By Staff
ECU Sports Information 
IRVING, Texas — East Carolina continued to claim awards from Conference USA Wednesday with the selection of Dwayne Harris as the league’s most valuable player and Dominique Davis as the top newcomer. It is the first time in program history the Pirates have had two players earn individual C-USA accolades in the same season. Harris becomes the first non-quarterback in league history to win the most valuable player honor while Davis is the first signal caller to be the Conference USA Newcomer-of-the-Year.
Harris, who was a First-Team All-C-USA selection as a wide receiver and punt returner, leads the league in receptions per game (7.8) while standing third in receiving yards per game (87.9) and all-purpose yards per game (171.0). With 260 career receptions and 2,933 receiving yards, he is the Pirates’ all-time leader in both categories and is the only receiver in ECU history to surpass 2,000 yards. This season’s 93 catches and 1,055 yards have set program single-season records while his 10 touchdown grabs are tied for the second most in a year, trailing only current teammate Lance Lewis.
An all-around threat, the Stone Mountain, Ga., native owns East Carolina’s longest punt return (56 yards) and rush (49 yds.) this season and has also contributed a 39-yard touchdown pass. Harris has a team-best 45 receptions resulting in a first down and squad-high 17 grabs on third-down plays.
Among all active FBS players, Harris ranks second in career receptions, third in all-purpose yardage (6,144) and all-purpose yards per play (12.5), seventh in receiving yards, ninth in kickoff return yards (2,235) and 10th in receptions per game (5.3) and kickoff returns (95). In C-USA history, he is fifth in receptions, sixth in all-purpose yardage, seventh in kickoff returns and eighth in kickoff return yardage.
Harris joins Case Keenum (2009/Houston/QB) and Chase Clement (2008/Rice/QB) as league MVPs.
Davis, a transfer from Fort Scott Community College, has accounted for 45 of ECU’s 58 offensive touchdowns and is currently the FBS leader in points per game responsible for (22.7) and completions per game (29.8) while tying for the top spot in touchdown passes (36). He ranks first in C-USA in passing yards per game (308.2), stands second in total offensive yards per game (320.1) and is one of just four quarterbacks at the FBS level averaging over 300 passing yards per game.
The Lakeland, Fla., native has already established East Carolina single-season records for attempts (552), completions (358), passing yards (3,699) and touchdown passes. Davis totaled 27 TD tosses in eight league games (3.4 per contest) and completed 63.4 percent of his passes in C-USA action. After just one season, he owns three of the top-10 ECU passing performances in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium history. Also a threat with his legs, Davis’ nine rushing scores are the second most on the squad and the most for a Pirate quarterback since Leander Green’s QB-record 12 in 1979.
The three previous C-USA Newcomer-of-the-Year awards went to James Cleveland (2009/Houston/WR), Curtis Steele (2008/Memphis/RB) and Brennan Marion (2007/Tulsa/WR).
After guiding his squad to the league title and a No. 24 national ranking, UCF’s George O’Leary was named the Conference USA Coach-of-the-Year. O’Leary led a pair of this season’s individual award winners as senior end Bruce Miller became the first player to claim back-to-back C-USA Defensive Player-of-the-Year honors since Southern Miss’ Adalius Thomas in 1998-99. Quarterback Jeff Godfrey, who is 9-2 as a starter, was named the top freshman.
Tulsa senior quarterback G.J. Kinne earned Conference USA Offensive Player-of-the-Year designation and teammate Damaris Johnson picked up Special Teams Player-of-the-Year accolades, the award Harris took home in 2009.
Harris will play his final game in a Pirate uniform Wednesday, Dec. 29, in the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. with national television coverage provided by ESPN.
2010 Conference USA Award Winners
Most Valuable Player – Dwayne Harris, East Carolina
Offensive Player-of-the-Year – G.J. Kinne, Tulsa
Defensive Player-of-the-Year – Bruce Miller, UCF
Special Teams Player-of-the-Year – Damaris Johnson, Tulsa
Coach-of-the-Year – George O’Leary, UCF
Freshman-of-the-Year – Jeff Godfrey, UCF
Newcomer-of-the-Year – Dominique Davis, East Carolina