Jacory Harris stated Tuesday without hesitation that he will play in the final home game of the season Saturday against Duke -- ``messed up'' finger or no messed up finger.

Harris, without question, has taken his share of licks over the past year. But he always ends up standing.

He injured his shoulder late last season when a lineman yanked him onto the ground as he threw a pass. He said he got used to the occasional numbness and pain, then aggravated the same shoulder in the Emerald Bowl.

In the 2009 opener at Florida State, blitzing cornerback Greg Reid contorted Harris' throwing arm as he launched a pass that was picked off and run back 31 yards for a touchdown. The hit left his ring finger and pinkie partially numb. Later, he said it affected his ``funny bone.''

``The little nerve right there was kind of numb,'' he said in mid-September, pointing to his elbow. Two weeks ago, Harris said the elbow injury was ``the only one that probably still to this day bothers me a little bit.''

CLOSE TO THE VEST

This week, Harris has been wearing a soft, temporary cast to immobilize a finger on his throwing hand that he hurt when he was hit during Saturday's loss at North Carolina. Despite throwing four interceptions in the game and being the subject of numerous stories and message-board postings, he faced the media Tuesday as he usually does: earnestly and with a smile.

He did not specify the finger or injury.

``It's tough to be in this situation, but at the same time I'm going to be the same person I've always been,'' said Harris, who has 2,655 passing yards and 19 touchdowns this season, but has 16 interceptions -- the most among the Football Bowl Subdivision's 100 top-rated quarterbacks. ``Nothing is going to change about me, because this doesn't determine who you are.

``I don't blame anything on my hand. It wasn't physical. It was all my fault.''

Not exactly. Harris has been sacked 27 times. The No. 21 Hurricanes (7-3, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) are 105th in sacks allowed. The Tar Heels sacked, hit or were in Harris' face 13 times Saturday. In comparison, UNC's quarterback was hurried or sacked four times.

UM coach Randy Shannon insisted Tuesday his offensive line is playing well, but his on-field bodyguards weren't as sure.

``I'm willing to take a lot of the blame,'' left tackle Jason Fox said. ``The O-line didn't play great. Jacory took the blame because that's the type of guy he is. There were a couple interceptions when he was getting hit, and that's not his fault.

``He's a tremendous competitor. He's physically and mentally tough. At FSU, he took that shot and I didn't even know he was hurt because he didn't say anything. And I'll be honest with you, I didn't know [he was hurt] until I saw him in a temporary cast after the [UNC] game. He's a tough guy, that's all I can say.''

Center A.J. Trump agreed that the line ``didn't do a very good job of keeping the chief clean.''

``It's like if your little brother falls off his bike and scratches his knee. It's not cool. You're supposed to look after him.

``A lot of people write him off because he's skinny. But he's a tough kid. We could not block a soul, and he'd get up in front of you guys and say, `I should have made this read and should have gotten the ball off quicker.' That always makes us feel like we're loved, and that's important.''

COACHES' VIEWS

Shannon said he refuses to rein in Harris, though he said the sophomore isn't told to throw every pass deep.

``It's all about teaching and coaching,'' Shannon said. ``We've talked to him. We can't say, `OK, Jacory, you can't take these chances.' Because when he takes the chances, we have confidence in him and you come up with big plays. But he has also got to know you cannot take chances unless the scheme or pass plays are there for you.''

Shannon said Harris was expected to take snaps Wednesday. He'll wear a protective covering against Duke (5-5, 3-3).

Harris said offensive coordinator Mark Whipple has not altered his throwing mechanics much. He just needs to make better throws. ``I have to take what the defense is giving me. If they're giving me underneath routes, I need to take those and stop trying to take all the deep shots.''

As for his latest injury, he will cope with it like the others. ``I know this [past] game, it would be like as I'm saying my cadence the pain starts to go away and I start to forget it. But as soon as I let the ball go, it comes right back.''

``I just have to play through it.''