Welcome to the board. I will let others talk about how decimated we are due to injuries, but in answer to your other question, if we don't bring our A game, we will lose. I think if we do bring our A game, we will win, as I am sure you believe the opposite. Watch to see if Tuiloma (nose tackle) is back. If so, and he is 100%, that is HUGE for our team.
Pressing our wide receivers with physical play is always the recipe for success by other teams. I don't understand why, but we really struggle with it, year in and year out.
BYU would enter a conference if they believed the money, exposure and opportunity were greater than independence. At this point in time, outside of a P5 conference, that doesn't exist.
On your comment about being dissed as the third best O this year, remember that we lost to two best, so it isn't a slight at all. I don't really react to comments like that - I don't think they really matter.
Overall, I think there is a lot of respect for your team and I hope that we play more often in the future. I am old enough to remember when ECU was an independent and regularly had good teams. There are many who didn't recognize this game as a good one for the home schedule. I only wish I lived close enough to attend. Should be a great atmosphere.
Good luck to your team in the game and lets hope for both teams, no more injuries.