This is the type of win that can save a season.

Down 17 points and appearing on their way to an 0-3 start, a never-say-die East Carolina team staged a remarkable rally Saturday night to stun Marshall 42-38 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. The Pirates (1-2) reeled off the final 21 points in the last 7:31, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 55 seconds to go then sealing it on Ja'Quan McMillan's ninth career interception at the 1 with just 6 seconds to play. ECU's victory snapped a Marshall streak of winning 21 consecutive games when scoring at least 30 points.

"This team's got a lot of fight in us," said quarterback Holton Ahlers, who had running and receiving touchdowns to go along with a pair of scoring passes. "We're not just going to lay down. I told the guys that. We're down 17, we're not just going to lay down. We're going to figure out who we are here, and that's what we did tonight."

The comeback was especially gratifying after an opening-season loss to Appalachian State and letting a 14-point lead get away last week as South Carolina prevailed 20-17 on a field goal as time expired. Despite the daunting circumstances, third-year head coach Mike Houston sensed his team being battle tested could come to fruition against a Marshall team that had coasted to easy wins over Navy and N.C. Central by a combined score of 93-17.

"You had a sense at halftime it was going to come down to the last play," Houston said. "… I felt like of we got them to the fourth quarter; they have not had to play a complete game all year. We've been in two dogfights; they've been done by the end of the third. That's what happened. We got it to the fourth, our kids were in better shape, better conditioning. We got the momentum, and then guy after guy made just really gutsy plays down the stretch."

In fact, there were standout individual performances on both sides, but staggering offensive numbers comes as no surprise in the series that dates back to 1967. The last three meetings featured a pair of overtimes and an average 90.7 points per game. On Saturday, the two offenses churned out 1,218 total yards -- Marshall had 647; ECU 571. Explosion plays ruled the night. The Herd, who did not have a scoring drive more than 2:40, racked up 13 plays of at least 15 yards with six covering at least 34 yards. The Pirates had 17 plays of at least 12 yards, including 10 passes of 20 yards or more.

Ahlers, a junior from Greenville facing scrutiny by some fans after the offense sputtered in the two opening losses, completed 30 of 47 passes for 368 yards for his 11th career 300-yard game and was not intercepted. He was sacked five times but showed a quicker release and spread the ball to eight different receivers.

Most of all, he justified his head coach sticking with him through a trying start to the year.

"For all the hate and all the negativity and everything he took this past week, I would hope that he shut all of them the hell up," Houston said. "He had a heck of a night. I said it last week in my news conference; he's our quarterback. There's a competition everywhere, but we're going to put the guys on the field that give us the best chance to win, and he gives us the best chance to win, and he played like it tonight."

Ahlers especially showed his grit in the fourth quarter when he completed 13 of 19 passes for 151 yards to direct the comeback. He scored two of the touchdowns on a 5-yard run and a 27-yard pass from receiver Tyler Snead – his second TD pass in as many weeks.

"We knew we were going to have to score," Ahlers said. "It was good to get back to that. The last couple of weeks have not been what we wanted, but this week we came out here and put a good performance together."

They needed to try to keep pace with the Thundering Herd and quarterback Grant Wells, who completed 24 of 39 passes for 433 yards with one touchdown but was picked off twice. Rasheen Ali, who had just 98 yards on 22 carries coming in, torched the ECU defense for 189 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries.

Corey Gammage emerged as Wells' top target with eight catches for 180 yards but had a critical first-half fumble at the 2 that resulted in a touchback.

ECU countered with running back Keaton Mitchell rolling up a career-high 135 yards on 13 carries, including an 88-yard touchdown run in the first half. Tight end Shane Calhoun, who did not have a catch through two games, finished with a team-high eight receptions for 114 yards and one score.

"He's a big body, and he has really good hands," Ahlers said of Calhoun. "He made a name for himself tonight."

It took the efforts of Calhoun and a host of others to rescue the Pirates, who trailed 24-21 at the half but were staring at a 38-21 deficit after a pair of third-quarter Marshall touchdowns.

The uphill climb started after Marshall failed on a fourth-and-2 from the Pirates' 22 with 12:04 to play. A pedestrian 12-play, 78-yard drive followed, capped by Ahlers' 5-yard keeper right up the gut to make it 38-28 with 7:31 to go.

The Herd then breathed even more life into the Pirates when 27-year-old freshman Andrew Sanders hooked a 31-yard field goal attempt left of the upright with 4:47 to play. Ahlers sandwiched four pass completions around a 15-yard run before snaring a pass from Snead in the left flat and rumbling 27 yards to the end zone, diving to extend the ball over the pylon before he landed out of bounds.

With 2:31 to play, Houston opted for an onside kick, and kicker Own Dapper pounced on his squibbler just as it reached the 10-yard requirement.

"There's about four different scenarios on that onside kick," Houston said. "It's one that I got years ago. We put it in during the offseason and Owen executed what was there perfectly."

Ahlers completions of 18 yards to Calhoun and 19 yards to Audie Omotosho keyed a drive that ended with Rahjai Harris scooting in easily from the 1.

The Pirates' defense still had to come up with a last stand after Wells found Xavier Gaines open in the middle of the field for a 34-yard gain. Marshall reached the 15 with 11 seconds left, then McMillan clinched it by stepping on front of Gammage for the pick.

"We knew at mist they had two shots right there … and knew it would probably go to the end zone," Houston said. "He just contested the catch, made a great play. He attacked the ball, which is what we teach. I'm glad they threw at him."

So is McMillan, and he's glad to be coming home with a win.

"It only takes one to get that ball rolling," he said.