Friday's Tip Sheet
>>**East Carolina at Connecticut**
-- As of Wednesday, most books had East Carolina (4-4 SU, 4-4 ATS) installed as a seven-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 51. The Huskies were +220 on the money line (risk $100 to win $220).
-- UConn (3-5 SU, 3-5 ATS) has lost back-to-back games and four of its last five both SU and ATS, including a 37-13 setback at Cincinnati last Saturday as a 10.5-point underdog. Bryant Shirreffs completed only 12-of-27 passes for merely 87 yards and was intercepted once. He rushed 17 times for 90 yards. The defense gave up 612 yards.
-- UConn owns wins over Villanova (20-15), Army (22-17) and UFC (40-13). The Huskies have lost at Missouri (9-6), vs. Navy (28-18), at BYU (30-13) vs. USF (28-20) and at Cincy.
-- Ruffin McNeill’s squad has wins vs. Towson (28-20), vs. Va. Tech (35-28), at SMU (49-23) and vs. Tulsa (30-17). ECU has lost at Florida (31-24), at Navy (45-21), at BYU (45-38) and vs. Temple (24-14). The Pirates failed to cover the number as three-point home favorites against the Owls, who overcame a 14-10 deficit by scoring a pair of TDs in the last 3:31 of the fourth quarter last Thursday in Greenville.
-- ECU had more total offense (378-322) than Temple, but it couldn’t overcome a pair of turnovers and a blocked punt. The Pirates’ defense limited Temple RB Jahad Thomas, the AAC’s leading rusher, to a season-low 66 yards on 20 carries. Chris Hairston ran for 65 yards and one TD on just eight carries in the losing effort. Junior QB Blake Kemp threw for 272 yards and one TD, but he was also intercepted once. Isaiah Jones had 10 receptions for 106 yards.
-- Kemp became the starter when Kurt Benkert went down with a season-ending injury in August. Kemp has completed 70.1 percent of his passes for 1,823 yards with an 11/7 TD-INT ratio. Juco transfer QB James Summers usually get a few series in each game, in addition to snaps in short-yardage situations. Summers has connected on 32-of-48 throws for 428 yards with a 4/1 TD-INT ratio. Summers has also rushed for 383 yards and six TDs while averaging 6.4 YPC.
-- Hairston has run for a team-best 525 yards and seven TDs while averaging 4.4 YPC. Jones has a team-high 61 catches for 701 yards and three TDs. Hairston has 24 receptions for 159 yards and one TD.
-- ECU WR Daquan Barnes is ‘questionable’ due to a hip injury, while WR Jimmy Williams is ‘out’ with an ankle injury. Williams had 14 receptions for 118 yards and two TDs in the first five games. Starting OT Dontae Livingston is ‘out’ with an undisclosed injury.
-- The UConn offense revolves around Shirreffs, a sophomore transfer from North Carolina State, and sophomore RB Arkeel Newsome, who has rushed for a team-high 408 yards and four TDs while averaging 5.0 YPC. Shirreffs has connected on 62.0 percent of his passes for 1,723 yards with a 7/5 TD-INT ratio. Shirreffs has rushed for 342 yards and a pair of scores.
--As a home underdog since Bob Diaco took over in 2014, the Huskies have compiled a 2-6 record both SU and ATS.
--ECU has limped to an abysmal 4-9 spread record in 13 games as a road favorite during McNeill’s tenure.
--The ‘over’ is 5-3 overall for ECU, 4-0 in its road assignments. However, the Pirates have seen the ‘under’ cash in back-to-back games. Their games have produced a combined points average of 59.0 points per game.
-- The ‘under’ is 6-2 overall for the Huskies, 3-1 in their four home outings. Their games have averaged a combined score of 41.1 PPG.
-- ESPNU will have the broadcast at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.<<