Bowl Roundup | Kentucky thrives in postseason

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Ventrell Jenkins barreled his 285-pound frame 56 yards with the ball in his arm, but it would take some improvisation to reach the end zone and help Kentucky achieve a noteworthy goal.

"I saw the quarterback coming and I knew I had to outrun him," the Wildcats' defensive end said. "I did two moves in one — a stiff-arm and a high step, and the next thing I know, I was lying in the end zone with my team on top of me."

Who can blame them? The fumble return gave Kentucky a 25-19 victory over East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl on Friday, and gave the Wildcats a third consecutive postseason victory — a distinction not even the late Bear Bryant's Kentucky teams were able to achieve decades earlier.

"I know it wasn't the Sugar Bowl or the Cotton Bowl like Bear Bryant, but it is significant," said Kentucky coach Rich Brooks, a former Oregon coach. "I'm very proud of these young men, the whole group of seniors. They accomplished something historic."

Jenkins was an unpredictable most valuable player after back-to-back Music City Bowl victories in which Kentucky's former record-setting quarterback, Andre Woodson, led the way.

Kentucky (7-6) didn't lead until the fourth quarter, when fellow lineman Myron Pryor, who had a 72-yard fumble return TD earlier this year, forced a fumble with about three minutes left. In the scramble for the loose ball, Jenkins came up with it and rumbled down the right sideline untouched.

Lones Seiber's extra-point attempt was blocked, for the second time in the game.

That seemingly gave East Carolina (9-5) time, but the ensuing kickoff was downed at the 1. The Pirates wound up punting four plays later.

Coming off its first Conference USA championship, East Carolina jumped to a 16-3 halftime lead.

Brooks said he has loftier goals for the future.

"We still aren't where we want to be," Brooks said. "Seven-and-six is not what we want to accomplish, but the last 30 minutes was about as beautiful of football that I have ever seen."

Notes

• Florida and Oklahoma, who meet in Thursday's BCS National Championship Game in Miami, arrived at different South Florida airports.

Oklahoma has lost four BCS bowl games in a row. Shortly after the team's plane landed in Miami, Sooners defensive back Nic Harris said, "We're going to change one major thing, and that's to get a win. The past couple BCS bowls we've been in, we came out on the other end of the stick. Today we plan to get a win, and that's about it."

Meanwhile, Florida junior quarterback Tim Tebow said he has sent in paperwork to an NFL advisory committee, seeking its input on his potential draft status. But the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner isn't saying whether he is leaning toward turning pro and giving up his senior season.

• Former Miami quarterback Robert Marve may transfer to a Southeastern Conference school with the Hurricanes' blessing, after all. That is, any SEC school except Tennessee, Florida or Louisiana State.

Miami lifted some of the restrictions regarding Marve's transfer, four days after the Hurricanes' starting quarterback this season said he was leaving for a new school. Marve remains prohibited from transferring to schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference and within the state of Florida.

• Two players from Santa Ana College in California and a friend have been charged with raping an 18-year-old woman as she was unconscious in an Orange County hotel room.

Freshman running back Michael Clemmons, 19, and sophomore receiver Luster Lewis, 20, were arrested after someone found a 19-minute video players made of the sexual assault, the Orange County district attorney's office said. John Paul Foster II, 22, is accused of helping the players repeatedly rape the victim in July after she reportedly passed out at a party at a hotel in Tustin.

The three men each pleaded not guilty to six counts of rape and sexual assault and were being held on $100,000 bail.