Published: December 30, 2008 11:04 pm      

MARK MAYNARD: Bowl win can make Wildcats memorable 123108

When we last left the Kentucky football team, we were holding our noses.

The Wildcats didn’t just stumble to the finish line, they practically fell flat in a woeful loss to Tennessee.

If ever there was an opportunity to beat the Volunteers, this was it.

But that was then and this is now.

Kentucky ventures back into the Volunteer State on Friday, but the opponent isn’t wearing orange (thankfully). East Carolina awaits the Cats in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.

No doubt, Kentucky fans will be dancing on Beale Street this week in party preparation for Friday’s game. The Big Blue faithful is a big reason why those who run bowls root for Kentucky to succeed.

Bottom line: Kentucky fans never disappoint when it comes to filling stadiums.

Even though this particular Kentucky team is hardly sexy, the Wildcats are back in a bowl for a third consecutive season. That’s exactly what everybody wanted when the season began.

Never mind that a 4-0 start melted into a 6-6 record that is hardly eyebrow-raising. It’s more ho-hum than anything else. Years from now, nobody will remember this Kentucky team for its achievements unless it finishes with a third consecutive bowl win. They really don’t have a signature victory, only some “almost” along the way to a .500 season.

East Carolina is good enough to end Kentucky’s modest two-game bowl winning streak, both coming in Nashville during the Music City Bowl.

The Pirates’ resume includes wins over West Virginia and Virginia Tech, both coming early in the season. East Carolina hails from Conference-USA, same as our good neighbor Marshall University. The Thundering Herd lost an overtime heartbreaker to East Carolina this season.

I’m sure come Friday night, UK’s masses will be huddled around the television set to watch Kentucky and East Carolina play football. There will be parties going in the background.

Mike Hartline is back at quarterback for the Cats, who it should be noted have had more than their fair share of injuries. Hartline is looking at this as a second (last?) chance. His future as a UK quarterback doesn’t look good based on the 2008 performance. But he’s only a sophomore and Andre Woodson didn’t show promise until his junior season.

Kentucky’s fandom was spoiled by a run of good quarterbacks. That position has been the least of the problems, until this year. Hartline, while it seems a good enough leader, lacks arm strength and speed.

Not having playmaker Randall Cobb available will be tough to overcome, especially against a defense-minded team like East Carolina.

What little success Hartline had this season usually involved Cobb on the receiving end of his passes. So it’s hard to imagine Hartline being the star of the show on Friday given UK’s current crop of receivers.

Nevertheless, it’s Dec. 31 and we’re still talking Kentucky football. Something good has to be said for that.