Not even the Friday night magic of BYU and Lavell Edwards Stadium could pull the plug on East Carolina's momentum. Andrew Conrad's 33-yard field goal as time expired – a low line drive that split the goal posts – gave the Pirates a dramatic 27-24 victory in an intense, back-and-forth duel on a chilly Friday evening with snow-capped mountains in the background.

With its third win in a row and a second straight win over a team headed to the Big 12 Conference next season, ECU improved to 6-3 for the first time since 2014 and secured its eligibility for a bowl berth. BYU came in with a five-game winning streak in Friday night games and had won 23 of its last 24 Friday night games but dropped its fourth straight game this season to fall to 4-5 overall.

"I knew this was going to be a tough environment, and we were going to have to show a lot of character and courage," said fourth-year head coach Mike Houston, who recorded his 100th career win and was presented the game ball in the locker room. "We got punched in the face in the first half, but our kids never flinched and kept battling. What a performance by so many guys right there. This is a huge win for our program, on the road, in a tough environment against a really good football team."

That environment included a boisterous crowd of 55,525 in the stands-- by far the largest road crowd of the season – combined with a stiff challenge of BYU's beefy offensive line that paved the way to a nearly eight-minute advantage in time of possession. ECU countered with speed, poise and making the decisive plays at the end.

"What a win in an environment like this," said senior quarterback Holton Ahlers, who became the school's all-time leader in touchdowns responsible for with 111.

Ahlers ran for a pair of touchdowns to give him 24 for his career, which ties Shane Carden's mark. He added 197 yards passing, completing 15 of 22 passes with no interceptions. He also provided some late-game energy on the sideline as the defense came up with key stops.

"We knew coming into this it was us against the world and that little section with about 200 or 300 people," Ahlers said, referring to the group of ECU fans who traveled to Provo. "I knew we were going to have to use every energy we had. I joked with Coach Houston just now, I said, 'If we went to overtime, I don't know how much energy I would have had left."

A third overtime this season looked quite likely as ECU faced a fourth-and-9 from the BYU 48 with less than a minute to play. Houston opted to keep the offense on the field, and the Pirates picked up a first down Kaleb Hayes was flagged for pass interference on a deep ball to Isaiah Winstead.

Houston said he didn't want to punt and give BYU a final chance in regulation.

"Do you want to win the ballgame or not?" he said. "I just thought, on the road, in a tough environment, I thought if we punted it back to them, we took all of our opportunities to win away really until overtime. But you still give them an opportunity with that quarterback to win the ballgame."

Instead, the Pirates handed the ball to freshman Marlon Gunn twice to set up Conrad, who earlier hit from 28 and missed from 42. The freshman from Kernersville came through with his career-long field goal, capping off an evening of matching scores in the first half, fourth-down defensive stands in the second half and a final gamble that paid off.

"He was really ticked at himself for missing the 42-yarder," Houston said. "He hit it good, he just pushed it a little bit. I do have confidence in the kid. He's a gutsy little kid, and he's going to be a really good player."

Conrad's opportunity came thanks in part to another big night from Keaton Mitchell, who cranked out 176 yards on 20 carries for his fifth 100-yard game this season and 11th of his career. Mitchell broke loose for nine runs of at least 10 yards, including three of at least 21.

"All week the coaches were telling us we had to beat them with speed," Mitchell said. They were big up front. You just can't stop speed."

BYU rushed for 244 yards – more than double the 112.4 yards the Pirates have allowed this season but failed on two big fourth-down attempts. The Pirates stuffed a fourth-and-2 play at the 12 early in the fourth quarter then stopped quarterback Jaren Hall on a keeper on fourth-and-1 with 6:47 to play.

"You almost don't believe it when it happens, but it's just our guys," Houston said of his defense, which has turned in five goal-line stands this season. "That quarterback sneak, it was fourth and a yard, and they've been very efficient at that all year, but I thought our guys were able to get the call really quick and knew it was coming. They did a great job of getting underneath the BYU offensive line which was much bigger and stopped the quarterback just short."

There was little stopping either team early as each scored on three first-half possessions to go to the break in a 17-17 tie.

The Cougars took a 3-0 lead on their opening drive, benefiting from a fourth-down roughing penalty before settling for a 36-yard field goal from Jacob Oldroyd.

ECU quickly answered with Mitchell ripping off runs of 11 and 10 yards before scoring on a 31-yard dash.

BYU drove 92 yards in 10 plays to regain the lead, converting three third downs along the way. An offsides penalty cost the Pirates' a fumble recovery after Hall coughed up the ball on a hit from Chad Stevens. Lopini Katoa, who rushed for 116 yards, got loose on a 24-yard run for the score and a 10-7 lead.

ECU once again countered, moving into BYU territory on a 52-yard strike from Ahlers to Jsi Hatfield before Conrad booted a 28-yard field goal.

Hall used both his legs and arm to put the Cougars up 17-10, scrambling on consecutive runs of 15 and 23 yards before hooking up with Puca Nacua for a 30-yard touchdown.

ECU averted near disaster on the ensuing kickoff by pouncing on a fumble, then scored on a 1-yard keeper by Ahlers. Mitchell's 35-yard run sparked the drive.

The trading of punches continued in a third quarter that featured just three possessions. Hall tossed a 2-yard pass to Chase Roberts for the score, giving him 21 touchdown passes on the season and putting the Cougars up 24-17.

ECU tied it at 24-24 on a 4-yard run by Ahlers following a 26-yard pass to C.J. Johnson and a 21-yard run by Mitchell.

That's when the defenses made their stands. BYU gambled on fourth down from the 12, opting not to kick a field goal, and was stopped, After Conrad missed from 42, the Pirates stopped another fourth-down try but were then turned away at the 9.

ECU's defense then forced a punt to give the offense and Conrad one last shot.

"That may be the ugliest game-winning field goal in history," Houston said. "We may have topped Tennessee (in its win over Alabama) on that one, but it doesn't matter. It went through the uprights."