Brawl Overshadows ECU's Military Bowl Victory

The Military Bowl between East Carolina University (ECU) and North Carolina State University (NC State) ended in a chaotic brawl, overshadowing ECU's 26-21 victory. The altercation, which resulted in a referee being injured and eight players being ejected, was sparked by ECU's Yannick Smith swiping a towel from NC State's Tamarcus Cooley. This incident marred the game, despite Rahjai Harris's heroic 86-yard touchdown run that sealed the victory for ECU. Both coaches expressed embarrassment over the incident, with NC State's Dave Doeren apologizing for his team's behavior. The rivalry will continue as the two teams are set to meet again in the 2025 season opener. The game also highlighted broader struggles for the ACC, which has underperformed in bowl games this season.