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The BYU Cougars will take on the East Carolina Pirates at 8 p.m. ET on Friday at home. East Carolina should still be riding high after a big victory, while the Cougars will be looking to regain their footing.
BYU found themselves the reluctant recipients of an unpleasant 41-14 punch to the gut against the Liberty Flames this past Saturday. BYU was down 34-14 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from. Their loss shouldn't obscure the performances of QB Jaren Hall, who passed for two TDs and 187 yards on 34 attempts, and WR Puka Nacua, who caught seven passes for one TD and 114 yards.
Meanwhile, East Carolina made easy work of the UCF Knights this past Saturday and carried off a 34-13 win. East Carolina's RB Keaton Mitchell did his thing and rushed for two TDs and 105 yards on 16 carries.
The Pirates' defense was a presence as well, as it collected three interceptions and one fumble. Those interceptions were spread across their defensive unit.
This next contest is expected to be close, with the Cougars going off at just a 3-point favorite. Those sticking with them against the spread have guts, to put it politely, as the squad has let down bettors in their past six games.
BYU is now 4-4 while East Carolina sits at 5-3. Two offensive stats to keep an eye on: BYU enters the game with 20 passing touchdowns, good for ninth best in the nation. East Carolina has displayed some offensive firepower of their own as they come into the matchup boasting the 16th most passing yards per game in the nation at 310.1.
