While Conference USA is known for high-flying offenses, the potential marquee matchup in today's Marshall-East Carolina game involves a pair of defensive ends.

But it is uncertain if ECU's C.J. Wilson and Marshall's Albert McClellan can put forth an effort that not only landed them on the Lombardi Award watch list, but made them the top vote-getters in the preseason voting for defensive player of the year.

McClellan is coming off a one-tackle effort against Memphis, with his snaps reduced by an ankle injury suffered late last week. That came a week after he earned player-of-the-week honors with a 15-tackle, two-sack outing against Bowling Green.

He has known success against ECU, though. In the 2006 game, he was credited with 61/2 tackles for loss and 31/2 sacks in a game the Herd somehow still lost 33-20. That effort helped win McClellan the player of the year honor, as voted by the C-USA media.

"I think they're very talented up front. I think Albert McClellan, obviously, is a stud," said ECU coach Skip Holtz. "He's been doing it year in and year out. And you take him as a senior, and you put him up with three juniors up front, and you've got a pretty potent defensive line there."

Wilson edged McClellan for preseason player-of-the-year honors in July, but finally recorded his first sack last week against Central Florida. He teamed with tackle Linval Joseph on another sack.

"C.J. has been a quality player for us," Holtz said. "He probably has not started as strong this year as he would have liked, as everybody would have liked, but he is a hard-working young man; he is a great young man. He's already graduated, has is degree in hand, he's become a real leader of that defense."

The Herd's Mario Harvey is another Lombardi watch-list candidate, along with ECU linebacker Nick Johnson. Also on the list is the Pirates' center, Sean Allen, whom the school's game notes credit with a team-high 19 "knockouts."

Special teams bear special emphasis today, considering how the Pirates outkicked the Herd in last year's 19-16 overtime victory. Marshall opened the door when Craig Ratanamorn pushed a field goal and hit an upright on an extra point, and Tyler Warner missed a field goal in overtime.

On the other hand, ECU's Ben Hartman has made the Lou Groza Award watch list with his six career game-winning field goals, four on the game's final play. He is 7-of-10 this season, and has booted a field goal in consecutive games.

But for excitement value, check out the battle of the punt returns. For ECU, Travis Simmons is averaging 21.5 yards on four returns, including a season-high 38-yarder against West Virginia.

Marshall counters, in all likelihood, with Andre Booker. The true freshman from Sarasota, Fla., reeled off consecutive runbacks of 44 and 52 yards last week against Memphis, the latter setting the Herd offense up to go ahead 24-13.

Herd coach Mark Snyder has special praise for Booker, and all the return units. The Herd was effective on kickoffs last week, as well, with Darius Marshall gaining 94 yards on three runbacks.

"I think they have all done a good job. Rob Henry, Ty Gale, John Youboty, George Carpenter, Kevin Perry, it's their role," Snyder said. "It is their time to get on the field and make something happen. Stuart Lips is another one. And it is not just these guys - we have some starters who want to get on these teams, and that is some good stuff."

While Conference USA is known for high-flying offenses, the potential marquee matchup in today's Marshall-East Carolina game involves a pair of defensive ends.

But it is uncertain if ECU's C.J. Wilson and Marshall's Albert McClellan can put forth an effort that not only landed them on the Lombardi Award watch list, but made them the top vote-getters in the preseason voting for defensive player of the year.

McClellan is coming off a one-tackle effort against Memphis, with his snaps reduced by an ankle injury suffered late last week. That came a week after he earned player-of-the-week honors with a 15-tackle, two-sack outing against Bowling Green.

He has known success against ECU, though. In the 2006 game, he was credited with 61/2 tackles for loss and 31/2 sacks in a game the Herd somehow still lost 33-20. That effort helped win McClellan the player of the year honor, as voted by the C-USA media.

"I think they're very talented up front. I think Albert McClellan, obviously, is a stud," said ECU coach Skip Holtz. "He's been doing it year in and year out. And you take him as a senior, and you put him up with three juniors up front, and you've got a pretty potent defensive line there."

Wilson edged McClellan for preseason player-of-the-year honors in July, but finally recorded his first sack last week against Central Florida. He teamed with tackle Linval Joseph on another sack.

"C.J. has been a quality player for us," Holtz said. "He probably has not started as strong this year as he would have liked, as everybody would have liked, but he is a hard-working young man; he is a great young man. He's already graduated, has is degree in hand, he's become a real leader of that defense."

The Herd's Mario Harvey is another Lombardi watch-list candidate, along with ECU linebacker Nick Johnson. Also on the list is the Pirates' center, Sean Allen, whom the school's game notes credit with a team-high 19 "knockouts."

Special teams bear special emphasis today, considering how the Pirates outkicked the Herd in last year's 19-16 overtime victory. Marshall opened the door when Craig Ratanamorn pushed a field goal and hit an upright on an extra point, and Tyler Warner missed a field goal in overtime.

On the other hand, ECU's Ben Hartman has made the Lou Groza Award watch list with his six career game-winning field goals, four on the game's final play. He is 7-of-10 this season, and has booted a field goal in consecutive games.

But for excitement value, check out the battle of the punt returns. For ECU, Travis Simmons is averaging 21.5 yards on four returns, including a season-high 38-yarder against West Virginia.

Marshall counters, in all likelihood, with Andre Booker. The true freshman from Sarasota, Fla., reeled off consecutive runbacks of 44 and 52 yards last week against Memphis, the latter setting the Herd offense up to go ahead 24-13.

Herd coach Mark Snyder has special praise for Booker, and all the return units. The Herd was effective on kickoffs last week, as well, with Darius Marshall gaining 94 yards on three runbacks.

"I think they have all done a good job. Rob Henry, Ty Gale, John Youboty, George Carpenter, Kevin Perry, it's their role," Snyder said. "It is their time to get on the field and make something happen. Stuart Lips is another one. And it is not just these guys - we have some starters who want to get on these teams, and that is some good stuff."

Speaking of usually unsung roles, Snyder was bullish on the blocking of freshman receiver Aaron Dobson last week. Dobson handled the edge on several successful toss sweeps.

"He is such a big body," Snyder said. "He's young and doesn't know that wide receivers aren't supposed to block and just catch, so hopefully we can keep using him before [receivers] Coach [Todd] Goebbel teaches him he is just supposed to catch the ball."

Dobson's quarterback is noticing a maturation process, and it isn't just about the blocking.

"There in the first couple of games, you could tell he was not quite ready," Herd quarterback Brian Anderson said. "He was a little timid, and didn't exactly know what was going on. He's gotten a lot better, and he keeps working hard during the week. He's learning the offense a lot better, and making plays for us."

Today's winner takes sole possession of first place in Conference USA's East Division, and there is a specific reason: Southern Mississippi was knocked down by a 30-17 upset at Alabama-Birmingham.

It was UAB's first win over the Golden Eagles in 10 tries, and a huge step for a program that has struggled since realignment. It also reversed USM's 70-14 rout in Hattiesburg last season.

Joe Webb rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown and, despite having troubles passing, threw for another score. Josh Zahn hit two field goals, one from 51 yards, and Hiram Atwater returned an interception 40 yards with a minute left.

UAB (2-3 overall) is very much in the East race at 2-1. USM fell to 2-2, 1-1, as it played without star running back Damion Fletcher and wide receiver DeAndre Brown.

"That didn't have anything to do with those two guys," said Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora. "Offensively, we couldn't get into a rhythm. They played harder than we did."

Marshall cornerback DeQuan Bembry has been cleared to play, an MU official said Friday. For ECU, running back Dominque Lindsay, who has missed the previous two games, has been the question mark.

Lindsay has the Pirates' season-high rushing game, 105 yards, and the long run, 41. Both came in the opener against Appalachian State. Bembry has two highlight-reel interceptions, one against Virginia Tech and one last week against Memphis.

All told, the Herd has four picks and 22 pass breakups.

Reach Doug Smock at 304-348-5130 or dougsm...@wvgazette.com.