East Carolina @ Temple preview

For No. 19 East Carolina, it's one goal down, one to go. The Pirates became bowl eligible for the eighth time in nine seasons with last week's win over Connecticut and will look to extend their winning streak to six games Saturday when they visit Temple in an American Athletic Conference matchup. "It's very big (to be bowl eligible)," said East Carolina wideout Justin Hardy, who set season highs in catches (14) and yards (186) against the Huskies. "The next thing to go after is the conference championship."

East Carolina enters the weekend tied with Central Florida atop the league standings with the teams slated to meet in the regular-season finale on Dec. 4. Before that game, however, the Pirates play three of their next four contests on the road, starting with Saturday's matchup at Temple, which is looking to avoid a third straight loss after managing just 24 points in its previous two games combined. "We have to take a breath and say, 'You know what? We're the same team that three weeks ago put up 500 yards on offense,'" said coach Matt Rhule. "We have to take a step back and not listen to what everybody on the outside is telling us and get back to the way we were playing. I think we'll do that this week."

TV: Noon ET, ESPNews. LINE: East Carolina -7

ABOUT EAST CAROLINA (6-1, 3-0 AAC): Only 13 teams in the nation have scored more points per game than East Carolina, which averages 39.6 points and ranks third in the country in passing yards per game (381.9). Last week's effort against Connecticut was not one of the Pirates' more impressive showings of the season, but Shane Carden still threw for a season-high 445 yards and two scores, earning him the AAC Offensive Player of the Week award for the third time in 2014. East Carolina, which ran a staggering 100 plays against UConn, has received 552 total yards and six TDs over the last four games from senior running back Breon Allen.

ABOUT TEMPLE (4-3, 2-2): The Owls hope their offense wakes up at home, where they have scored 94 points over their last two games at Lincoln Financial Field. Rhule will continue to stick with P.J. Walker under center even though he was replaced by Connor Reilly for a few series in last week's defeat. Walker also has been dealing with a high ankle sprain, meaning that Temple really needs more help from a rushing attack that totaled 32 yards on 20 carries a week ago.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Hardy is second in FBS history with 327 career catches, 23 behind Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma, 2008-11) for the all-time FBS record.

2. Temple has the youngest team in FBS with only eight seniors on its roster.

3. The Owls have three punt returns for touchdowns this season - two more than the rest of the AAC combined.

PREDICTION: East Carolina 49, Temple 29