Behind an MVP performance from quarterback Holton Ahlers, East Carolina University defeated Coastal Carolina University 53-29 in the 2022 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at Protective Stadium. Ahlers threw a bowl-record five touchdown passes and ran for one more. First-team All-American Athletic Conference running back Keaton Mitchell led the Pirates in rushing with 127 yards and a touchdown.
TicketSmarter wants to thank the Pirates and Chanticleers, as well as their fans, who made the 16th TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl a fun and engaging event. We also want to thank our partners ESPN Events, Bowl Season, the City of Birmingham and the Monday Morning Quarterback Club.
Below, we have compiled a few more highlights from the 2022 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl.
Scoring Summary
East Carolina jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter after a 28-yard field goal from Andrew Conrad and a 27-yard pass from Ahlers to Isaiah Winstead. Coastal Carolina took the lead with a pair of rushing touchdowns in the second quarter, but East Carolina charged back to score 21 straight points which included a second connection between Ahlers and Winstead.
CCU added two more touchdowns in the second half, but ECU charged ahead with three and even added a two-point conversion on the final score to push the lead to 24 points. ECU finished with 486 yards of total offense to CCU’s 337.
Coastal Carolina quarterback Jarrett Guest, who subbed in for an injured Grayson McCall in the second quarter, led the Chanticleers with 136 passing yards and one touchdown to Tyler Roberts. Reese White, CJ Beasley and McCall each ran for a touchdown as well.
On the ECU side, Ahlers threw touchdowns to C.J. Johnson, Jaylen Johnson and Shane Calhoun in addition to Winstead’s two grabs.
Bowl Season Continues
The College Football Playoff National Championship is set for Jan. 9 with Texas Christian University and undefeated Georgia. Get your College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T tickets now to see who takes home the title this year.
