Golden Eagles smother Pirates

Southern Miss ends ECU streak

HATTIESBURG, MISS. -- Austin Davis threw for two touchdowns, including a school record 97-yarder to DeAndre Brown, and Southern Mississippi defeated East Carolina 21-3 on Saturday.

The Golden Eagles (5-6, 3-4 Conference USA) won their third consecutive game and ended East Carolina's three-game winning streak.

Southern Miss, which lost five straight games earlier this season, needs a win over Southern Methodist in its final regular season game on Nov. 29 to become bowl eligible.

The Pirates (6-4, 4-2) also failed to clinch at least a share of the Conference USA East title and their first trip to the league title game.

Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss' all-time leading rusher, ran for 121 yards on 23 carries and one touchdown in his first game after missing two games with a hamstring injury.

Davis hit Brown one play after Justin Wilson picked off a pass deep in Golden Eagles territory. The scoring play gave Southern Miss a 21-3 lead with 11:37 to play.

Southern Miss took a 7-3 lead into halftime on Davis' 20-yard touchdown pass to Leroy Banks with 4:35 left in the second quarter.

East Carolina took a 3-0 lead early in the quarter on Ben Hartman's 32-yard field goal. Hartman also missed a pair of field goals in the first half.

Davis was 18-of-30 for 239 yards and two scores. Brown had eight catches for 124 yards and needs just three more receptions to tie the school's single-season record of 66.

Wilson picked off another pass late in the game to end any hopes of a comeback. East Carolina's Patrick Pickney had thrown just three interceptions in the first nine games.