Shane Carden's big day carries East Carolina over Connecticut

Shane Carden threw for a season-high 445 yards with two touchdowns and No. 18 East Carolina held off upset-minded Connecticut with a 31-21 win on Thursday.

Carden, who had three straight games of 400-plus passing yards earlier this season, completed 38 passes on a career-high 64 attempts with one interception.

Breon Allen rushed for 65 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns to help the heavily-favored Pirates (6-1, 3-0 AAC) win their fifth straight game.

Justin Hardy recorded season highs with 14 receptions and 186 yards with a touchdown in the win.

Chandler Whitmer threw for 303 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Huskies (1-6, 0-4), who have now lost five straight games and have yet to beat an FBS opponent this season.