By Staff
 ECU Sports Information
IRVING, Texas – Senior inside wide receiver Dwayne Harris and junior defensive back Emanuel Davis have been named to the 2010 Conference USA Football Coaches Preseason First Team, according to an announcement from the league office Wednesday. The conference’s 12 head coaches voted for the preseason award winners and first team honorees.
 Harris was the 2009 C-USA Special Teams Player-of-the-Year and was a first-team selection at wide receiver in addition to garnering second-team honors as a kick returner. Davis also earned a first-team nod at defensive back last season.
 As a junior, Harris helped the Pirates claim their second consecutive Conference USA Championship and AutoZone Liberty Bowl berth with his Most Valuable Player performance in the league title game against Houston. He tallied nine catches for 123 yards and a touchdown while adding a 69-yard kickoff return versus the Cougars.
 Harris hauled in 83 passes for the season, tying him with Aundrae Allison for ECU’s second-most receptions in a year. Harris’ 978 receiving yards were also good for second on the school’s all-time single-season list. The Stone Mountain, Ga., native, is the program’s all-time leader in receptions with 167 while standing second in receiving yards with 1,878, just 104 behind Troy Smith (1995-98).
 Davis missed much of the first three games due to a shoulder injury suffered in the season opener, but bounced back to record 69 tackles, including a team-best 51 solo hits. His 12 pass breakups also paced the Pirates. He intercepted two passes, returning one 42 yards for a touchdown to help ECU to a C-USA road win at Tulsa. In nationally-televised contests against Virginia Tech and Houston, the Manteo, N.C., native established career highs in tackles with nine. Davis turned in some of his best work late in the season, averaging 7.4 tackles per game in the final seven outings.
 In East Carolina’s C-USA East Division clinching victory against Southern Miss, Davis broke up a career-best four passes, tying the program single-game record. He owns 20 career pass deflections, 114 tackles and six interceptions, totaling 100 return yards.
 Houston senior quarterback Case Keenum, last season’s offensive player-of-the-year, and UCF senior defensive end Bruce Miller, the 2009 defensive player-of-the-year, were tabbed to repeat their awards this season. Houston junior kick and punt returner Tyron Carrier was selected as the special teams player-of-the year. The Cougars and Golden Hurricane led the way with five first-team selections while UCF had four preseason honorees.
 The Pirates begin the 2010 season Sunday, Sept. 5 at 2:00 p.m. in Greenville against Tulsa in a nationally-televised contest on ESPN2.
DOWDY-FICKLEN STADIUM ACCESS HALTED
The T.A. Loving Company, in conjunction with the East Carolina University Department of Athletics, has instituted and will enforce a no-entry policy effective immediately for Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium according to an announcement from ECU Assistant Athletics Director for Administrative Affairs J.J. McLamb Wednesday.
 McLamb cited construction hazards and deadline constraints as reasons for the general public access ban for the facility, which is in the final stages of a 7,000-seat endzone and new videoboard addition project. In addition, T.A. Loving Company is also overseeing the installation of 10,200 new chairback seats on the north and south stands inside the stadium. Included on the no-entry list are exercise groups or individuals who routinely run stadium steps or the north side ramp as an exercise routine.
 “As we approach the final weeks before the completion of this project, we’ve been asked by T.A. Loving Company to assist in maintaining a safe work zone and limit their interruptions as much as possible,” McLamb said. “While we appreciate the interest and curiosity in what has developed into an impressive facility, pedestrian traffic has become unmanageable, and quite frankly, dangerous. I hope our fans can understand and appreciate that.”
 While the Pirates will officially open an expanded Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Sept. 5 when they meet Tulsa, fans can get an early look by attending the annual “Meet The Pirates” event Saturday, Aug. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m.