How UCF stole the 2014 East Carolina finale on the last play

East Carolina had erased a 17-point deficit, taken the lead and stopped UCF again. On December 4, 2014, the Pirates still could not make the final seconds disappear.

Justin Holman's 51-yard touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman on the last play gave UCF a 32-30 victory in Greenville, North Carolina. The finish secured a share of the Knights' second consecutive American Athletic Conference championship.

A clip shared by MLFootball on October 17, 2026 revisits that game. It is footage of the 2014 finish:

The ending was particularly painful for East Carolina because its own comeback had seemed decisive. UCF led 26-9 before Shane Carden threw three fourth-quarter touchdown passes. Justin Hardy's 13-yard scoring reception put the Pirates ahead 30-26, according to East Carolina's contemporary game report.

The Pirates then forced another stop. But they failed to exhaust the remaining clock and turned the ball over on downs at UCF's 35-yard line with 10 seconds left.

That gave Holman enough time for one final possession. East Carolina's report describes the pass clearing two defenders before Perriman caught it for the winning touchdown as time expired.

UCF's official retrospective records four catches for 139 yards for Perriman that night. East Carolina's report describes a senior-night loss after the Pirates had scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

The long pass is the memorable image. The possession before it explains why the Knights had an opportunity to throw it at all.