By Staff
ECU Sports Information
GREENVILLE – Following a 3-0 start in Conference USA action, East Carolina had seven players selected to Phil Steele’s Midseason All-C-USA Teams. Quarterback Dominique Davis, wide receiver Dwayne Harris, linebacker Dustin Lineback and cornerback Emanuel Davis led the way for ECU as first-team representatives. Second-team honorees included running back Jonathan Williams, wide receiver Lance Lewis and offensive guard Cory Dowless. Harris was also named to the third team as a punt returner.
Dominique Davis, a two-time Conference USA Offensive Player-of-the-Week, most recently lifted the Pirates to a 33-27 come-from-behind victory over rival N.C. State with a one-yard touchdown run in overtime. He completed a career-best 37 passes against the Wolfpack on a personal-high 53 attempts. This season, Dominique Davis has accounted for 20 of the team’s 27 offensive touchdowns and is currently ranked second in the NCAA in points responsible for per game (20.0) as well as completions per game (28.8). He also leads the league in total offensive yards per game (317.8) and passing yards per game (302.5).
Harris has continued his strong play from the 2009 season, leading East Carolina in receptions (49), receiving yards (548) and receiving yards per game (91.3).
He has made at least one reception in 37-straight games, the second-longest streak at the FBS level – trailing only Colorado’s Scotty McKnight (43). The Pirate career leader in receptions (213) and receiving yards (2,426) tops Conference USA this year in receptions per game (8.2), receiving yards per game and all-purpose yards per game (175.3).
On punt returns, Harris’ 38-yard runback in the first quarter against the Wolfpack was the longest for an ECU player this season and his longest since another 38-yard return Oct. 27, 2007, against UAB. In the last two games, he has averaged 17.5 yards a punt return.
Lineback has been the leader of a young defensive unit, averaging 9.2 tackles per game, good for eighth in Conference USA and 40th in the NCAA rankings. He has booked 10 or more tackles in the last three games after having a career high of eight stops in a contest entering the year. Saturday against N.C. State, he tallied a personal-best 14 tackles and added his first fumble recovery since Nov. 2, 2008, at UCF. He tops ECU in tackles with 55 and is tied for first on the squad with 35 stops on rushing plays.
For the back end of the defense, Emanuel Davis leads the team in passing tackles with 20 and is third in solo hits with 21. He is tied for first in Conference USA with 0.3 fumble recoveries per game after scooping up a pair of loose balls at Virginia Tech. Against N.C. State, Emanuel Davis intercepted his first pass of the season in the fourth quarter and recorded his first quarterback hurry since his freshman year.
Heading ECU’s second-team selections is Williams, who tied his single-season career high of five rushing touchdowns with his five-yard score in the first quarter Saturday against N.C. State. This season, he has established personal bests in receptions (27) and receiving yards (200) while making a career-long, 21-yard grab in the opening quarter against the Wolfpack. Williams registered the second 100-yard rushing game of his career versus Memphis with 109 yards. On second-down rushes this season, he is averaging 6.6 yards per carry. He ranks fifth in C-USA in rushing yards per game (60.3) and in all-purpose yards per game (128.5) while standing 42nd nationally in all-purpose yards per game.
After transferring from East Mississippi Community College, Lewis has made an immediate impact in the Pirate offense. He is second on the team in receptions (31) and yards (400) while averaging a squad second-best 12.9 yards per grab. He has hauled in four touchdown passes in the last three games and tops ECU with six receiving scores this season. Lewis has made 28-of-31 catches on first or second down, resulting in 16 first downs and five touchdowns. In the league rankings, he is currently seventh in receptions per game (5.2) and eighth in receiving yards per game (66.7).
Dowless is one of the leaders on an offensive line that is helping ECU to a No. 8 national ranking in passing offense (310.3 ypg) and No. 14 in scoring (36.8 ppg). The Pirates also lead Conference USA in passing offense and are third in scoring. Saturday, East Carolina scored its 27th touchdown of the season, a mark it did not reach until the 10th game of the 2009 campaign. Dowless and the line have also helped ECU gain at least 350 yards of total offense in four of six games this season.
The Pirates return to action at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Saturday, Oct. 23, for a 4:15 p.m. Homecoming matchup with league foe Marshall. The contest is slated for regional broadcast on Comcast Sports South and will be televised locally on WITN.