East Carolina slogged through a 17-9 win over Temple on Saturday and could be in store for another defensive battle when South Florida visits Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium this Friday night.
The Bulls (6-2, 2-2 American) lead the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 14.5 points per game. ECU (4-4, 2-2) ranks third at 24.1 points allowed per contest.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2 as the Pirates celebrate their annual Night of the Boneyard and Paint It Black game.
Both teams enter the matchup with sterling defenses and quarterback questions.
ECU’s Mitch Griffis returned to the starting lineup against Temple after Emory Williams started multiple October games. Griffis threw for 130 yards and rushed for 35 more in the victory and is expected to start again Friday.
South Florida’s Michael Van Buren Jr. exited Saturday’s 30-10 win over UAB with an injury. Backup Luke Kromenhoek rushed for 92 yards in relief, but Bulls coach Brian Hartline has not announced a starter for Friday. Van Buren Jr. and Kromenhoek represent different styles, so ECU coach Blake Harrell has talked of preparing for both.
Here’s everything to know about South Florida vs. East Carolina, including kickoff time, TV and radio coverage, betting odds, injury updates, team statistics and series history.
🔄 Last Updated: November 2, 2026 9:56 pm
🏟️ Game Information: ECU-USF
Matchup: South Florida Bulls (6-2, 2-2 American) at East Carolina Pirates (4-4, 2-2 American)
Date: Friday, Nov. 6, 2026
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (Greenville, NC)
TV/Streaming: ESPN2
ECU Radio: WNCT 107.9 FM/94.3 The Game
Atmosphere: Friday’s game will feature Paint It Black, Night of the Boneyard and Military Appreciation themes.
📊 What are the betting odds for the South Florida-East Carolina football game?
Spread: East Carolina -1.5
Over/Under Total: 39.5 points
Moneyline: South Florida -102 | East Carolina -118
Lines courtesy FanDuel Sportsbook. Odds will be refreshed periodically during the week. All lines are subject to change.
🩹 Injury & Availability Updates
The American Conference has not yet released its Student-Athlete Availability Report for the upcoming USF-ECU game.
East Carolina coach Blake Harrell affirmed Monday that safety David Coleman Jr. will be out for the foreseeable future after breaking his leg in a bizarre play in the Pirates’ 17-9 win over Temple. Coleman suffered a fractured fibula after an official slid into him from behind after a play.
South Florida’s quarterback situation is unknown entering this week after starter Michael Van Buren exited in the second quarter of Saturday’s game against UAB due to injury. Luke Kromenhoek relieved Van Buren and helped the Bulls earn a 30-10 victory, rushing for 92 yards on 15 carries.
⏪ 2026 Season Rewind
East Carolina Pirates (4-4, 2-2 American)
Alabama 48, East Carolina 10
App State 27, East Carolina 24
East Carolina 20, Old Dominion 17
East Carolina 42, North Carolina Central 9
East Carolina 28, Rice 12
UAB 30, East Carolina 17 (OT)
Memphis 41, East Carolina 34 (OT)
East Carolina 17, Temple 9
South Florida Bulls (6-2, 2-2 American)
South Florida 19, Florida International 9
South Florida 28, Army 24
South Florida 59, Delaware State 17
South Florida 14, Bowling Green 6
Temple 17, South Florida 13
UTSA 31, South Florida 24
South Florida 29, Kent State 2
South Florida 30, UAB 10
What a win over South Florida would mean for ECU?
- Fifth overall win of the season – one step away from bowl eligibility
- Second win in a row after suffering two frustrating overtime defeats to conference foes in October.
- Climbing to 3-2 in the American Conference standings and staying within reach of league leaders UTSA (4-0) and North Texas (4-0).
- Besting one of the top defenses in the American
- Treating students and fans to a victory in the program’s annual Night of the Boneyard game.
📊 South Florida vs. East Carolina Stat Comparison
East Carolina Team Highlights
- Points For: 24.0 points per game
- Points Against: 24.1 points per game
- Rushing Offense: 164.5 yards per game
- Passing Offense: 186.5 yards per game
- Rushing Defense: 139.8 yards per game
- Passing Defense: 196.6 yards per game
- Total Offense: 351.0 yards per game
- Total Defense: 336.4 yards per game
East Carolina Individual Leaders
- Passing: Mitch Griffis – 69-of-126, 753 yards, 4 TDs, 5 INTs
- Rushing: TJ Engleman Jr. – 105 carries, 689 yards, 5 TDs
- Receiving: Ray Ray Joseph Jr. – 33 catches, 303 yards, 3 TDs
- Tackles: DJ Johnson Jr. – 56 tackles (24 solo)
- Interceptions: Angelo Ross, Ayden Duncanson – 2 INTs each
- Scoring: Noah Perez – 52 points (10-of-12 FGs, 22-of-22 PATs)
South Florida Team Highlights
- Points For: 27.0 points per game
- Points Against: 14.5 points per game
- Rushing Offense: 148.0 yards per game
- Passing Offense: 166.6 yards per game
- Rushing Defense: 128.3 yards per game
- Passing Defense: 178.4 yards per game
- Total Offense: 314.6 yards per game
- Total Defense: 306.6 yards per game
South Florida Individual Leaders
- Passing: Michael Van Buren Jr. – 116-of-181, 1,273 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs
- Rushing: D.J. Crowther – 121 carries, 578 yards, 7 TDs
- Receiving: Bryson Rodgers – 33 catches, 345 yards, 2 TDs
- Tackles: Ayden Jackson – 42 tackles (27 solo)
- Interceptions: Tavin Ward, Tayvion Beasley – 1 INT each
- Scoring: Nico Gramatica – 64 points (13-of-16 FGs, 25-of-25 PATs)
Notes & Numbers
Thou shall not pass: South Florida has been stout in the red zone. Opponents have made 20 trips inside the USF 20-yard line but have come away with just seven touchdowns and zero points on five other trips. ECU has been getting into the red zone at a decent clip but struggling to take full advantage of its chances there, scoring TDs just half the time (15-of-30).
Thou shall not pass … to the other team: USF quarterbacks Michael Van Buren and Luke Kromenhoek have combined to complete 125-of-195 throws for 1,333 yards and six touchdowns thus far. Neither has thrown a pick across the Bulls’ eight games. East Carolina meanwhile has eight interceptions, including three on Saturday against Temple.
Sack attack: Both ECU and South Florida have made it their habit to hound opposing quarterbacks. East Carolina has 21 sacks, tied with Memphis for tops in the conference. USF has logged 20 sacks. ECU has spread its sacks around to more than a dozen defenders. Kieran Davis has a pair along with eight tackles-for-loss.
Hicks wreaking havoc: South Florida defensive end C.J. Hicks tied a school record with four sacks against UAB on Saturday, forcing two fumbles that the Bulls returned for touchdowns. Hicks also scored on a 96-yard fumble return against Kent State the previous week. ECU’s offensive line will have its hands full keeping the disruptive defender – this week’s American Conference defensive MVP – away from quarterback Mitch Griffis.
Ground-and-pound: Last year ECU rode the passing arm of Katin Houser as fuel for its offense. This season, the Pirates have been leaning more heavily on the ground game. TJ Engleman is one of the top backs in the American, averaging 6.6 yards per carry and 86.1 yards per game. Engleman was honorable mention American Conference player of the week after the Temple win. He’s logged roughly 20 carries per game over the past three.
Not a lot of laundry on the field: South Florida is one of the least penalized teams in the American Conference. The team has been flagged 39 times in all for an average of 37.0 penalty yards per game – third fewest in the league. ECU averages 54.0 penalty yards per contest.
Closing strength: South Florida has outscored teams 90-34 in the fourth quarter this season and 128-47 in the third and fourth quarters combined. ECU meanwhile has been quick out of the gates (52-16 margin in first quarters) but has been outscored 106-76 after halftime, including 20-0 in two OT contests.
📚 Series History
- South Florida leads the all-time series 9-4
- Last Meeting: East Carolina 48, South Florida 28 (Oct. 1, 2022)
- East Carolina has won the last three meetings, played in 2020, 2021 and 2022. USF had won five in a row before that (2015-2019).
- ECU is 1-5 all-time against USF in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
🔗 More North Carolina College Football Coverage
- East Carolina Football Schedule
- American Conference Standings
- 2026 week-by-week schedule
- North Carolina college football scores
