Pirates stay on track for C-USA title game

GREENVILLE -- East Carolina took a giant step toward a second straight appearance in the Conference USA championship game with a 37-21 victory over UAB on Saturday.

The East Division-leading Pirates (7-4, 6-1 C-USA) held a one-game lead over the Blazers (5-6, 4-3) and Southern Miss (6-4, 4-2) heading into Saturday's contest, but thanks to a three-touchdown effort by Dwayne Harris the reigning conference champs have widened that margin.

The Southern Miss game had not ended by press time for this edition.

With West Division leader SMU (6-5, 5-2) falling to Marshall, the Pirates can host the conference title game if they win next Saturday against Southern Miss.

Harris, along with a resilient effort by the defense which kept UAB's dynamic mobile quarterback Joe Webb from taking over the game, allowed ECU to maintain control over its own postseason destiny.

Webb ran 25 times for 164 yards and hit on 19 of his 27 pass attempts for 247 yards, one touchdown and one interception, but his Blazers never held a lead over the Pirates.

Led by defensive end Scotty Robinson (11 tackles), East Carolina's defensive line harassed Webb for large portions of the game - sacking Webb four times.

"It was the ultimate bend-but-don't break game," ECU coach Skip Holtz said. "When you look at the stat sheet you say, 'How in the world do you win that football game?' But when you look at what this team did, they did the things you have to do to win a football game."

While the ECU defense kept points of the board, Harris was putting them up as he caught eight passes for 108 yards and two scores and returned a kickoff 99 yards to lead the offensive.

The junior wide receiver's eight receptions gave him 146 for his career and placed him second on the Pirates' all-time list, skipping ahead of NFL wideouts Aundrae Allison (145) and Terrance Copper (139). Harris needs seven more catches to take the No. 1 spot held by Jason Nichols (152).

Quarterback Patrick Pinkney had one of his most efficient performances of the season as he hit on 20 of his 25 pass attempts for 250 yards and three scores. Pinkney also concluded his second straight game without an interception to give ECU its first turnover-free game of the year.

Kicker Ben Hartman added field goals of 30, 37 and 25-yards.

Sophomore receiver Darryl Freeney continued to provide the big plays that Holtz has been searching for - catching seven passes for 118 yards, 59 of those yards coming on a TD pass in the third quarter that gave ECU a 30-6 advantage.

Freeney also made two key blocks for Harris on one play, as the electric wideout caught a screen pass from Pinkney and darted downfield for his own 59-yard TD reception for his second touchdown of the first quarter.

"[Harris] is just a special player, we have to continue to find a way to get the ball in his hands," Holtz said. "But having Freeney step up and do the things that he is doing and emerge is helping Dwayne. I think having two playmakers like that on the perimeter really give you some weapons."

If East Carolina can get back to the C-USA title game and repeat as champions, it would be in line to make a second consecutive appearance in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl (which has ties to the SEC). However, if the Pirates were to lose in the conference title game, they would likely play in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, which is affiliated with the Western Athletic Conference.

EAST CAROLINA 37, UAB 21

FIRST QUARTER

ECU--Harris 23 pass from Pinkney (Hartman kick), 13:46. UAB--FG Zahn 27, 7:59. ECU--Harris 59 pass from Pinkney (Hartman kick), 2:15.

SECOND QUARTER

ECU--FG Hartman 30, 12:07. ECU--FG Hartman 37, 1:27. ECU--FG Hartman 25, :00.

THIRD QUARTER

UAB--FG Zahn 33, 4:20. ECU--Freeney 59 pass from Pinkney (Hartman kick), 3:20.

FOURTH QUARTER

UAB--R.Slaughter 16 pass from J.Webb (J.Webb run), 14:54. ECU--Harris 99 kickoff return (Hartman kick), 14:39. UAB--Forrest 9 pass from J.Webb (Zahn kick), 3:13.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--UAB, J.Webb 25-132, R.Slaughter 11-46, Isabelle 3-40, Barnett 5-33, Adams 1-10, Ferrell 1-8, Brooks 3-4. East Carolina, Lindsay 18-45, Dodge 1-19, G.Ruffin 5-11.

PASSING--UAB, J.Webb 19-27-1-247. East Carolina, Pinkney 20-25-0-250, Harris 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING--UAB, Forrest 3-59, Carter 3-54, Adams 3-32, Anderson 3-26, J.Harris 3-20, Ferrell 2-35, R.Slaughter 1-16, Jones 1-5. East Carolina, Harris 8-108, Freeney 7-118, Taylor 3-21, Lindsay 2-3.

Att.--43,056.

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