East Carolina South Florida 20-17 is the final score from a wild Friday night in Greenville, and it belongs to a kicker who had not attempted a field goal all season. Andrew Conrad drilled a 55-yard field goal as time expired to lift East Carolina past South Florida 20-17 on November 6, 2026, at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The fifth-year senior had waited all season for his chance. When it came, from 55 yards out with the game on the line, he did not miss.

The win improved East Carolina to 5-4 and 3-2 in the American Conference, while South Florida fell to 6-3 and 2-3, its second straight road loss.

Key Points

• East Carolina beat South Florida 20-17 on Friday, November 6, 2026, at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, on Andrew Conrad's 55-yard field goal as time expired.
• It was Conrad's first field goal attempt of the season; regular kicker Noah Perez was unavailable. It was his second career game-winner.
• Backup quarterback Emory Williams, in after starter Mitch Griffis left with a concussion, went 19-of-27 for 175 yards and two touchdowns, both to Landon Sides (14 catches, 126 yards).
• Ashton Gray ran 18 times for 101 yards after leading rusher T.J. Engleman left with a leg injury, and his 18-yard catch set up the winning kick.
• South Florida tied it 17-17 on Jason Collins Jr.'s 1-yard run with 9:42 left, but ECU drove for the winner.

What Happened

South Florida struck first. The Bulls drove the opening possession down the field, and quarterback Luke Kromenhoek found Bryson Rodgers for a 26-yard touchdown pass with 10:25 left in the first quarter. East Carolina answered with a 44-yard field goal from Perez, cutting the lead to 7-3, before Nico Gramatica's 30-yard kick made it 10-3. Just before half-time, Williams led a four-play, 65-yard drive in only 40 seconds, capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Sides with 31 seconds left. The teams went into the break tied 10-10.

East Carolina took its first lead after half-time. Taking over on downs at its own 32, the Pirates drove the length of the field, and Gray's 31-yard run to the South Florida 10 set up an 8-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Sides with 6:24 left in the third quarter. South Florida answered with a four-play drive, including two Crowther runs totalling 48 yards and a 27-yard heave from Kromenhoek to Dangler at the ECU 1. Collins punched it in from a yard out with 9:42 left, and the game was tied 17-17.

In a tense final stretch, East Carolina got the ball back with a chance to win it. Gray's 18-yard catch moved the Pirates into field-goal range, and Conrad trotted out for the biggest kick of his career. South Florida called a timeout to ice him, but Conrad used the stoppage to take an unofficial practice kick, and drilled the one that counted as time expired.

Background and Context

East Carolina arrived short-handed: Griffis, the starting quarterback, left with a concussion, Engleman, the leading rusher, went out with a leg injury, and lineman Karson Jones was also sidelined. Williams had to run the offence with little warning, Gray had to carry the ground game, and Conrad had to be ready for a moment that might never come. South Florida came in at 6-2, chasing a conference title under coordinator Josh Aldridge, who had held the same job for the Pirates last season.

East Carolina South Florida 20-17: Conrad's Walk-Off Winner

The story of East Carolina South Florida 20-17 is, above all, the story of a kicker who stayed ready for a season without a single attempt. Conrad had not kicked a field goal all year. Perez had handled the shorter kicks, and the Pirates had kept Conrad in reserve for long range. When the moment arrived, it was as long as it gets: 55 yards, into the night air at the east end of Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, with the clock running out.

Williams completed 19 of 27 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Sides caught 14 passes for 126 yards and both touchdowns. Gray ran 18 times for 101 yards and added three catches for 26 yards. For South Florida, Kromenhoek threw for the opening touchdown and drove the tying score.

Reactions and Quotes

Conrad spoke on the Pirate radio network after the game. "They called a timeout and I was like, 'You know what? Let's just get a snap and the kick real quick,'" Conrad said. "I felt really good about the first one, so I had all the confidence in the world going into that second one." It was his second career game-winner, four years after his 33-yarder at BYU.

Head coach Blake Harrell praised a team that kept losing starters and kept finding a way. "Our young men are just so resilient," Harrell said. "So proud of them. The next man up mentality. We always talk that it takes everybody." The backups delivered in the biggest moments.

Why It Matters

For East Carolina, the win is about more than one dramatic finish. At 5-4, the Pirates are one victory away from bowl eligibility, with a trip to Charlotte next. A team that was supposed to be broken by injuries instead showed the depth that wins in November. It also extends a four-game winning streak over South Florida.

For South Florida, the defeat is a setback with real consequences. The Bulls fell to 6-3 and 2-3, their second straight road loss, and the path to the conference championship game just got narrower. A defence that had allowed only 14.5 points per game gave up 20, and could not keep East Carolina off the field in the final minutes.

What Happens Next

East Carolina travels to Charlotte on Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+, where a win would clinch bowl eligibility. The 49ers are 1-7 and 1-3 in the American, so the Pirates will be favoured, but they must check on the health of Griffis, Engleman and Jones first. Williams, Gray and Conrad have shown they can carry the load. South Florida returns home to regroup after its second straight road defeat,

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score of East Carolina vs South Florida?
East Carolina beat South Florida 20-17 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, on a 55-yard field goal by Andrew Conrad as time expired.

Who kicked the game-winning field goal for East Carolina?
Andrew Conrad, a fifth-year senior from Kernersville. It was his first field goal attempt of the season and his second career game-winner.

Why did East Carolina use a backup kicker?
Regular kicker Noah Perez was unavailable, so Conrad, the long-range reserve, handled the kick.

Who played quarterback for East Carolina?
Backup Emory Williams, in after starter Mitch Griffis left with a concussion. He went 19-of-27 for 175 yards and two touchdowns.

Is East Carolina bowl eligible now?
Not yet. The Pirates are 5-4 and one win away. They visit Charlotte on Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

For more Friday night college football, read how SMU scored on its first eight drives in a 51-28 rout of Virginia Tech, and how Illinois clinched bowl eligibility with a 24-13 win over Nebraska.