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The Houston Cougars have won three straight over the East Carolina Pirates as they head to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium looking to make it four in a critical game for both teams.
The Cougars, at 3-1 in conference play, sit a game and a half behind the west division leading Tulsa Hurricanes who are taking the weekend off conference play to visit the Arkansas Razorbacks. A win for the Cougars sets up a big game next weekend with the Hurricanes in Houston. The Cougars have won four of their last five, including a 45-35 win last week over the UTEP Miners. They lost a shootout with the SMU Mustangs the previous week 72-42 in Dallas.
The Pirates, sitting at 4-1 in conference play, got thumped by the triple option of the Navy Midshipmen to the tune of 7.4 yards a carry in their 56-28 loss last week. They're just half a game behind the Central Florida Knights in the east division of Conference USA, a team they lost to 40-20 to start October.
Game time, TV channel: 11 a.m. CT, Fox Sports Net
Online streaming video: None
Point spread: Houston is favored by 4 after opening the week as 2.5-point favorites
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