Third downs became a nightmare for the Mustangs of SMU on Saturday as East Carolina sent blitz after blitz at them in a 49-23 win.
Quarterback Matt Davis bore the brunt of the blitz. He weathered eight sacks at the hands of the ECU defense, which played a substantial role in the game’s easy outcome for the Pirates, who this week take on the task of a fourth road trip in five weeks, this time more than 2,200 miles west to Provo, Utah.
The surging Pirates (3-2) will complete their non-league ledger against a 3-2 BYU team that began the season with heart-stopping Hail Mary wins against Nebraska and Boise State before dropping a 24-23 heartbreaker to UCLA, getting shut out at Michigan and rebounding for a win last week against American Athletic Conference member Connecticut.