East Carolina hosts Rice in AAC action

Rice (1-4) at East Carolina (2-2), Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. EDT.

Opening Line: East Carolina by 9.5. Against the spread: East Carolina 1-3, Rice 3-2.

How to watch: ESPN+

Key stats

East Carolina Offense

Overall: 336 yards per game (115th in FBS)

Passing: 208.5 yards per game (93rd)

Rushing: 127.5 yards per game (107th)

Scoring: 24 points per game (98th)

East Carolina Defense

Overall: 341.3 yards per game (59th in FBS)

Passing: 198.5 yards per game (58th)

Rushing: 142.8 yards per game (73rd)

Scoring: 25.3 points per game (86th)

Rice Offense

Overall: 329.2 yards per game (117th in FBS)

Passing: 85.4 yards per game (137th)

Rushing: 243.8 yards per game (11th)

Scoring: 18 points per game (126th)

Rice Defense

Overall: 364.4 yards per game (82nd in FBS)

Passing: 186 yards per game (39th)

Rushing: 178.4 yards per game (114th)

Scoring: 27.4 points per game (105th)

East Carolina is last in third down percentage, converting 25.5% of the time. Rice ranks 113th on defense, holding its opponents to 43.3%.

East Carolina ranks 132nd in the FBS averaging 84.5 penalty yards per game, compared to Rice's 13th-ranked 39.4 per-game average.

East Carolina is 113th in FBS in red zone offense, scoring on 76.9% of trips. Rice's red zone defense ranks 45th at 78.9%.

East Carolina is 138th in the FBS with an average time of possession of 24:18, compared to Rice's 77th-ranked average of 29:55.

Team leaders

East Carolina

Passing: Mitch Griffis, 425 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 53.7 completion percentage

Rushing: TJ Engleman Jr., 250 yards on 31 carries, 2 TDs

Receiving: Ray Ray Joseph, 199 yards on 19 catches, 0 TDs

Rice

Passing: Jacurri Brown, 410 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 53.7 completion percentage

Rushing: Brown, 495 yards on 88 carries, 4 TDs

Receiving: Jordan Clark, 102 yards on 11 catches, 0 TDs

Last game

East Carolina won 42-9 over North Carolina Central on Sept. 26. Emory Williams led East Carolina with 341 yards on 25-of-36 passing (69.4%) for three touchdowns and one interception. Engleman carried the ball 10 times for 129 yards and scored two touchdowns, adding two receptions for 33 yards and one touchdown. Joseph recorded 141 yards on 10 catches.

Rice fell 16-14 to UTSA on Oct. 3. Brown threw for 88 yards on 6-of-14 attempts (42.9%) with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He also carried the ball 17 times for 96 yards and two rushing touchdowns. D'Andre Hardeman Jr. had 28 rushing yards on 12 carries. Ben Grice had one reception for 40 yards.

Next game

East Carolina plays at UAB on Oct. 15. Rice hosts Tulsa on Oct. 17.