East Carolina Pirates (2-2, 0-1 American) vs South Florida Bulls (1-3, American)

Time and Date: 2:30 PM ET, October 1st**

Broadcast Network: ESPN+

Location: FAU Stadium - Boca Raton, FL**

ESPN FPI: 71.9% ECU

Line: ECU -9*

Point Total: 58*

All-Time Series: South Florida leads the series against East Carolina, 9-3

Last Meeting: ECU 29 USF 14 - October 28, 2021

Current Streak: East Carolina, 2

*Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

**This game will be taking place at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton due to Hurricane Ian. The game time was moved from 7PM to 2:30PM ET.

Preview

ECU missed a field goal to tie in OT as they fell to Navy, 23-20. However, the Pirates still had a chance to walk away with a win when QB Holton Ahlers threw across his body for an interception in Navy territory late in the 4th quarter. It is hard to state how bad of a loss this was for the Pirates as they lost all their momentum.

While ECU had 370 yards of total offense, they also turned the ball over twice and failed to convert drives into points. Ahlers made questionable decisions with the ball. On his biggest play of the night, the signal caller threw a ball that should’ve been intercepted. However, the Navy DB whiffed on the ball and ECU tied up the game. Against better competition, Ahlers will not be able to play like he did tonight and expect to win or even get to OT.

On defense, ECU gave up their season high of 23 points. While this may seem like a positive since it is only 23 points, it should be noted that they did it against their worst offensive opponent. Navy had yet to score 14 points in a game. They scored that many in the fourth quarter against the Pirates. All in all, a performance to forget for Mike Houston’s bunch.

Meanwhile, how did South Florida rebound from their agonizing three-point loss to Florida in Week 3? They didn’t. The Bulls came out flat against Louisville on the road. On offense, USF only scored three points against a Louisville defense that had been giving up 26 points per game. On defense, the Cardinals scored touchdowns on four straight drives in the first half and went into the break 28-0.

USF Head Coach Jeff Scott is now firmly on the hot seat. While South Florida weren’t expected to win in Louisville, they certainly weren’t expected to be 40-balled. The former Clemson OC will need to find answers on the offensive side of the ball in a hurry as his team struggled to get to 158 total yards on offense.

It is time to see whether or not the Bulls will play for their head coach. It is possible USF will be the underdog in all their remaining games this season. Unfortunately, the writing may be on the wall for Coach Scott.

Prediction

While the Pirates stuttered at home against Navy, they should rebound against USF. Outside of the coaching drama, USF are also having to prepare for this game while simultaneously dealing with Hurricane Ian. All signs point towards ECU taking this one. Final score - 28-21 Pirates.