2008 Liberty Bowl - Play Da Kentucky unpredictable last-minute scoring victory over East Carolina, 25-19

Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley

Imagine how Ventrella Jenkins, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound defensive tackle from Kentucky who has been working all afternoon to help his teammates upset Wildcat Carolina East in the 2008 Freedom Bowl. They are tied 19-19 and just 3:02 to play there in the room.

Suddenly, the East Carolina running back Norman Whitley fumbles in the backfield and the ball ends up in the hands with the light of day in front of you. You take to save his life, hoping they are faster than you think you are. A player the search has an angle of you and, in a desperate attempt to avoid arrest, stiff arm him (playing out his mouthpiece) and the overpass on his way the rest the way to score on a return of 56 yards.

The next thing you know, your teammates accumulate on you in the end zone. Kentucky is now 25-19 and the Wildcats are on track to win his third consecutive Bowl game victory with coach Rich Brooks looking happier than eating a skunk cabbage. Not even the last, great Paul "Bear" Bryant won three consecutive bowl games when he coached the Kentucky Wildcats.

2:56 Kentucky on the left, East Carolina stop and running the clock to their 25-19 lead stick. Jenkins ended up being the most valuable player with an offensive movement in his historic return 56-yard touchdown by a defensive front is not known as a bolide. That's why I like college football and why we see the bowl games. You could not more likely to write a script and made it reality.

Skip Holtz and East Carolina Pirates had just won their first Conference USA championship title and downed Virginia Tech and West Virginia, two BCS Conference teams, entering the Liberty Bowl Friday (02/01/2009). The Pirates finished the year 9-5.

Kentucky was only one team going 6-6 in the Liberty Bowl, but it was not exactly a pushover, having lost to Alabama by 3 points on the road to South Carolina and a 7 home. Florida then crushed the Wildcats 63-5 and Kentucky would lose its last three games to Georgia, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. But in football, can not be predicted how the ball bounces sometimes lady luck comes calling, even Lynx.

After being down 16-3 in the middle, above the receiver took Dave Jones ensuing kickoff return touchdown for the return of Liberty Bowl record 99 yards, and the Pirates came back to life. Two possessions later, quarterback Mike Hartline backup Kyrus Lanxter is second receiver for a 19-yard scoring throw.

The Pirates achieved a field goal in the 3rd quarter, but that was it. Kentucky beat East Carolina 22-3 in the second half. The Wildcat defense held East Carolina to just 3-of-19 conversions on third down.

No team had a running game. Hartline, a sophomore who was filling in for injured rookie starter Randall Cobb, completed 19-of-31 for 204 yards. If you're a fan of Kentucky Wildcat, statistics were not very significant and winning was everything.

"We're not where we want to be," said coach Rich Brooks, "But the last 30 minutes was about as beautiful football I've ever seen." Go ahead and puts forth a bit, Rich, you guys made it happen. From time to when the ball bounces your way and when it does, you should take full advantage of it.

To thank his good fortune, coach Brooks, and put a steak Ventrella extra on the plate in Jenkins' team next meal together. And oh ya, do not worry about the time Ventrella at 40, has a secret weapon, a straight arm and the step cycle higher than would correspond to a corridor during the time of exposure.

Dickinson College Football 2009 (Defense)

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