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Liberty Bowl: Kentucky vs. East Carolina Football Picks

Written January 1, 2009 by Jason Lowry

East Carolina Kentucky Football

This Friday January 2nd the Kentucky Wildcats take on the East Carolina Pirates in the Liberty Bowl. Who can forget the start the Pirates had to the 2008 season, as they first knocked off Virginia Tech and then followed it with another stunning upset over West Virginia. The Pirates then hit a rough patch losing the next 3, but finished strong winning 6 of their last 7 to finish up 9-4 and took home the Conference USA Championship. The Wildcats started strong winning their first 4 games, but have really struggled since, winning only 2 of their final 8 games to finish the season at 6-6. For those of you looking to do some NCAA football betting on the game this week, the oddsmakers have East Carolina 3 points favorites over Kentucky at BetUS.com.

The Wildcats season has not only been a disappointing one on the field, but for a number of Wildcats players as well, as star running back Derrick Locke and wideout Dicky Lyons went down with season ending injuries, and it doesn’t look like quarterback Randall Cobb will be able to go either. That means the starter at the beginning of the season in Mike Hartline will get another shot to show what he can do under center. In Hartlines limited action this season he threw for 1,462 yards with 8 touchdowns to 7 interceptions, but doesn’t have that running threat that Cobb has. Tony Dixon has stepped into become the teams leading rusher with 341 yards and 7 scores. The Wildcats have had plenty of time to workout a game plan, but its hard replacing so many players at such key positions.

The Wildcats defense has did what it could to try and make sure the Wildcats were competitive this season, and did a pretty good job for the most part, allowing opponents just 22 points a game and only 322 yards of total offense. The unit is solid against the run, but has had its problems stopping the pass, as teams are gaining 13 yards per completion. This unit is hoping the time off will allow this unit to get back to full strength and become a dominant force once again. The guy to watch out for is corner Trevard Lindley, who is one of the best you will find at his position with 4 interceptions and 11 pass deflections on the season. Bet Kentucky Wildcats +3 at BetUS.com.

Looking at the Pirates of East Carolina, they really don’t have an offense that will scare opposing teams, as they come in averaging just 24 points a game and are only gaining 336 yards of total offense a game. The Pirates are at their best when they are running the football, and its not just one guy that does all the damage, as a number of guys take part in the running game. Norman Whitley and Brandon Simmons have combined to run for 1,097 yards and a total of 14 touchdowns both rushing and receiving. The passing game is led by Patrick Pinkney who completed 62.7% of his passes for 2,379 yards with 12 touchdowns to 7 interceptions.

The reason the Pirates won the Conference USA Championship was the play of their defense this season, as this unit knows how to make the big play with an outstanding 32 takeaways, including 21 interceptions. The Pirates have also sacked opposing quarterbacks 29 times this season, including a team high of 10.5 by C.J. Wilson. Teams are still scoring nearly 21 points a game, and when teams are having success against the Pirates it’s usually through the air, but expect at least a couple big plays from this unit in the Liberty Bowl. Bet East Carolina Pirates -3 BetUS.com.

Lowry’s Lean on the Game: East Carolina -3
I just think the Wildcats are to beat up to come out and win this game, as their only two wins in the final 8 games came against the bottom of the SEC and they won those games by a combined 2 points. I look for the Pirates defense to dominate this game, and their offense to do just enough to win this game.

Predicted Score: East Carolina 19 Kentucky 13

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