Liberty Bowl: East Carolina vs. Kentucky

By J.J. PESAVENTO

Memphis, TN * January 2, 2009 * 5:00 PM * ESPN

The East Carolina Pirates began the season 3-0 and in the process knocked off a pair of bowl teams in Virginia Tech and West Virginia. But they lost their next three games before winning six of their final seven contests including an upset win over Tulsa to win the Conference USA title and finish 9-4 on the season. Kentucky also got off to a fast start by winning their first four games but then faced a losing battle - SEC play. The Wildcats went 2-6 in against conference foes and dropped their final four to finish 6-6 on the season.

When the Pirates Have the Ball

East Carolina will throw a two back attack at Kentucky with Norman Whitley and Brandon Simmons doing the work. Whitley led the club in rushing yardage with 667 yards (four touchdowns) and Simmons led the team in rushing touchdowns with six. The pair will be running behind an offensive line that is led by Sean Allen, an All-Conference performer this season. The Pirates don't run the ball exceptionally well but they ran more than they threw during the season. Quarterback Patrick Pinkney will lead the passing attack after throwing for 2,379 yards and 12 touchdowns during the season. His primary targets during the season were Dwayne Harris (who missed the last three games of the season), Davon Drew and Alex Taylor. Simmons also plays a key role in the passing attack as he is third on the team in receptions (24) and tied for the team lead with three touchdown receptions (three) with Drew and Jamar Bryant. While their record doesn't show it, Kentucky has a better than average defense. Linebackers Micah Johnson, who led the team in solo tackles (57) and tackles for loss (11.5), Braxton Kelley and defensive lineman Myron Pryor lead the defense. The Wildcats also possess two fine defensive backs in Trevard Lindley and Marcus McClinton, each of who have four picks on the season and have combined for 19 pass breakups.

When the Wildcats Have the Ball

The Wildcats are not a juggernaut on the offensive ball to say the least. Their leading rusher, Tony Dixon, had 341 yards this season. Dixon and quarterback Randall Cobb (316 yards) each scored seven rushing touchdowns to lead the team. Cobb had taken over the duties at quarterback but is doubtful for the bowl game after undergoing knee surgery following the Tennessee game. This means Mike Hartline, who started the first eight games for the Wildcats, will get the call for Kentucky. Hartline threw for 1,462 yards with eight touchdowns. The Kentucky offense may not be threatening, but they do protect the quarterback well, allowing only 12 sacks all season to lead the SEC. This is good considering they will be facing an East Carolina defense that had several players receive all conference honors in 2008. Defensive lineman C.J. Wilson led Conference USA with 18.5 tackles for loss. He also led his team with 10.5 sacks. Linebackers Pierre Bell and Nick Johnson and defensive back Van Estridge all were around 90 tackles this year. Estridge and super freshman Emanuel Davis both had four picks with in 2008 and each returned one for a touchdown.

Final Analysis

This game will likely be a battle of two defenses. Neither team has a great offense as both Kentucky and East Carolina average around 23 points per game. One difference is that Kentucky does not allow many sacks, whereas East Carolina ranks around the middle of the pack. Kentucky also has an edge on punt returns but they will be facing Matt Dodge, who is one of the best punters in the country for East Carolina. The Pirates are coming in sky high after winning their conference title and in the end, they'll be the better team.

CFI Prediction: East Carolina 24, Kentucky 17

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media, East Carolina University Athletic Media Relations

CFI Radio: Player Spotlights: Bowl Special

January 1, 2009 * 10:00 A.M.

CFI Co-Founder DANIEL MOGOLLON talks football and life with three of the top senior college football players in the America.

*** CLICK TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD **

Mississippi's MICHAEL OHER is an All-American Tackle who's off-field story is so compelling, he is the focus of "The Blind Side", a New York Times best seller written by Michael Lewis. Oher is playing the in the Cotton Bowl on January 2.

Georgia's MOHAMED MASSAQUOI is looking to break 1,0000 yards when his Dawgs take the field against the Michigan St. Spartans to break in the New Year. The son of Liberian immigrants talks about maturing as a leader during his time in Athens.

ECU's PATRICK PINKNEY has overcome two shoulder surgeries to earn the starting quarterback for the Pirates, leading East Carolina to a Conference USA Championship.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

This Date in College Football History

December 19, 2001: With the biggest comeback in bowl history, Marshall outlasts East Carolina 64-61 at the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Trailing ECU 38-8 in the first half, QB standout Byron Leftwich rallies the Herd to a 51-51 tie at the end of regulation. Leftwich secures the win with a touchdown pass in double overtime, highlighting the highest scoring game in bowl history.

Credit: The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

EAST CAROLINA'S CAMPBELL NOMINATED FOR FEDEX ORANGE BOWL COURAGE AWARD

DALLAS (FWAA) - East Carolina's Terence Campbell is this week's nominee for the 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl/FWAA Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the season. Campbell, a junior offensive lineman from Maxton, N.C., has returned to action after undergoing emergency heart surgery in the winter of 2007.

Campbell was a starter at tackle in 2006, when he recorded 47 knockdown blocks, played 880 snaps and made Conference USA's all-freshman team. But in February 2007, he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his heart after a scary episode when he began coughing and felt numbness in his arms and pain in his chest.

Two days later, he was undergoing surgery for a condition known as acute coronary thrombosis. Surgery removed the clot, but Campbell's athletic future was in doubt. He wasn't allowed to run or lift weights - much less play football - in 2007.

"That was hard to take," Campbell told the News & Observer, "that I would have to live without (football)."

A scar remains on Campbell's heart wall, but the organ's function has returned to normal. Last January, he received doctors' clearance to resume athletic participation, and chose to do so.

When I first started (in spring practice), I worried," Campbell told the News & Observer. "Any little thing would scare me. Now I don't think about it. It feels like it never happened."

Campbell has played a reserve role in ECU's first three games this season, helping the Pirates to a 3-0 start that includes wins over Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Because of injuries, Campbell is expected to start at left tackle this week.

For the third straight year, the Football Writers Association of America and the FedEx Orange Bowl will announce a weekly nominee each Wednesday during the season. A blue-ribbon panel will determine the winner from all of the nominees. The winner of the FedEx Orange Bowl/FWAA Courage Award will be announced in December and be presented with the trophy.

The Courage Award was created by ESPN The Magazine's senior writer Gene Wojciechowski, also a FWAA member. A select group of writers from the FWAA vote on the winner each year. The requirements for nomination include displaying courage on or off the field, including overcoming an injury or physical handicap, preventing a disaster or living through hardship.

EAST CAROLINA IS TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (FWAA) - With their 24-3 win over 8th-ranked West Virginia, the East Carolina Pirates (2-0) are the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Sept. 6.

Patrick Pinkney completed 22-of-28 passes for 236 yards and a score and Jonathan Williams had two short touchdown runs as the Pirates won their third straight game vs. a ranked opponent.

East Carolina closed the 2007 season by beating then-No. 22 Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl and opened the 2008 campaign with a 27-22 win over then-No. 17 Virginia Tech last week.

Entering Saturday's game, East Carolina had lost seven straight to West Virginia and had won just twice in 19 tries in the series.

Other Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Sept. 6 included:

· Middle Tennessee (1-1): Joe Craddock threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns as the Blue Raiders defeated Maryland, 24-14, to register their first-ever win over an ACC team.

· Vanderbilt (2-0): The Commodores upset South Carolina for the second straight season, 24-17, marking their first home win over a ranked team since 1992.

ALABAMA IS TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (FWAA) - With their 34-10 win over Clemson in Atlanta, the Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0) is the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Aug. 30.

The Alabama defense held Clemson to just 188 yards of total offense and 11 first downs. Clemson finished the game with no rushing yards.

John Parker Wilson completed 22-of-30 passes for 180 yards and two scores and Mark Ingram and Glen Coffee combined for 186 yards rushing. Leigh Tiffin also booted four field goals for the Crimson Tide.

For Alabama, it was the Tide's 12th straight win over Clemson and its seventh straight to open a season.

Other Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Aug. 30 included:

· East Carolina (1-0): T.J. Lee blocked a punt and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown with 1:52 left in the game to give the Pirates a 27-22 over Virginia Tech.

· UCLA (1-0): Kai Forbath's 42-yard field goal in overtime gave coach Rick Neuheisel a 27-24 win over Tennessee in his coaching debut for the Bruins.

· Utah (1-0): Brian Johnson threw for 305 yards and Louie Sakoda kicked four field goals as the Utes beat Michigan, 25-23, in front of 108,421 in Ann Arbor.

The FWAA has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the fifth season that the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Members of the FWAA board of directors and All-America committee decide the weekly honor. Each Monday during the 2008 college football season, the FWAA will name the Tostitos Bowl National Team of the Week through Dec. 1.

Since 1971, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has hosted six games that have decided the college football national championship, including three Bowl Championship Series title games. This season the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game will be played on Jan. 5, 2009 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., and the Insight Bowl will be played on Dec. 31, 2008 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

For more information on the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week, go to footballwriters.com or fiestabowl.org.

THE C-USA REPORT

BY NEIL BISMAN
CONFERENCE USA INSIDER

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes it rains. Those aren’t just the words of Tim Robbins’ character in the movie “Bull Durham,” it’s a perfect summary for the conference this week. There were good wins, there were bad losses and a game was canceled due to unplayable weather conditions.

Team of the Week- East Carolina: The Pirates were able to improve to 1-1 against ACC foes this season with a 34-31 victory at home against the University of North Carolina. East Carolina gave Virginia Tech quite the scare last week but was able to walk away with a victory following a game-winning 39-yard field goal off the foot of Ben Hartman as time expired. East Carolina quarterback Patrick Pinkney turned in a monster game in his first career start, throwing for 406-yards and three touchdowns. East Carolina gets one more shot against the ACC on October 20th when they get a visit from North Carolina State.

Team of the Weak- Rice: There are two things you never want to do as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision and they are A) lose to a team that plays in the Division formerly known as 1-AA and B) get blown out by Baylor. The season is only two weeks old and Rice has already “accomplished” both.

Player of the Week- (tie) Patrick Pinkney (ECU) and Justin Willis (SMU): This one was too close to call as Justin Willis racked up 435 yards in total offense and three touchdowns in SMU’s victory over North Texas while Patrick Pinkney had 428 yards total offense and three touchdowns in the Pirates’ “upset” of North Carolina. Pinkney, a former third-string quarterback, was making his first career start while Willis set a career high with his efforts.

Player of the Weak- Sam Hunt (UAB): For the second week in a row Sam Hunt was extremely inefficient in a loss for Alabama-Birmingham, completing only 17 of his 35 passes for 226 yards. The Blazers did a great job of putting their blowout loss at the hands of Michigan State behind them and led for most of the day in Tallahassee. Florida State seemed ripe for an upset but UAB just could not put them away. If Hunt cannot right the ship against Alcorn State this coming Saturday, Coach Calloway may want to contemplate other options for the conference opener at Tulsa.

If only…sophomore stud running back Damion Fletcher (pictured above) of Southern Miss were at full strength for their game at Tennessee. Fletcher was plagued by cramps and forced to sit out most of the second half, which coincidentally is when the Southern Miss offense went flat.

At least they didn’t lose…Hopefully Memphis enjoyed their stay in Jonesboro, Arkansas because they get to do it again on September 27th when they will make up their game against Arkansas State. The game was canceled due to lightning in the area.

If only they stopped the game at halftime…West Virginia played at Marshall for the first time since 1915 and for a while it appeared as though the Mountaineers may not want to return for another 92 years. The Thundering Herd defense kept the two-headed monster of Pat White and Steve Slaton in check early on, leading 13-6 at the half, but was unable to contain them after the half as West Virginia exploded for 42 second-half points.

Will the real Miners please stand up? UTEP followed last week’s 10-6 pitcher’s duel of a victory over New Mexico with a 45-31 loss to Texas Tech. The Miners allowed a ton of yardage by the opposition, which was not much of a change from last week, but were able to finally gain some yards themselves. What we do know is that New Mexico State is up next for the Miners, what we don’t know is which offense will show up…

Maybe they should have taken this week off as well…Tulane opened their regular season a week later than most schools and apparently forgot that the NCAA requires that teams play two halves of football. Tulane entered the locker room tied at 17 with Mississippi State but was outscored 21-0 en route to a 38-17 loss. The running game was non-existent and it showed as the Bulldogs held the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game. If new head coach Bob Toledo cannot figure out something with the Green Wave running game, it is going to be an awfully long season in New Orleans.

Houston, Tulsa and UCF all had off this past weekend and there were quite a few teams in the conference who wish that they had off as well. With Texas traveling to UCF on Saturday, Conference USA gets a chance to knock off a BCS foe for the third week in a row. Also on the slate are BYU traveling to Tulsa and Southern Miss at East Carolina. It should be a great weekend and we’ll have more on those games and then some later this week.