East Carolina has one of the worst defenses in college football this season, and No. 18 South Florida has one of the country’s most explosive offenses. Saturday’s game, with the Bulls as big NCAAF betting favorites, shouldn’t be all that close if USF doesn’t overlook the Pirates. USF tops the betting odds at -24 over ECU.
ECU will attempt to capture its eighth victory in the last nine conference home openers in this one. The Pirates will look to open league play 2-0 for the sixth time in the last nine years. The squad will try to become only the third ECU team in modern-day school history to finish its September slate with a pair of conference wins (2010, 2012).
Last year’s 38-22 setback in Tampa was Coach Scottie Montgomery’s first-ever meeting against USF. He did not face the Bulls during his seven-year tenure (2006-09, 2013-15) as a collegiate assistant coach at Duke.
“Now we get the (conference’s) most talented, and what some people consider one of the best teams in the nation, to come in and play against us here at home,” Montgomery said.
USF at East Carolina Odds, TV Info & NCAAF Betting Pick
When: Saturday, Noon ET Where: Dowdy-Ficken Stadium TV: CBS Sports Network Stream: CBSSports.com Radio: AM 820 News (USF) / WNCT 107.9 FM (East Carolina) Opening NCAAF Betting Lines: USF -24 (73.5)Just 2️⃣ teams in the nation rank in the top 2️⃣5️⃣ in 6️⃣ key NCAA stats on both sides of the ball…#USF & Penn State.#BullStrong pic.twitter.com/g4TVPhrxZG
— USF Football (@USFFootball) September 24, 2017
Series History
USF leads ECU 6-1 all-time in a series which dates back to 2002. The 2003 and 2004 meetings were league contests while both programs were members of Conference USA, while the last three matchups (2014, 2015 & 2016) have served as the Bulls’ and Pirates’ initial trio of American Athletic Conference encounters. The Papajohns.com Bowl matchup in Birmingham in 2006 was ECU’s first against then Big East member USF at a neutral site. The Pirates are 1-2 against the Bulls in Tampa, but winless (0-3) in Greenville.- Total Meetings: 7
- First Meeting: October 19th, 2002. Greenville, North Carolina
- Last Meeting: October 8th, 2016. Tampa, Florida
- All-Time Series: USF 6-1-0
- Largest Margin of Victory: USF 41-17 (2004)
- Longest Win Streak: USF 4 (2002-2006)
- Current Win Streak: USF 2 (2015-2106)
Latest NCAAF Betting Trends for Week 5
- South Florida is 1-4 ATS in the last 5 games on the road
- South Florida is 5-0 SU in the last 5 games
- The total went OVER in 12 of South Florida’s last 18 games
- East Carolina is 1-7 ATS in the last 8 games
- East Carolina is 1-7 SU in the last 8 games
- The total went OVER in 5 of East Carolina’s last 7 games
Mississippi State at Auburn Odds, Preview & NCAAF Betting Pick
Why Bet On USF?
The Bulls (4-0) crushed Temple 43-7 last week to open AAC play. USF held the Owls to just 85 total yards, marking the fourth-lowest total ever given up in a game by the Bulls and the lowest ever allowed to FBS opponent. Temple rushed for minus-4 yards on 33 attempts and had minus-23 rushing yards through three quarters. The rushing total marked the second-fewest rushing yards given up by USF and the fewest since Rutgers totaled minus-7 yards in 2011. Deatrick Nichols forced a fumble and intercepted two of USF’s four passes to help bring the Bulls’ nation-leading pick total to 12 on the season. The stellar defensive effort helped the Bulls set a program record with their ninth straight win, dating back to last season. USF has had at least two interceptions in every game this season. USF’s offense generated 312 rushing yards and finished with at least two 100-yard rushers for the second straight game. Quarterback Quinton Flowers rushed for two touchdowns and became USF’s career leader with 34, passing former teammate and current Indianapolis Colt Marlon Mack (32). USF extended its nation-leading streak to 21 consecutive games with 30-plus points. It marks the fourth-longest streak in the AP Poll era (since 1936). The Bulls are two games away from the record set by Oregon (23 games, 2011-12). Oklahoma State (2010-12) and Hawaii (2006-07) posted 22 consecutive games with 30-plus points. Heading into Saturday, USF ranks ninth nationally with a rushing attack that’s averaging 289 yards per game. Darius Tice and D’Ernest Johnson both have posted consecutive 100-yard rushing games.Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 40.75
- Total Yards: 493.75
- Rush Yards: 289
- Passing Yards: 204.75
- Average Score Against: 17.25
- Total Yards: 263.55
- Rush Yards: 66
- Passing Yards: 197.55
Why Bet On East Carolina?
ECU won its AAC opener 41-38 over UConn last week. Leading 41-21 at one point in the third quarter, the Pirates withstood a furious comeback. The win wasn’t assured until the final play. After taking possession at its own 9, after a punt by ECU’s Austin Barnes with 2:34 to play, UConn drove to the ECU 15 and lined up for a 33-yard field goal attempt with 6 seconds to play. Sophomore kicker Michael Tarbutt, who had made his first career field goal on his first career attempt earlier in the second half, pushed it wide right. Pirates QB Thomas Sirk was named AAC Player of the Week after finishing 30-for-39 for a career-high 426 yards and three touchdowns. All three scores went to Davon Grayson, who finished with career-bests in catches (11) and yards (223). His three TDs tied a career-best. And in registering his first 100-yard game, he also became the fifth receiver in school history with more than 200 in a game, trailing only Justin Hardy (230 in a game in 2013) and Cam Worthy (224 in a game in 2015).
ECU will attempt to capture its eighth victory in the last nine conference home openers in this one. The Pirates will look to open league play 2-0 for the sixth time in the last nine years. The squad will try to become only the third ECU team in modern-day school history to finish its September slate with a pair of conference wins (2010, 2012).
Last year’s 38-22 setback in Tampa was Coach Scottie Montgomery’s first-ever meeting against USF. He did not face the Bulls during his seven-year tenure (2006-09, 2013-15) as a collegiate assistant coach at Duke.
“Now we get the (conference’s) most talented, and what some people consider one of the best teams in the nation, to come in and play against us here at home,” Montgomery said.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 23
- Total Yards: 429.75
- Rush Yards: 108
- Passing Yards: 321.75
- Average Score Against: 48
- Total Yards: 626
- Rush Yards: 278.75
- Passing Yards: 347.25
