Pittsburgh will top off a roller-coaster season against East Carolina in the Military Bowl on Sunday.
The Panthers rode a monster offense to a solid 8-4 season, giving Pat Narduzzi his sixth 8-win season as the team’s head coach.
With a fairly tough schedule, Pitt averaged 32.7 points per game, which ranked 17th in the country.
Only the best teams in college football could contain them.
Pitt scored fewer than 24 points in just two games — against Notre Dame and Miami, the latter of which was their final game of the regular season.
Merely above average defenses didn’t have many answers.
Against Florida State and Louisville — two solid defenses — the Panthers dropped a combined 61 points (30.5 per game).
East Carolina finished in the top-50 in total defense, allowing just 348.9 yards per game. But it won’t be at full strength, having lost defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge after he took the same job at South Florida.
The Pirates are a bit depleted on the offensive end as well.
Starting quarterback Katin Houser entered the transfer portal earlier this month, meaning redshirt senior Michael Wright Jr. will be taking the snaps behind center in his first start with the Pirates.
ECU couldn’t keep up in it’s only game against a team that landed in the top-25 — BYU blew them out 34-13 in September.
Betting on College Football?
While Pitt is a step below BYU, they far outpace ECU on resume and talent.
Look for the Panthers to run away with this one in a laugher.
The play: Pittsburgh -10 (-120, BetMGM Sportsbook)
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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
