Kentucky wants to dominate Liberty Bowl

Well, its official. Big blue nation has invaded the Land of the Delta Blues as the Kentucky Wildcats will play in the 50th annual Liberty Bowl tomorrow against a hungry Conference USA champion. The game is set to take place at 5 pm EST and should be a good one.

Coming into the game Kentucky has not been quiet about thier expectations.

In fact to start the week linebacker Michah Johnson promised, "We will dominate." He then he went on to say how the Cats felt disrespected by the confident East Carolina squad. "They seem to think they can come out and move the ball on us and we're taking that personally."

And hopefully the Wildcats can take it as a personal challenge. In the past three games alone, the Kentucky defense has given up an average of 34 points a game and over 1199 total yards. This is a far cry from the defense that started the season ranked in the top ten in the country in total defense.

"We want to end things the right way", said Myron Pryor on after a walk thorugh on the Liberty Bowl turf.

But with all the defensive concerns and talk this week it will be the team's achillies heal- the offense which will decide whether or not the Wildcats will win thier third straight bowl game for the first time in school history.
The offense has struggled all season but was completley null and void in the last two weeks of the season against both a porus Vanderbilt and Tennessee defense in sucession.

Adding to the Cats woes will be the loss of true freshman Randall Cobb who injured his knee the last game of the season and was forced into having a surgery knocking him out for the bowl game. With CObb out, back will come Mike Hartline.
Hartline has certaiunly had an embattled season of both highs and lows. The red-shirt sophmore led the Wildcats to victory against hated rival Louisville in the opener only to be booed off the field at half time following a woeful performance against Norfolk State. But Mike Hartline seems to have handled the adversity well as he says, " "I am more relaxed at quarterback now and is ready to play in the bowl game."

Kentucky will need Hartline to be efficent if they have any hopes of taking down the East Carolina Pirates. At one point in the season the Pirates were ranked at #15 in the nation having beat a #8 West Virginia and #17 Virginia Tech in consecutive weeks. The Pirates should be a worthy foe...but for now I, as well as Cat Nation will believe what junior linebacker Michah Johnson says, "We Will Dominate."

Keys to a Kentucky Victory and live Updates tomorrow through the Liberty Bowl...
GO CATS!