GREENVILLE, N.C. – Football became fun once again for East Carolina on a Homecoming Saturday at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
 
The re-energized Pirates, playing loose and confident after a tumultuous week brought on by a coaching change, mixed some long-awaited offensive fireworks with an opportunistic defense in overwhelming Temple 56-34 to even their record at 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the American Athletic Conference.
 
ECU took the field for the first time under the direction of Blake Harrell, elevated to interim head coach on his birthday last Sunday after sixth-year coach Mike Houston's tenure ended following consecutive lopsided road losses to Charlotte and Army.
 
Harrell spent the week focused on keeping the team together, generating positive energy and rallying around the seniors.
 
"I told our guys early in the week we can't worry about the future," said Harrell, ECU's defensive coordinator for five years. "I know God has us, and he'll take care of us. That's been the message all week. We can't worry about the future; we can't worry about the past. We've got to look out the windshield and control what we can control."
 
ECU responded with its best performance of the season, pulling away from an early shootout in which Temple (2-6, 1-3 AAC), who led 21-13 before the Pirates reeled off 22 consecutive points. A 29-point third quarter and three second-half interceptions ultimately delivered the knockout.
 
"I'm just really proud of the way they went out there and played today," Harrell said. "It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it, and I hope Pirate Nation enjoyed it.
 
"I thought they went and they played free and played for each other and kept at it play after play after play."
 
For the players who have endured a disappointing start to the season and the loss of their head coach, Saturday's win delivered some welcomed celebration.
 
"We worked hard for this, and we finally showed what we could do from our preparation," said Jaden McKenzie, an Ohio State transfer who came up with an acrobatic interception in the third period. "In the beginning it was tough because it's a tough situation to go through, but I think there's a lot of grown men in that locker room, and we handled our business as such. We just overcame because you've got to adapt.  We've still got four games ahead of us, so we have to adapt, and that's what we did."
 
McKenzie joined a plethora of Pirates participating Saturday's winning production that featured eight different players finding the end zone and the most points ever scored by an ECU team in an AAC game.
 
Katin Houser, making his second start and first in front of the home fans, built on the momentum of a strong second half last week with a career-best five touchdown passes to five different receivers. Running backs Rahjai Harris and Marlon Gunn Jr. each scored, and freshman Ja'Marley Riddle gave ECU's defense its third pick-six of the year with the first of his two interceptions.
 
Harris finished with 130 yards on just 11 carries, highlighted by a 55-yard dash to set up his 4-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
 
Chase Sowell caught four passes for a team-high 117 yards, and Anthony Smith had four catches for a career-best 107 yards – ECU's first duo of 100-yard receivers since 2019 against Cincinnati.
 
Houser repeatedly took shots down the field to spark an offense that burned the Owls with six plays of at least 33 yards.
 
"That was the game plan," said Houser, who threw three second-half touchdowns against Army and now has eight in two games. "We saw their defensive look and what they had to offer. Our game plan was to go take shots. We've been doing that the past couple of games, taking shots, but we haven't been doing it consistently. I thought this game through all four quarters, we were able to put thew ball down the field and take our shots."
 
Harrell credited a rushing game that piled up a season-high 231 on 36 carries for creating opportunities through the air. Houser finished 16 of 29 for 269 yards as ECU amassed 500 total yards – just six yards shy of the season high against Norfolk State.
 
"I told (offensive coordinator) John David (Baker), 'Keep pumping that thing in there,'" Harrell said. "As a defensive coach, the best thing you want to see is your running game get going. I thought all that opened up all those guys down the field, and Katin I can't say enough good things about him right now."
 
Houser reached a career high for touchdown passes by halftime with four – connecting with four different receivers – but Temple counter-punched with the combination of quarterback Evan Simon (23-41, 294 yards, 3 TDs), running back Jerrez Worthy (20 carries, 88 yards) and receiver Ashton Allen (4 catches, 104 yards, 2 TDs).
 
Houser especially prospered on third and fourth down in the opening half, completing five of his seven tries for 107 yards and three scores.
 
His first TD pass came on the Pirates' opening possession when Smith found a gap in the middle of the Temple secondary and hauled in a perfectly thrown ball for his fourth touchdown this season and seventh of his career.
 
After Temple pulled even at 7-7, senior receiver Jhari Patterson caught flair pass in left flat, juked a couple of defenders and sprinted to the end zone for his first career score. Noah Perez missed his first PAT of the year
 
"It's really fun when we execute and play at a high level and playing fast," Patterson said. "Coach Baker, that's his whole mentality, play fast and execute. That's what we did. We just showed you what the offense could have been like all season."
 
After two Simon-to-Allen touchdowns put Temple up 21-13, Houser flipped a 9-yard, fourth-down pass to Winston Wright Jr. The Pirates then seized the momentum heading into halftime on Houser's 45-yard heave to Sowell with just 8 seconds left.
 
Harris and Gunn triggered the big third quarter before the defense joined in. Riddle's pickoff and 50-yard return put ECU up 49-28, then McKenzie's interception two plays later set up freshman Yannick Smith's first career TD catch.
 
All that remained was a Gatorade bath for Harrell in his debut and a locker room celebration.
 
"We all needed that," Harrell said. "Our players needed that. Everybody in the building needed that one. Pirate Nation needed that. Our fans needed that win.
 
"We're back to four and four with a lot of football to play.  There's light at the end of the tunnel. Let's go do it."