By By BRIAN HAINES
Sports Writer
GREENVILLE — The final hurdle always feels like the highest, but if East Carolina wants to finish this race in first place it is going to have jump over perennial thorn-in-the-side/Berlin Wall Southern Miss.
The Pirates (7-4, 6-1) will take on the Golden Eagles (7-4, 5-2) Saturday 1:30 p.m. at home in a winner-take-all showdown for the right to appear in the Conference USA championship game, which ECU would host should it win.
The winner of Saturday’s game will take on either No. 25 Houston (9-2, 5-2) or SMU (6-5, 5-2).
Houston will host Rice (2-9, 2-5) Saturday, while SMU will be at home against Tulane (3-8, 1-6). Should both teams win out, Houston holds the tie-breaker and will advance to the C-USA title game.
Before the reigning conference champion Pirates think about defending their title, they must overcome their black-and-gold nemesis.
The Golden Eagles hold a 26-8 series record against East Carolina, and have won seven of their last eight games played against the Pirates.
The last time ECU topped Southern Miss was Oct. 28, 2006 when it pulled out a 20-17 overtime victory on the road.
Pirates’ fans no doubt view the Golden Eagles as a rival, but because of their lack of success against USM, ECU coach Skip Holtz questioned if the opposing team feels the same.
“I ask the question: I wonder if it’s a rivalry for them?,” Holtz said. “You have to win every once and a while to make it rival. When you lose those games it’s a rivalry game, I just don’t know how they view it. I know we view it as a rivalry game, but it is extremely lopsided when you look at it; especially being 2-15 at home.”
Add more stakes to the poker game.
An ECU victory would now clinch the C-USA East Division, the ability to host the conference title game, and now would leave no doubt as to whether Southern Miss views the Pirates as a rival.
Is it Saturday yet?
The Pirates head into this matchup on a two-game winning streak and have won four out of their last five games.
The once stagnant offense has become much more fluent and dangerous thanks in large part to the emergence of sophomore wideout Darryl Freeney and the ability of Patrick Pinkney to keep the ball out of the defenders hands.
In ECU’s most recent win, a 37-21 thumping of UAB, Freeney caught seven passes for 118 yards and one touchdown.
Pinkney, who had tossed 10 interceptions in the previous nine games, has had zero in the last two contests.
The senior quarterback has been inconsistent all season, but on Saturday he gave a solid performance which met what fans and media alike had expected to see all year.
Pinkney hit on 20 of his 25 pass attempts of for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Of his 250 yards, 118 of them came on two plays: a screen pass to Dwayne Harris who, thanks to two Freeney blocks, took it 59-yards for a score, while the other was a 59-yard bomb to Freeney.
East Carolina has now scored 30 or more points for four of their last five games.
Freeney’s presence has made life for fellow wide receiver Dwayne Harris a little bit easier. Harris burned the Blazers for eight receptions, 108 yards and two touchdown catches, while adding a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
The Pirates will need their offense to continue to function at a high level as it takes on a Southern Miss team that is powered by all-conference running back Damion Fletcher.
The senior back is averaging 4.6 yards per carry and has tallied 877 rushing yards. Fletcher is currently the active NCAA FBS leader in career rushing yards with 5,164.
Holtz said Fletcher and backfield mate Tory Harrison (547) make a formidable duo with Fletcher being the speed back and Harrison more of the power runner.
That duo, along with the play of mobile quarterback Martevious Young and 6-6 sophomore wideout DeAndre Brown have led USM to the third-highest points per game average in the conference with 33.7. That total is one spot ahead of ECU which posts 32.7 points per game.
The Golden Eagles are no slouch on defense either. Southern Miss is fourth in scoring defense allowing 25 points a contest. East Carolina is second in that category allowing a stellar 18.4 points a game.
Injury report
When the Pirates take the field Saturday they will be without LB A.J. Johnson (knee), TE Rob Kass (knee), LB Dustin Lineback (knee), CB Dekota Marshall (leg) and Matt Thompson (elbow). Defensive end Josh Smith (shoulder) is listed as probable, while LB Marke Powell (foot) is listed as doubtful. Tagged as questionable are WR Jamar Bryant (shoulder), LB Austin Haynes (knee), RB Jonathan Williams (knee) and LB Jeremy Chambliss (shoulder).
Holtz did say he felt Bryant and Williams were showing good progress and could see action against USM.
Harris earns honor
East Carolina junior Dwayne Harris, who set a school record with his third kickoff return for a touchdown in East Carolina’s 37-21 win over UAB, was named Conference USA Special Teams Player-of-the-Week according to an announcement by the league office Monday afternoon. The honor is Harris’ second Special Teams Player-of-the-Week award this season.
Harris established a new East Carolina single-season and career record for most kickoff returns for touchdowns with his third of the 2009 campaign, a 99-yarder against UAB in the fourth quarter. In all, he racked up 146 kickoff return yards on three attempts – an average of 48.7 ypr. The 99-yard return was the second-longest kickoff return in program history and was his third return for a score this season. Harris compiled 254 all-purpose yards and accounted for three touchdowns with two scoring receptions, including a 59-yarder that was ECU’s longest pass play and longest touchdown (rushing or passing) of the season.  With his eight-catch, 108-yard performance against the Blazers, Harris moved into second place on ECU’s career reception list with 146.