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East Carolina, Kentucky collide in 50th Liberty Bowl

Jan 2, 2009 - 2:22 PM East Carolina (9-4) vs. Kentucky (6-6), 5:00 pm EST

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Ticker) -- East Carolina would love to close a season that started with upsets of Virginia Tech and West Virginia by posting a 10th victory.

The Pirates will get that opportunity when they face Kentucky on Friday in the 50th Liberty Bowl, being played after New Year's Day for the first time in its history.

East Carolina (9-4) earned the berth in the Liberty Bowl after defeating Tulsa, 27-24, to win its first Conference USA title. It was the school's first conference championship since 1976.

A victory will give the Pirates their second-winningest season in school history. East Carolina recorded an 11-1 record in 1991 under Bill Lewis.

The Pirates' success is predicated on an opportunistic defense that has forced 32 turnovers, the fourth-best mark in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

"This is what we talked about beginning with the first day of practice - the road to Memphis and what we've got to do to get there," East Carolina coach Skip Holtz said.

The Pirates are making their third appearance in the Liberty Bowl. They lost to Illinois, 34-0, in 1994 and defeated Stanford, 19-13, the following year.

Kentucky coach Rich Brooks returns to the Liberty Bowl for the first time since 1962, when he played in the game while attending Oregon State.

The Wildcats received a bowl berth despite finishing 2-6 in the Southeastern Conference and losing their last three regular-season games. Still, Kentucky is appearing in a third straight bowl game for only the third time in school history.

The Wildcats posted a 6-3 victory over East Carolina in 1993 in the only previous game between the schools. The teams combined for just 70 yards passing in a contest played in a driving rainstorm.