to compete in an event that benefits our nation’s current and former service members,” Doeren in a statement. “We appreciate the Military Bowl Foundation for inviting us and are looking forward to a great game.’

NC State’s bout with ECU will be the 33rd all-time meeting between the two teams. The Wolfpack holds a three-game winning streak over the Pirates, including a 21-20 win in Greenville to open the 2022 season. This will not be the first time the two programs have met in the postseason. NC State lost to ECU 37-34 in the 1992 Peach Bowl in Atlanta. 

The two teams are also scheduled to open the 2025 campaign against each other on Aug. 30 inside Carter-Finley Stadium. 

NC State needed a season-finale win over UNC to punch its ticket to bowl eligibility, which it earned with a 35-30 victory in Chapel Hill. ECU, meanwhile, won four of its last five games with interim coach Blake Harrell, who has since been promoted to the Pirates’ full-time head coach, to reach the postseason 

ECU (7-5,5-3 AAC) knocked off Temple, FAU, Tulsa and North Texas before it lost to Navy in its final regular season game. 

The Pirates leaned on former Michigan State quarterback Katin Houser, who threw for 1,859 yards with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions over his eight appearances this fall. Former NC State wide receiver Anthony Smith, who transferred to ECU in the offseason, led the Pirates with 38 receptions for 767 yards with six touchdowns. 

NC State has appeared in eight bowl games under Doeren, but NC State has not won in the postseason since it beat Arizona State 52-31 in the 2017 Sun Bowl. The Wolfpack lost to Kansas State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl last season.

The Pack has also played in the Belk, Duke’s Mayo, Gator, Independence, and St. Petersburg Bowls during Doeren’s tenure. 

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