In this article we will formulate an East Carolina vs UTSA prediction for this College Football game on Saturday, September 28th at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this week five matchup.
East Carolina Pirates Betting Preview
The East Carolina Pirates are 2-2 this season after they lost to Liberty by a score of 35-24 in their last game. East Carolina led 17-0 late in the first half, but they allowed Liberty to score 35 of the last 42 points in the game for the loss. The Pirates were out gained by a total of 414-331, tied the turnover battle at two, and went 7-15 on third down in the game. Jake Garcia threw for 204 yards and one interception, while Chase Sowell caught five passes for 72 yards in the game.
East Carolina opened the season with two wins against Norfolk State and Old Dominion, but they did lose their third game against Appalachian State by a score of 21-19. The ECU offense has scored 26.3 points per game with 267.8 passing yards and 139 rushing yards per game, while the defense has allowed 18.3 points against per game this season. The Pirates have gone 49.2% on third down and 1-2 on fourth down through four games. Jake Garcia has completed 62.3% of his passes for 1,021 yards, five touchdowns, and nine interceptions, while Rahjai Harris has rushed for 289 yards and three scores.
UTSA Roadrunners Betting Preview
The UTSA Roadrunners are 2-2 this year after they defeated Houston Christian by a score of 45-7 in their last game. UTSA led 31-7 at halftime and put the game on cruise control in the second half for the win. The Roadrunners out gained HCU by a total of 536-177, tied the turnover battle at one, and went 9-13 on third down in the game. Owen McCown threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns, while Willie McCoy caught two passes for 85 yards and one score.
UTSA opened the season with a 28-16 win over Kennesaw State, but they did lose the next two games against Texas State and Texas, where they allowed 105 total points. The UTSA offense has scored 22.5 points per game with 247.8 passing yards and 138.8 rushing yards per game, while the defense has allowed 32 points against per game this season. The Roadrunners have gone 34.4% on third down and 5-9 on fourth down so far this season. Owen McCown has completed 67% of his passes for 803 yards and six touchdowns, while Robert Henry has rushed for 157 yards and one score.
Why UTSA will cover
- UTSA has won 17 of its last 18 games against conference opponents.
- East Carolina has lost seven of its last eight games against conference opponents.
- The underdog has covered the spread in four of East Carolina’s last five games at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
- East Carolina has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five home games against conference opponents.
- UTSA has won the first half in eight of its last nine games against conference opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Six of East Carolina’s last seven games at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Four of UTSA’s last five road games against conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- East Carolina ranks T6th among FBS teams for Q1 opponent points per game this season (0.8).
- East Carolina ranks 8th among FBS teams for Q1 points per game this season (12.5).
- UTSA ranks T124th among FBS teams for H2 points per game this season (7.0).
- UTSA ranks 116th among FBS teams for H1 opponent points per game this season (19.0).
East Carolina vs UTSA Prediction
East Carolina had a great chance to pick up a very good win over Liberty last week, but they went cold in the second half and couldn’t get the win. The Pirates have lost two games in a row, but they will be at home for this game. UTSA has beaten up on two bad teams so far this season, while also getting blown out by Texas and Texas State, so it is tough to tell where they are at as a team. ECU has battled some turnover issues, while Owen McCown has done a very good job of protecting the football for UTSA, which could be the difference in this game. Take the points with UTSA here.