ECU's Dominique Davis 'ready to go' for Military Bowl

GREENVILLE - East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill doesn't appear too worried about quarterback Dominique Davis' sore left shoulder.

"He's ready to go," McNeill said during a news conference on Monday.

Davis, a junior transfer this season, injured his non-throwing arm and participated in two games to close out the regular season, playing despite the obvious pain he experienced as he was sacked twice in a loss to SMU.

"He's one tough hombre," McNeill said at the time.

East Carolina (6-6,5-3 C-USA) accepted an invitation to play Maryland (8-4, 5-3 ACC) in the Military Bowl at RFK Stadium on Dec. 29, giving their starting quarterback more than a month to heal since his last game on Nov. 26.

A healthy Davis offers the Pirates their best chance to defeat the Terrapins, considering all that he accomplished on the way to earning the conference's most valuable player honor.

Davis is the nation's top point producer with 36 passing touchdowns and nine rushing. He accounts for an average of 22.7 points per game.

The Pirates average 319 yards and 38.2 points per game - seventh and 12th in the nation, respectively. The Pirates seek their first bowl game victory since a 41-38 victory over Boise State in 2007 in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.

-- Edward G. Robinson III