South Florida dropped its third American Conference game of the season on Friday, likely ending any chance of reaching the league title game in coach Brian Hartline's first season.
Like the previous two, it was a game the Bulls had within reach of winning, with Andrew Conrad's 55-yard field goal as time expired giving host East Carolina to a 20-17 victory.
USF's three losses have come by a combined 14 points — two by a field goal and one by a touchdown.
South Florida (6-3) dropped to 2-3 in the conference with three games remaining: vs. Memphis (7-2), at Florida Atlantic (6-3, 3-2) and vs. Tulane (4-4, 2-2).
Conrad's kick ended a 10-play, 49-yard drive that took 1:42 after the Bulls were forced to punt on the previous drive.
The Pirates were aided by a 15-yard personal foul and pass interference penalties by USF. After a sack by USF's Asani Redwood put ECU at third-and 17 at its own 42-yard line, quarterback Emory Williams found Ashton Gray on a middle screen for 18 yards with 16 second left.
“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.” ECU coach Blake Harrell said after the game.
Hartline was not made available to the media after the game because the area set aside by ECU for visitors' interviews was made "untenable" after fans ran onto the field in celebration, according to USF. The interview space is outside the locker room entrance to the field.
“Field storming makes media untenable here," the school said in a statement. "We have to be on the field. No set up provided by ECU."
An announced crowd of 33,708 watched at ECU's Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina.
Williams, who replaced an injured Mitch Griffis in the second quarter, threw two touchdown passes to Sides, who caught 14 passes for 126 yards.
Sides' first score, a 15-yard strike in the final minute of the second quarter, lifted the Pirates into a 10-10 tie at halftime. The second connection — an 8-yarder — gave the Pirates a 17-10 lead with 6:24 minutes left in the third quarter.
South Florida tied it at 17 on Jason Collins Jr.'s 1-yard run with about 10 minutes left in the fourth. D.J. Crowther had runs of 23 and 25 yards on the drive.
The score was set up when USF starting quarterback Luke Kromenhoek heaved a 27-yard pass to tight end Evan Dangler, who was wide open on the right sideline.
Kromenhoek, starting for an injured Michael Van Buren Jr., completed 17 of 21 for 179 yards, although the Bulls' passing offense was limited by offensive line breakdowns.
Crowther, who was injured on the TD drive, finished with 111 yards rushing.
The Bulls scored on their opening possession on a 26-yard pass from Kromenhoek to Bryson Rodgers but did not find the end zone again until the fourth quarter.
The Pirates' defense held the Bulls to 329 total yards. East Carolina's offense had 361 total yards.
Williams completed 19 of 27 passes for 175 yards, and Gray ran for 101 yards for the Pirates (5-4, 3-2).
South Florida next hosts Memphis on Thursday night at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. and ESPN will telecast nationally. Also, ESPN's "SportsCenter" program will broadcast live from 5 to 5:30 p.m. at the Bulls Bay plaza outside the stadium's south gates.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
