Harris’ two late touchdown runs, goal-line stand sends East Carolina past Tulsa 38-31

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Rahjai Harris rushed for a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns and East Carolina stopped Tulsa on the 1-yard line in the final seconds for a 38-31 win on Thursday night.

The win made ECU (6-4, 4-2 American Athletic) bowl-eligible for the second time since 2015.

Harris’ went untouched 24 yards around the left side with just over two minutes remaining and then ran over the two-point conversion. He went up the middle for a 23-yard score with 5 1/2 minutes left but a missed PAT had left the Pirates a point behind.

After Harris’ second touchdown, Tulsa (3-7, 1-5) reached the ECU 7 with 1:52 left on a 44-yard pass from Cooper Legas to Joseph Williams, but the Golden Hurricane came up a yard short of the end zone when Kamdyn Benjamin was stopped on a fourth-and-goal trying to go around the left end.

Legas and Williams teamed up for three touchdowns, the last of which was a 50-yard score early in the final period for a 31-24 lead. The two combined for a 14-yard score on Tulsa’s previous drive.

Harris finished with 114 yards rushing on 18 carries while quarterback Katin Houser, who had thrown for five touchdowns in each of his last two games, survived three interceptions while throwing for 314 yards with a touchdown and adding 43 yards on the ground.

Legas threw for 293 yards with a pick while Williams had a career-high 158 yards receiving on five catches.

ECU snapped a 17-all halftime tie on London Montgomery’s 16-yard run up the middle early in the third quarter.

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