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PIRATE PLAYER OF THE WEEK ARCHIVES
From ECU and C-USA reports
Posted 11/19/02:
Gilliam earns league's Special Teams award
UAB QB Hackney, Louisville LB Lee pick up offensive,
defensive honors
Even though East Carolina fell short in its fourth quarter rally at UAB last
Saturday, the performance of Christshawn Gilliam was eye-catching enough to
gain the senior linebacker the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the
Week Award.
As a member of ECU's punt return unit, Gilliam blocked two punts against
against the Blazers. His second block was scooped up by teammate Anwtane
Yelverton and returned 26 yards for a touchdown.
Gilliam also finished with seven tackles on the day.
The weekly award is the second of Gilliam's career. He was named Defensive
Player of the Week last season after the Cincinnati game.
He has 32 tackles this season, including seven for losses, and has
established himself as one of the team's big playmakers both on defense and
special teams.
Gilliam is the fourth Pirate to win a C-USA weekly award in 2002. Earlier
this season, running back Art Brown won the offensive award and free safety
Kelly Hardy and linebacker Chris Moore earned defensive honors.
UAB quarterback Darrell Hackney shattered his own school record with 424
yards passing in Blazers' 36-29 win over the Pirates to earn this week's
Offensive Player of the Week Award while Louisville linebacker Chad Lee was
named Defensive Player of the Week after recording nine tackles, forcing a
fumble and recovering two fumbles in the Cards' 20-17 double-overtime win
over Southern Miss
OFFENSIVE AWARD:
Darrell Hackney QB UAB — Hackney enjoyed his finest game of his young career
as he shattered the UAB Division I-A record for passing yards in a game with
424 in a victory over East Carolina. Hackney completed 20-of-34 passes with
three touchdowns and no interceptions. After ECU had tied the game at 29-all
with 4:09 remaining, Hackney led the Blazers on a 9-play, 89-yard
game-winning drive in the final minutes of the game.
DEFENSIVE AWARD:
Chad Lee LB Louisville — Lee notched nine tackles, forced one fumble and
recovered two fumbles in Louisville's double-overtime win at Southern Miss.
Lee's biggest play came with less than eight minutes remaining in the fourth
quarter and the game knotted at 17-17. USM had the ball at the Cardinals'
20-yard-line, but Lee forced and then recovered a fumble by Derrick Nix.
SPECIAL TEAMS AWARD:
Christshawn Gilliam LB East Carolina — As a member of ECU's punt return
unit, Gilliam blocked two punts against UAB Saturday. His second block was
scooped up by teammate Antwan Yelverton and returned 26 yards for a
touchdown.
Posted 10/08/02:
Pirates land two of league's three weekly awards
TCU kick returner Dunbar gains special teams
recognition
East Carolina was dominant enough on both sides of the ball in its 59-24
rout of Army last Saturday that two of the most prominent performers in that
runaway victory were selected as Conference USA's offensive and defensive
players of the week, the league office announced on Monday..
Running back Art Brown and inside linebacker Chris Moore were instrumental
in leading the Pirates to their second conference victory of the young
season.
Brown rushed for 161 yards on 27 carries and scored four touchdowns. The
Winston-Salem junior, who has at least one touchdown in every game this
season, scored three touchdowns rushing and one receiving as he became the
first Pirate since 1996 to reach the end zone four times in a game.
Currently tied for eighth in the nation in scoring, Brown is averaging 10.8
points per game. Saturday's performance was his second 100-yard rushing
performance of the season. He currently ranks second in C-USA in rushing and
leads the team in receptions with 16.
Moore, a redshirt freshman, wreaked havoc on the Army offense, causing three
turnovers, all of which led to Pirate touchdowns. Moore set the tone early
in the game as he caused a fumble on Army's second play from scrimmage,
following that up shortly thereafter with an interceptions midway the first
quarter. Both plays gave ECU the ball deep in Army territory.
Moore also had an interception in the fourth quarter which he returned 41
yards for a touchdown. A product of Havelock High School, Moore who entered
the game as the nation's leading tackler among freshmen. Against the Black
Knights, he accounted for five tackles and two pass breakups.
This marks the second week this season that ECU has earned a player of the
week honor. Senior cornerback Kelly Hardy was named defensive player of the
week following the Pirates` win over Tulane on Sept. 14.
Kick returner Latarence Dunbar of Texas Christian was named the league's
special teams player of the week.
OFFENSIVE AWARD
ART BROWN, RB, East Carolina: Brown rushed for 161 yards on 27 carries and
accounted for four touchdowns to lead the Pirates to a 59-24 win over Army.
Brown, who has at least one touchdown in every game this season, scored
three TDs rushing and one receiving as he became the first Pirate since 1996
to reach the end zone four times in a game.
DEFENSIVE AWARD
CHRIS MOORE, LB, East Carolina: Moore caused three Army turnovers, all of
which led to Pirate touchdowns. Moore set the tone early in the game as he
caused a fumble on Army's second play from scrimmage, then made the first of
two interceptions midway of the first quarter. Moore also had an
interception in the fourth quarter which he returned 41 yards for a
touchdown. Moore also accounted for five tackles and two pass breakups.
SPECIAL TEAMS AWARD
LATARENCE DUNBAR, KR, Texas Christian: With the score tied at 10, Dunbar
returned the second half kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, giving the Frogs
a lead they would not relinquish in a win over Houston. It was the third
kickoff return for a touchdown in Dunbar's career, becoming the first TCU
player to accomplish that feat. For the day, he returned three kicks for 139
yards.
Posted 09/15/02:
ECU's Hardy picks off weekly award
USM's Nix and Houston's Bell also honored
East Carolina's Kelly Hardy is this week's Conference USA Defensive Player
of the Week, the league office announced Monday.
A product of Kinston High School, Hardy tallied seven tackles, including six
solos, and had a key interception in the Pirates` 24-20 win over visiting
Tulane last Saturday night. His first-quarter pickoff and subsequent 31-yard
return set up a field goal and gave the Pirates momentum.
Hardy also had a pass breakup and a third-down stop. For the season, the
senior free safety is second on the team in tackles with 29 and is tied for
the team lead in pass breakups with three.
It marks the second time in Hardy's career that he has earned the C-USA
weekly award. He also gained the honor during his sophomore season in 2000
after a win against Duke. He is the first Pirate of the 2002 season to win a
conference player of the week award.
Running back Derrick Nix of Southern Mississippi won the league's weekly
offensive award and kicker Dustin Bell of Houston was the special teams
player of the week.
Here are thumbnails of the award winners' Saturday performances:
OFFENSIVE AWARD
DERRICK NIX, RB, Southern Miss: Nix carried 21 times for 196 yards and two
touchdowns as Southern Miss won its Conference USA opener over Memphis. The
196 yards was the third-highest total in his career and he now has 474
rushing yards in three games in 2002. Nix is the first player to win
back-to-back player of the week award since Tulane’s Patrick Ramsey in
November, 2000.
DEFENSIVE AWARD
KELLY HARDY, FS, East Carolina: Hardy recorded seven tackles (six solo) and
returned an interception 31 yards to set up a field goal in ECU’s win over
Tulane. He also had a pass breakup on third down to end a drive.
SPECIAL TEAMS AWARD
DUSTIN BELL, K, Houston: Bell connected on field goals of 44, 37 and 43
yards in Houston’s win over Louisiana-Lafayette. His 44-yarder was a
career-long and he also added three extra points on the night. Bell is
6-for-6 on field goal attempts this season.
