The East Carolina Pirates are 1-6 against the Cincinnati Bearcats since November of 2015, but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. East Carolina's week off comes to an end as they meet up with Cincinnati at 8 p.m. ET at Nippert Stadium. Both teams seek to continue their momentum from their previous wins.
It was all tied up 17-17 at the half for the Pirates and the BYU Cougars two weeks ago, but East Carolina stepped up in the second half for a 27-24 win. East Carolina's RB Keaton Mitchell did his thing and rushed for one TD and 176 yards on 21 carries.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati beat the Navy Midshipmen 20-10 this past Saturday. Among those leading the charge for the Bearcats was WR Tyler Scott, who caught ten passes for two TDs and 139 yards. Scott hadn't helped his team much against the UCF Knights two weeks ago, so this was a nice turnaround for him.
The Pirates are expected to lose this next one by 5. However, those who like betting on the underdog should be happy to hear that they are 3-1 against the spread when expected to lose.
East Carolina is now 6-3 while Cincinnati sits at 7-2. A pair of defensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: East Carolina ranks 22nd in the nation when it comes to rushing touchdowns allowed, with only nine on the season. As for Cincinnati, they enter the contest with 32 sacks, good for third best in the nation.