Matchups

Quarterbacks

The headliner: ECU senior Patrick Pinkney was instrumental in the Pirates' early-season wins over Virginia Tech and West Virginia. A nimble 6-foot, 198-pounder, Pinkney is a dual threat, although his rushing yards are only about half of what they were in 2007. While not a pure pocket passer, Pinkney was accurate this fall, completing 63 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The supporting cast: Kentucky sophomore Mike Hartline will most likely return to the starting lineup after watching freshman Randall Cobb run the show the last four games. Hartline isn't blessed with overwhelming physical tools but can be an effective game manager if UK can get the running game going and the receivers make a few plays. Cobb, who had knee surgery shortly after the regular-season finale against Tennessee, is listed as doubtful. ... The Pirates have an experienced backup in junior Rob Kass, a 6-foot-4, 255-pounder who has two career starts and has thrown for 321 yards and two scores this season.

The verdict: Pinkney won't light up the stat sheet, but he gives the Pirates an experienced signal-caller who can make plays. That's enough to give East Carolina a significant advantage.

Running backs

The headliner: The UK defense will be spared from facing Chris Johnson, who blitzed Boise State for 408 all-purpose yards in last year's Humanitarian Bowl win and is now tearing up NFL defenses. The Pirates seemed to have found a replacement for Johnson in sophomore Jonathan Williams. But Williams, who ran for 380 yards in seven games, was suspended indefinitely in late October because of legal problems.

The supporting cast: The Pirates will go with a thunder-and-lightning combination with 223-pound bruiser Brandon Simmons (430 yards, six TDs) and 5-foot-9, 187-pound scatback Norman Whitley (667 yards, four TDs). The Cats will go with a three-headed tailback committee of Tony Dixon, Alfonso Smith and Moncell Allen. Allen averages 5.3 yards per carry, tops among the tailbacks. ... ECU's two fullbacks (Kevin Gidrey and Jason Simmons) basically serve as extra linemen while UK fullback John Conner will get a little more involved in the running and passing games.

The verdict: The Kentucky running game has been a huge disappointment, with no back expected to finish with anything close to 500 yards. ECU isn't a dynamic running team but can move the chains when it needs to.

Wide receivers

The headliner: It'll be hard to find a headliner out of these two groups. East Carolina's receiving corps has been gutted. Last year's top receiver, Jamar Bryant, was forced to shut it down after five games because of legal issues, and sophomore Dwayne Harris, who had a team-high 58 catches, suffered a season-ending broken foot in the 10th game at Southern Miss. ... UK's receivers have been unimpressive since the season-ending knee injury to Dicky Lyons.

The supporting cast: The most accomplished target on the field will be ECU senior tight end Davon Drew, who has 38 catches for 575 yards and three scores. The dire straits of UK's receivers can be broken down in one statistic — six of the Cats' 10 TD catches have been made by players who won't and in all likelihood won't suit up for the bowl (Lyons, Cobb, Derrick Locke, DeMoreo Ford).

The verdict: Don't expect an abundance of plays from either team.

Offensive line

The headliner: Kentucky senior left tackle Garry Williams has anchored the O-line for the last three seasons and will be looking to impress NFL scouts in his last game as a Wildcat.

The supporting cast: The Wildcats haven't been physically overpowering in the running game, but have pass-protected better than anyone in the SEC, allowing a league-low 12 sacks. The Pirates have allowed 25 sacks while rushing for 3.4 yards per carry. ECU center Sean Allen was a first-team All Conference-USA pick, and six other players with starting experience are in the Pirates' two-deep.

The verdict: Neither line has been dominant, but Kentucky has better numbers in a tougher conference.

Defensive line

The headliner: UK tackle Myron Pryor has been dominant when healthy this season. Pryor has had time to let a bothersome ankle heal up, so the 6-foot-1, 310-pound senior should be back to his old self.

The supporting cast: The D-line will be the biggest strength for both teams. Defensive end Jeremy Jarmon and tackle Corey Peters are game-changers for the Wildcats, and ECU defensive end C.J. Wilson racked up 18.5 tackles for loss, including 10.5 sacks. End Zack Slate and tackle Jay Ross both have five sacks apiece and earned All C-USA honors.

The verdict: This one looks like a wash. Both teams like to get after the passer and have a handful of guys who will be playing on Sundays.

Linebackers

The headliner: UK junior Micah Johnson leads the Wildcats in tackles (72) and tackles for loss (11.5) despite missing two games and being slowed in several others by a high ankle sprain. Johnson has asked the NFL to evaluate his draft stock and could skyrocket up the charts with a big Liberty Bowl performance.

The supporting cast: Braxton Kelley has been nearly as productive as Johnson on the weak side with 68 tackles, and has combined with strongside linebacker Johnny Williams for 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. ECU is led by the 1-2 punch of senior outside linebacker Pierre Bell and junior middle linebacker Nick Johnson. Bell has 92 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss while Johnson has 89 stops with 10 tackles for loss.

The verdict: Another good defensive matchup, as both teams get solid production across the board.

Secondary

The headliner: This could be junior cornerback Trevard Lindley's final game at UK, as the consensus All-SEC selection stands to be a first-day selection in next spring's NFL Draft. Lindley has made big plays in UK's bowl game in each of the last two seasons.

The supporting cast: Senior David Jones had a pretty good year opposite Lindley at corner, but strong safety has been a sore spot for Kentucky. ECU free safety Van Eskridge is both a solid tackler (89 stops) and ball hawk (seven pass deflections, four interceptions).

The verdict: This one is also close. UK has one of the nation's best cover corners in Lindley, and the Pirates shut down Tulsa's high-octane passing game in the C-USA championship game.

Special teams

The headliner: Kentucky punter Tim Masthay garnered first-team All-SEC honors and can change a game.

The supporting cast: The top return men for each team will likely be in street clothes for the Liberty Bowl: ECU's Harris and Williams, and UK's Lyons. Cobb took over for Lyons but is nursing a bad knee and might not play.... East Carolina has a good punter in junior Matt Dodge (43.5 yards per kick), but kicker Ben Hartman is just 19-for-29 on field goals, including 3-for-9 from 40-49 yards. UK place-kicker Lones Seiber (9-for-16) also has been inconsistent.

The verdict: The teams are almost a mirror image of each other on special teams: good punters, shaky placekickers and not much of a return game.

Chip Cosby