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FACTS & STATS: Site: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (50,000) -- Greenville, North Carolina .Television: FSN. Home Record: UCF 4-1, ECU 2-3. Away Record: UCF 3-2, ECU 2-2. Neutral Record: UCF 0-0, ECU 0-1. Conference Record: UCF 4-2, ECU 3-3. Series Record: ECU leads, 8-2.

GAME NOTES: UCF will travel to Greenville to take on the Pirates of East Carolina in a late-season Conference USA showdown at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

UCF is 4-6 after losing two straight and four of its last five. The Knights fell lost a hard-fought 30-29 battle to the Conference USA's East Division leading and 22nd ranked Southern Mississippi. The Knights were in position to tie the contest late in the game, but head coach George O'Leary elected to go for two and the win before Blake Bortles' potential go-ahead pass on the conversion attempt fell incomplete, giving the Golden Eagles the victory. UCF will need to win out to become bowl eligible at the season's end. The matchup with East Carolina will be O'Leary's 100th game as head coach of the Knights.

East Carolina also sits at 4-6 as the Pirates are on a two-game losing skid. Before falling to Southern Mississippi and Texas-El Paso, the Pirates were on a three-game winning streak that included wins over Memphis, Navy, and Tulane. East Carolina will also need to win its final two games to be bowl eligible.

The all-time series between these programs has been dominated by East Carolina as the Pirates have won 8-of-10 games in the series. UCF won victorious in the most recent meeting as the Knights bested the Pirates 49-35 in last year's meeting in Orlando. UCF would pass East Carolina in the Conference USA's East Division standings with a win as the programs would have the same record with the Pirates holding the head-to-head tie-breaker.

UCF began a rotation at quarterback last week against Southern Mississippi as Jeff Godfrey and freshman Blake Bortles alternated drives before Bortles took over for the entire second half. Godfrey, who was the 2010 Conference USA Freshman of the Year, may become the full-time backup as Bortles was magnificent completing 24-of-34 attempts for 248 yards and two touchdowns in his first full-time action.

Bortles is ranked third in the conference in passing efficiency, while Godfrey is right behind him in fourth place.

The Knights' rushing game struggled against the Golden Eagles as it managed just 48 yards on 24 attempts. This was very surprising as UCF had the third- best rushing attack in the conference going into the contest.

Freshman J.J. Worton had a breakout performance in the loss to Southern Mississippi as he caught 11 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. His steady improvement over the course of the year has solidified his status as a dangerous weapon going into the future for UCF.

UCF has one of the most dominant defenses in the country. The Knights are ranked 10th in the nation in total yards of offense allowed per game (293.6) and points allowed per game (16.8). Last week's loss against the Golden Eagles was the defensive unit's worst outing of the year as it allowed a season-high 519 yards. Kemal Ishmael leads the team with 64 tackles.

The Knights' defense will be tested again this week as it faces Dominique Davis and the Conference USA's second-best aerial attack.

Davis has tested defenses all year as he has thrown 30 or more passes in all but one of the Pirates' games this season. The senior quarterback has thrown for 2,737 yards and 18 touchdowns so far, but also has 15 interceptions on his resume. Davis's numbers have gone down in his last two outings as he has been without his favorite receiver Lance Lewis, but the star receiver is expected to return for the senior day contest against the Knights.

The Pirates' air-it-out philosophy leaves them with the 112th ranked rushing attack in the nation. Torrance Hunt led the Pirates in rushing in their most recent game against the Miners with 49 yards on 18 attempts. Hunt will have his hands full as he goes up against the conference's top rush defense this week.

UCF might be able to find success against the Pirates' rushing the ball, but the secondary of East Carolina is not going to allow either of the Knights' quarterbacks an easy evening. The second-best pass defense in the conference, which is averaging just half-a-yard more a game than UCF, will urge the Knights to consider running the ball more. Jeremy Grove leads the team with 102 tackles, a total that is seventh best in the nation.

Both teams' postseason dreams are on the line in this one which will create a very spirited contest. UCF hopes to have found an answer to its problems in Bortles, but Davis is going to do his best to humble the young rookie in his last game in Greenville.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: UCF 27, East Carolina 26