The BYU Cougars and East Carolina Pirates will face off in a non-conference matchup in college football on Saturday night. The Cougars are off to a 2-0 start and will look to pass a road test here before jumping into conference play. Here, I break down this contest from North Carolina and bring you my BYU vs East Carolina prediction for Saturday’s game.
Our BYU vs East Carolina Pick
- Pick: BYU -6.5
- Confidence: 4/5
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: BYU Cougars vs East Carolina Pirates
- Date & Time: Saturday, September 20, 2025, 7:30 PM ET
- Venue: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville, NC
- Broadcast: ESPN2
Key Storylines
- BYU’s Dominant Start: The Cougars have outscored opponents 138–3 in their first two games, showcasing an impressive defense and efficient offense. They most recently beat Stanford 27-3 and will look for another impressive performance in this contest.
- East Carolina’s Passing Attack: ECU has a potent passing attack, ranking 11th nationally in passing yards per game. That has helped the Pirates to win two games in a row after dropping their season opener to NC State out of the ACC.
- First Road Test for BYU: This game marks BYU’s first road matchup of the season. It will be interesting to see if they can maintain the high level of play they have put forth through their first two games now that they are in a hostile environment.
Quarterback Play
BYU: Freshman QB Bear Bachmeier has completed 63.2% of his passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. His ability to manage the game and handle the pressure of a hostile crowd will be important in his first road start.
East Carolina: Senior QB Katin Houser has been impressive for East Carolina. He has thrown for 973 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception over three games. His experience and connection with receivers Anthony Smith and Yannick Smith will be vital for ECU’s success as they look to hand BYU their first loss of the 2025 season.
Betting Trends & H2H
- BYU: 2-0 against the spread this season.
- East Carolina: 3-0 ATS this season.
- Head-to-Head: ECU leads the all-time series 2-1, including a 27–24 victory in 2022.
BYU vs East Carolina Model Projection
Score Projection: BYU 31 – East Carolina 20
Win Probability: BYU 66.4%, East Carolina 33.6%
Final Thoughts
I think that we are going to see BYU pass their first road test of the 2025 season tonight. They could see some early struggles from the quarterback position given Bachmeier’s lack of experience on the road at the collegiate level. But I’ll still lay the points with BYU on the road here, as they should get things going on offense and go into Big 12 play undefeated.
