BYU looked like a top-25 club early, but its defensive shortcomings have been exposed in a three-game losing streak by 52 combined points. A blowout loss at Liberty last week was a low point, and now the Cougars need to win just to salvage the potential of bowl eligibility. High-powered ECU is potent enough to give BYU more trouble, but this is a bad spot for the Pirates. They are coming off impressive back-to-back home wins against Memphis and UFC, and are in a look-ahead spot with an important showdown against Cincinnati looming next week.

BYU's defense was a problem even when it was winning early in the season, but things have fallen off a cliff the last couple of weeks. That makes the Cougars difficult to trust in this spot against an East Carolina team that's improved offensively as the season has progressed. Holton Ahlers and the Pirates will have the Cougars walking the plank.