University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Golden Eagles Try For Outright Championship Against East Carolina
11/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
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East Carolina Notes
Golden Eagles Try For Outright Championship Against East Carolina
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Even with an impressive 8-3 record, Southern Miss Head Coach Jeff Bower and his 2003 Golden Eagles still have some work to do.
While the team already has at least a share of the Conference USA championship, a share isn't what the team wants.
Instead, the Golden Eagles eye sole possession of its first C-USA title since 1999, and a win over East Carolina on Saturday would provide just that.
Fresh off a big win over No. 9 TCU last Thursday, Southern Miss (8-3, 7-0 in C-USA) looks to remain perfect in league play as it takes on the Pirates (1-10, 1-6) in the season finale for both teams, Saturday, in Greenville, N.C. Kickoff for the game is set for 1 p.m.
A victory gives the Golden Eagles their third outright title in C-USA history, which would be the most of any league member, and also gives Southern Miss a berth in the Liberty Bowl. The Golden Eagles also can become the first league team since 1999 to go undefeated in C-USA play, a feat that the team also achieved in 1997.
While Southern Miss has experienced one of its better seasons in school history, the Pirates have not. East Carolina, under the direction of first-year head coach and former Southern Miss defensive coordinator John Thompson, has seen its share of struggles, managing just one win -- a 38-32 victory over winless Army.
The two teams have played each other 28 times in all, with Southern Miss holding a 21-7 advantage. The Golden Eagles won the last two contests, including the last four in Greenville. ECU's last home win in the series came in 1994.
Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week Dustin Almond leads a Southern Miss offense that has vastly improved in each of the last five wins. Almond currently has 1,547 yards passing this season, to go along with 12 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He has thrown for at last two touchdowns in each of the last five games, including a career-best three against Louisiana-Lafayette and TCU. Almond also has rushed for 132 yards and scored one touchdown.
Running back Anthony Harris has fared well as the team's feature back, compiling 482 yards on 116 carries this year, including six touchdowns. Tim Blackwell, who played last week for the first time in five games, is second with 286 yards rushing and three scores. Sherron Moore also has more than 200 yards this season, gaining 239 on 53 carries.
Marvin Young continues to pace the Southern Miss receivers, with 664 yards and six touchdowns on 39 catches. Antwon Courington follows with 459 yards and three scores on 32 receptions, while DaRon Lawrence figures in with 31 catches for 405 yards and two touchdowns. Kenneth Johnson is fourth with 14 catches for 224 yards.
Chris Moore heads the East Carolina defense with a team-high 134 tackles (94 solos) and 14 tackles for loss. Mickey McCoy adds 96 tackles (63 solos). Ike Emodi leads the team with four sacks.
Running back Marvin Townes provides much of the offense for East Carolina, rushing for 1,039 yards and eight touchdowns on 241 attempts, while also catching 22 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Desmond Robinson leads the team with 1,262 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Receiver Terrance Copper has a team-best 799 yards and two touchdowns on 77 catches.
But the Pirate offense could find the going much tougher against the league-leading Southern Miss defense. The Golden Eagle unit, led by Rod Davis, Michael Boley and Etric Pruitt, tops Conference USA in scoring defense and is fourth in total defense. Davis, the Conference USA all-time leader in tackles, anchors the team with 131 tackles (95 solos), 16 tackles for loss and two sacks. Boley is second with 128 tackles (84 solos) but leads the team in both tackles for loss (17.5) and sacks (seven). Pruitt has 111 tackles, 10 pass breakups and is tied with Greg Brooks for the most interceptions (3).
The Southern Miss ISP Sports Network also will broadcast the game live, with John Cox handling play-by-play duties and former Eagle quarterback Vic Purvis on color, and Lance Pittman on the sideline. Broadcast for the contest begins one hour prior to kickoff.
