Chaston Ditta threw two second-half touchdown passes, and East Carolina overcame an inadvertent whistle that negated a long touchdown in a 23-17 victory over Pittsburgh in the Military Bowl on Saturday.

ECU faced fourth-and-1 from its own 32 in the third quarter when Marlon Gunn Jr. shed a couple of tacklers and went all the way to the end zone. That would have put the Pirates up 17-7, but the play was called back because of a whistle, and Gunn was credited with a 14-yard gain instead.

Two plays later, Ditta fumbled on a sack by Pitt’s Rasheem Biles, who recovered the ball and returned it 23 yards to the end zone to give the Panthers a 14-10 lead.

The Pirates rebounded quickly when Ditta threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Smith, and ECU led the rest of the way.

Down by six in the fourth, Pittsburgh was driving when Mason Heintschel’s pass was intercepted by Kevon Merrell — the Panthers’ fifth turnover of the game — and run back 70 yards to the Pitt 15. A field goal pushed the lead to nine.

The Panthers managed a field goal with 1:23 left to make it a one-possession game, but an onside kick was unsuccessful. Pitt had enough timeouts to force a punt, and the Panthers took over at their own 20 with 57 seconds left.

An offensive pass interference penalty derailed that last-ditch drive.

Ditta started this game after ECU quarterback Katin Houser announced recently he was entering the transfer portal. The Pirates (9-4) also lost their offensive and defensive coordinators, but they took advantage of four Pitt fumbles.

The Panthers (8-5) also turned the ball over on downs twice.

The first quarter was played almost entirely in Pitt territory, but ECU’s Nick Mazzie was well short on a 51-yard field-goal attempt. The Pirates then recovered a fumble at the Pitt 27 but ended up turning the ball over on downs themselves.

ECU led 3-0 when Pitt finally produced a successful drive, taking a 7-3 advantage when Heintschel threw a 22-yard scoring pass to Raphael Williams Jr. with four seconds remaining in the half.

The Panthers started the second half with the ball, but a fumble by Heintschel gave ECU possession, and on the very next play, Ditta found Smith for a 47-yard touchdown.

The takeaway

Pitt: It was the final game for defensive coordinator Randy Bates, who is retiring after more than four decades in coaching. His defense gave up a couple of big plays but also produced a touchdown of its own. Holding ECU to 23 points was pretty good considering the Pirates started seven drives in Pitt territory.

ECU: It was a stellar performance by the defense, which had five takeaways and four sacks. The Pirates won the Military Bowl for a second consecutive year.

Up next

Pitt: Heintschel is a freshman, and so is Ja’Kyrian Turner (93 yards on 16 carries Saturday), so despite this loss, the Panthers could have a lot to look forward to.

ECU: The Pirates have a lot to replace, but this effort was a positive sign.

With the pews packed, children felt the holiday cheer from inside Eastminster Presbyterian Church. 

It’s a spirit of giving that fills a room for those who’ve had an important part of their lives stolen.

“When my son was murdered, he was a student at Carnegie Mellon University, and he came home on Christmas break and was senselessly murdered,” said Adrienne Young, founder of the non-profit organization Tree of Hope. 

Young’s son, Javon Thompson, was killed, and one month later, his daughter, Tajaya Thompson, was born. That loss propelled Young to start her nonprofit. Now, for the last 26 years, she’s hosted a Christmas event for the children of parents lost to violence.

“It takes a whole village,” Young said. “And it does really take a whole village for these children that are being left behind.”

This annual event creates a moment of grace and giving with food and free toys.

“And we want to make sure that they have a good Christmas,” Young said.

During this year’s event, Tajaya Thompson received a gift from her dad.

“You know about your dad, but what you didn’t know was that he had $2,000 left in his bank account,” Young said. “Throughout the years, we spent way more than that. But we want to present you with the $2,000 that he had left in his account.”

For the Tree of Hope and Young, it’s about proving that when violence takes place, the community gives back. She’s truly shining a light in the darkest times for those who were forever changed by tragedy.

“We’ve had tragedy strike our family quite a few times. But each time, I say that there is something that we can do to make things better,” said Young.

Young said the nonprofit took off due to the help of Carnegie Mellon University and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Now, it continues with the help of state Senator Jay Costa and UPMC.