The East Carolina Pirates head to LaVell Edwards Stadium to take on the Bringham Young Cougars this week. With losses in two of its last three, BYU (3-2) comes into this game looking to rekindle a season that has lost its spark. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 10 and will be available on ESPU.
In last week’s matchup, BYU defeated Connecticut 30-13. Mitch Mathews had a huge game in the victory, pulling in eight receptions for 78 yards and two TDs. Algernon Brown put up 95 rushing yards on 18 carries. East Carolina was victorious last week’s performance as well, winning big over SMU 49-23. James Summers had a quality performance through the air for the Pirates, connecting on nine of 10 pass attempts for 153 yards and two TDs. He added 85 yards and two TDs on nine carries. Trevon Brown had a great game as well, adding 85 receiving yards and a TD on four catches.
BYU is an eight-point favorite against the Pirates.
Sitting at 3-2 Straight Up (SU) and 4-1 Against The Spread (ATS), the Cougars will look to improve heading into Week 6. The Cougars throw the ball often. Their 40.8 passing attempts per game are eighth-highest in the country. As for the BYU defense, a few key matchups could decide this game. It is critical for the Pirates to prepare for BYU’s big-play defense. The Cougars rank ninth in the nation with 1.8 interceptions per game. The Cougars are one of the best in the country at scoring in the fourth quarter, averaging 11.2 points.
Over on the other sideline, the Pirates head into Week 6 with records of 3-2 for both ATS and SU. Passing the ball has resulted in a high success rate for the Pirates, who average the sixth-best completion percentage in the nation at 71.0%. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Cougars to keep up with East Carolina’s defense in a few areas. The Pirates defense will look to take advantage of BYU’s offensive line, which sometimes struggles with blocking. They currently give up an average of 3.2 sacks per game, 114th in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – East Carolina, ATS Winner – East Carolina
Notes
BYU is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games.
The total has gone OVER in 10 of BYU’s last 15 games.
BYU is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games at home.
BYU is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of BYU’s last 7 games at home.
East Carolina is 2-0 SU when leading at the half this season. BYU is 1-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
The BYU defense has forced an average of 2.0 turnovers per game this season. East Carolina is an even 2-2 SU when turning the ball over at least 2.0 times in a game.
The BYU run defense is ranked 70th in the nation this year, and will look to contain the 97th-ranked rushing attack of East Carolina.
