Overview
- Pitt and ECU, both 8-4, meet at 11 a.m. ET at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium with national TV coverage on ESPN and streaming via the ESPN app and Fubo.
- East Carolina will not have starting quarterback Katin Houser, who announced he will opt out and enter the transfer portal.
- ECU also enters short-handed on staff after offensive coordinator John David Baker left for Mississippi and defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge departed for South Florida.
- Freshman Mason Heintschel starts for Pittsburgh after an 8-start run featuring 2,098 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
- Sportsbooks list Pitt as the favorite, with reported lines around Panthers -9.5 to -10.5; the matchup is the teams’ first since 1992, and ECU returns as the defending Military Bowl champion.