UCF Knights vs East Carolina Pirates prediction and game preview.
UCF vs East Carolina Broadcast
Date: Saturday, September 26
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Dowdy-Ficken Stadium, Greensboro, NC
Network: ESPN+
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UCF (1-0) vs East Carolina (0-0) Game Preview
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Why UCF Will Win
It was ugly, it was sloppy, and it took a big late run to put it away, but UCF played like a team that needed to get a tune-up out of the way when it went to Georgia Tech.
And it won 49-21.
There might be a few depth issues, and the team didn’t play well, and it still got 417 yards and four touchdown passes from QB Dillon Gabriel, and the ground attack added 243 yards and three touchdowns.
The East Carolina defense should be stronger under new DC Blake Harrell, but the secondary is about to get hit really, really hard. The Pirates allowed 414 passing yards in last year’s loss to the Knights, and unless the pass rush shows up, it’s going to get hammered again.
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Why East Carolina Will Win
The offense might be able to keep up.
ECU pushed UCF in a 41-28 loss, with QB Holton Ahlers throwing for 313 yards for an attack that got better and better as the season went on. It might be the team’s first game of the season, but the O will come out firing.
And the team will need some help.
UCF’s offense rolled for 660 yards against Georgia Tech, but it was helped by five turnovers. UCF gave it up twice, committed eight penalties, and it bogged down a bit too much in the third quarter when it could’ve put the game well out of reach.
The Knights have to be bad, and the Pirates have to be great, but …
What’s Going To Happen
UCF will be fine.
East Carolina will get the offense going in the second half to make the score cosmetically better, but the UCF machine will be fantastic again.
The Knights have to come up with a pass rush that wasn’t there against Georgia Tech, and it will have to be consistent, but it’ll start hot and cruise the rest of the way – even if ECU puts up a ton of yards.
UCF vs East Carolina Prediction, Line
UCF 48, East Carolina 20
Bet on UCF vs East Carolina with BetMGM
UCF -27.5, o/u: 77
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Must See Rating: 2.5
5: RBG
1: DTF
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