Mitchell’s 200-yard game helps ECU to 3rd straight win

The Pirates scored the game's first 24 points on their way to a 52-29 win over Tulane

East Carolina's Keaton Mitchell carries the ball during the Pirates' 52-29 win Saturday over Tulane in Greenville. (Scott Davis / The Daily Reflector via AP)

GREENVILLE — Keaton Mitchell rushed for a career-high 222 yards and two touchdowns, Holton Ahlers threw for 288 yards and a pair of touchdowns and East Carolina defeated Tulane 52-29 on Saturday.

Mitchell took a hand off 68 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown and also had a 62-yard gain from scrimmage on his first carry of the game. He carried the ball 15 times, averaging 14.8 yards per carry for East Carolina (3-2, 1-0 American Athletic Conference).

Mitchell had performances of 125 and 135 yards in the Pirates previous two games and had gone over 100 yards twice in 2020.

The Green Wave (1-4, 0-1) came from 24-0 down with a flurry of points to get within eight, 31-23, late in the third after a Cameron Carroll touchdown and Michael Pratt ran for the two-point conversion, crashing through a defender at the goal line.

Pratt was 22 of 36 passing for 268 yards but threw three interceptions. Carroll gained 80 yards rushing on nine carries. Pratt scored two rushing touchdowns.

Tyler Snead had four catches for 78 yards for East Carolina, contributing to the big-play offense with a 53-yard touchdown reception.