GREENVILLE, N.C. — In a thrilling finish, Braxton Woodson showcased his talent by scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, leading Navy to a 34-20 victory over East Carolina on Friday.

Woodson ignited the game’s momentum with a spectacular 61-yard touchdown pass to Nathan Kent, extending Navy’s lead to 21-6 with just over ten minutes left in the game. East Carolina quickly responded, orchestrating a lengthy 16-play, 78-yard drive that concluded with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Katin Houser to Winston Wright Jr. This brought the score closer at 21-13 with only 5:35 on the clock.

With time winding down, Woodson broke free for a pivotal 38-yard touchdown run at the 2:49 mark, further solidifying Navy’s lead. Immediately following an interception thrown by Houser, Woodson capped off his impressive performance with a 10-yard TD run, pushing the score to 34-13.

Throughout the match, Woodson completed 12 of 19 passes for a total of 165 yards, and he also led the ground game with 125 rushing yards from 15 carries. Eli Heidenreich contributed to the offense with 82 rushing yards, highlighted by a 36-yard touchdown run that took place during the third quarter. Brandon Chatman also joined the scoring with a touchdown run of his own, further bolstering Navy’s offensive output.

On the opposing side, East Carolina’s Houser completed 20 out of 36 attempts for 219 yards, throwing two touchdown passes along with a single interception. This defeat ended East Carolina’s four-game winning streak, wrapping up their regular season with a record of 7-5, including 5-3 in the American Athletic Conference.

As for Navy, their performance improved their season record to 8-3, with a 6-2 conference tally. They are set to face the conference-leading Army on December 14, aiming to build on their recent success, having won two of their last three games.