By By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
GREENVILLE — After an 11-day hiatus for the holidays, the Pirates returned to the Cliff Moore Practice Facility on Friday to finalize preparations for the 2008 Autozone Liberty Bowl.
East Carolina (9-4), which upset Tulsa 27-24 to win the Conference USA Championship Game on Dec. 6 to secure its spot in the Liberty Bowl, will take on Kentucky (6-6) in the 50th installment of the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.
For most of ECU’s players, it was great to get away for the holidays.
East Carolina can become the first Conference USA team to beat an SEC team in a bowl game, and can also become just the second Conference USA team in a decade to win the Liberty Bowl — Tulsa beat Fresno State 31-24 in 2004.
After shocking Boise State in last year’s Hawai’i Bowlm East Carolina has a chance to win back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 1964 and 1965 when it the Pirates won the Tangerine Bowl in back-to-back years.