The American Athletic Conference claims the Thursday night spotlight on ESPN, placing this compelling matchup in the national spotlight as the sole focus of college football fans across the country.
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane travels to Greenville to battle the East Carolina Pirates, seeking to rediscover the explosive momentum that propelled them to their stunning upset victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys earlier this season.
Our Tulsa vs. East Carolina prediction delivers the essential game information, complete historical series records, and exclusive PFSN player evaluations and team ratings.
Tulsa vs. East Carolina Details
- Date: Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025
- Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Dowdy-Ficken Stadium | Greenville, NC
- Predicted Weather at Kick: 59 degrees, clear, 5 mph winds
- How To Watch: ESPN, YouTube TV
Tulsa vs. East Carolina Head-to-Head Record
Following East Carolina’s commanding victory over Tulsa last season, these conference rivals find themselves locked in a heated battle for supremacy as they prepare for their Week 8 showdown.
The Tulsa vs. East Carolina matchup enters its 19th installment with the all-time series deadlocked at 9-9, creating a winner-take-all scenario for outright series leadership when these teams collide under the Thursday night lights.
This rivalry has witnessed dramatic momentum shifts throughout its four-decade history, which began with their inaugural meeting in 1984.
East Carolina’s 2024 triumph snapped Tulsa’s impressive four-game winning streak in the series, while the Pirates previously dominated with six consecutive victories from 2008 to 2015, highlighted by their memorable 27-24 road victory in the 2008 Conference USA Championship Game that showcased the unpredictable nature of this enduring conference rivalry.
Tulsa vs. East Carolina Grades
- Tulsa: 68.3 (D+)
- East Carolina: 77.4 (C+)
- Tulsa: 71.2 (C-)
- East Carolina: 83.4 (B)
- Tulsa: 72.4 (C-)
- East Carolina: 72.0 (C-)
- Kirk Francis, Tulsa: 72.7 (C-)
- Katin Houser, East Carolina: 83.7 (B)
- Dominic Richardson, Tulsa: 71.3 (C-)
- London Montgomery, East Carolina: 65.8 (D)
- Zion Booker, Tulsa: 75.4 (C)
- Anthony Smith, East Carolina: 75.1 (C)
- Brody Foley, Tulsa: 78.3 (C+)
- Jayvontay Conner, East Carolina:79.0 (C+)
- J’Dan Burnett, Tulsa: 79.7 (C+)
- Ryheem Craig, East Carolina: 76.5 (C)
- Nahki Johnson, Tulsa: 81.5 (B-)
- Zion Wilson, East Carolina: 79.4 (C+)
- Ray Coney, Tulsa: 77.0 (C+)
- Samuel Dankah, East Carolina: 66.5 (D)
- Elijah Green, Tulsa: 88.7 (B+)
- Rasheed Reason, East Carolina: 74.9 (C)
- Zach Williams, Tulsa: 86.8 (B)
- Ja’Marley Riddle, East Carolina: 80.5 (B-)
Tulsa vs. East Carolina Prediction
Tulsa arrives in Greenville looking for its first American Conference win of the season, following what has been a mixed start to the Tre Lamb era. The program’s marquee win over Oklahoma State has been sandwiched by four losses, resulting in a 2-4 overall record and a 0-3 conference campaign that is slightly skewed by the level of competition faced so far.
That schedule doesn’t get any easier on Thursday night. Although they’re just one win up on their Week 8 opponent, East Carolina’s 3-3 overall record contains multitudes. They’ve faced two Power Four programs in out-of-conference play, and took a strong Tulane Green Wave team down to the wire in New Orleans last time they featured in this Thursday night college football spot.
This is the third consecutive game that the Pirates have played in front of a national audience. As such, there should be no surprise as to what to expect from Blake Harrell’s team. They’ve become a defensive juggernaut since a change in leadership last fall, and lead the American Conference in multiple metrics, including scoring defense, tackles for loss, and red zone conversions.
Although sacks haven’t been quite as forthcoming, the pressure piled on by Samuel Dankah, Dameon Wilson, and Jasiyah Robinson (and many others) is ferocious, allowing a secondary led by Ja’Marley Riddle to thrive. The Pirates have given up just four passing touchdowns while snagging three interceptions so far during the 2025 college football season.
Led by linebacker Ray Coney, pass rusher J’Dan Burnett, and a talented defensive back duo, Tulsa has also demonstrated defensive capability, holding three teams to 21 points or less. However, they’ve also shipped 30+ to any potent offense that they’ve faced, and are coming off a 45-7 defeat to Memphis that exposes legitimate concerns for this Thursday night clash.
In Greenville, they call quarterback Katin Houser the “Vanilla Vick.” Now, that might be an overstatement of the East Carolina quarterback’s athletic ability. Yet, he’s found the end zone three times on the ground through six games, and adds a duel-threat dimension that Tulsa has struggled to deal with this year. He might be the best pure passer in the conference, too. Game over.
Prediction: Tulsa 14, East Carolina 30