Thursday, October 12, 2023 – 6:30 p.m. CT
SMU (3-2. 1-0 American) vs. ECU (1-4, 0-1 American)
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium - Greenville, N.C.

TV: ESPN
Radio: KLIF 570 AM | Audio Streaming: SMU App (Google Play | Apple App Store)
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SETTING THE SCENE
• The Mustangs look to go 2-0 in conference play as they take on ECU in an ESPN-televised game on Oct. 12 in Greenville, N.C. 
• SMU is coming off a 34-16 win in its AAC opener on Sept. 30 against Charlotte. 
• The Mustangs racked up a season-high 228 yards rushing in the 18-point victory. 

QUICK HITS
• SMU has recorded at least 350 yards of total offense in every game this season. 
• The Mustangs have had at least eight receivers catch a pass in every game in 2023. 
• SMU has been dominant at home this year, averaging 47.0 points per game at Ford Stadium. 
• Jaylan Knighton had his best game yet as a Mustang, going for a season-high 150 yards and two touchdowns. 
• Knighton's 95-yard touchdown run was tied for the second longest in program history. 

THE SERIES
• This is the 10th meeting in the all-time series. 
• The teams last met up on Nov. 28, 2020, a 52-38 victory for ECU in Greenville, N.C. 
• SMU last took down the Pirates, 59-51, at Ford Stadium on Nov. 9, 2019. 

ABOUT THE PIRATES 
• ECU has a record of 1-4 on the year. 
• The Pirates lost their AAC opener on Sept. 30, falling 24-17 at Rice. 
• ECU has a record of 1-1 at home this season. 
• The Pirates are averaging 21.0 points per game on the season. 

THE COACHES
• Rhett Lashlee is in his second season as the head coach at SMU and has a 10-8 career record. Lashlee, who served as offensive coordinator for the Mustangs for two seasons (2018-19), also served as the offensive coordinator at Miami in 2020 and 2021. A one-time finalist (2013) and two-time semifinalist (2019, 2020) for the Broyles Award, Lashlee has the distinction of being the only coach ever nominated for the Broyles Award four different times at four different schools (Arkansas State, Auburn, SMU, Miami).

• Mike Houston is in his fifth season as head coach of the Pirates. He is in his 13th year as a collegiate head coach with a 103-53 (.660) mark, while he is 23-28 (.450) in his fifth season at East Carolina. When he officially became the Pirates' 22nd all-time head football coach on Dec. 4, 2018, Houston finished a three-year stint directing the James Madison program.

BUILT DIFFERENT
• SMU has one of the best defenses in the AAC so far in 2023. 
• The Mustangs rank in the top three in the conference in several categories, including defensive TDs (second), passing yards allowed (first), scoring defense (second), team sacks (second), and total defense (first).
• SMU's defense is allowing 15.4 fewer points per game in 2023 compared to last season, which ranks as the fifth-best jump in the country during that span.