East Carolina

Kentucky continued to stockpile verbal commitments for its 2012 football recruiting class when four more players, including two from Louisville, committed to the Wildcats on Monday. Jeffersontown tight end-defensive end Daniel Ross and Seneca defensive lineman Tyrone Pearson both said they committed to Kentucky on Monday. The 6-5, 240-pound Ross also had an offer from Central Florida, while the 285-pound Pearson had offers from Central Florida and Louisville. Pearson confirmed his commitment on his Twitter account and is considered the top defensive prospect in the state by several recruiting services.

MEMPHIS -- Jake Lanefski admits he's excited about having the chance to start in his first bowl game when Kentucky plays East Carolina Friday. However, the redshirt freshman offensive guard does have one regret about the success he's had. "I was hoping my year wouldn't turn out this way because that meant Jess (Beets) got hurt to give me a chance to start," Lanefski said. "I am glad I got a chance to get in there and play as much as I did. It was fun. I felt like I slacked off at the end of the season some.

MEMPHIS - If there's one word to best describe senior defensive tackle Myron Pryor's play at Kentucky this year it is consistency. "I think other than the period with the high ankle sprain that he played very good football," said Kentucky coach Rich Brooks. "It's always hard for a defensive tackle to look like a great player every week because they get a lot of double teams. Certainly he's had his share of those. "He also has made some very, very good plays this year and has been more consistent this year than he has been in any other year.

MEMPHIS -- Quarterback Mike Hartline made Joker Phillips worry more than he did in any other game this year. No, it wasn't Hartline's play in Kentucky's 25-19 victory over East Carolina here Friday in the Liberty Bowl that troubled UK's offensive coordinator. Instead, it was the flu bug the quarterback had that forced him to make frequent trips to the UK dressing room during the game for what coach Rich Brooks called "emergency situations. " Phillips nearly panicked in the fourth quarter when UK forced a turnover and Hartline was still in the dressing room.

MEMPHIS -- For Kentucky offensive tackle Garry Williams, life in Memphis has been great. He's been to a NBA game where he got to watch Shaquille O'Neal play against the Memphis Grizzlies. He's been to numerous restaurants to sample the food and has liked it all. "We didn't get to go to Graceland (Elvis Presley's home). I have been there before, but not this time. We had a lot of guys that wanted to go, too, but we just couldn't work it in," Williams said. Yes, he has been on Beale Street, but not nearly as late at night as some might think considering the Cats have had curfews ranging from midnight to 1 a.m. "Some guys stay in more to get rest.

LEXINGTON - While Kentucky is starting to get ready to play East Carolina on Jan. 2 in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., the Cats have also used this month's practice time for two other needs. First, it has given coach Rich Brooks and his staff a chance to evaluate younger, seldom-used players. Second, it has let recruits making visits to UK actually watch the Wildcats practice. "I think it clearly is a help in recruiting," said Brooks. "One of the things recruits and their families always want to know about is what are practices like.

MEMPHIS -- Considering his age and the improvement he's made in the Kentucky football program, speculation has surfaced that maybe Kentucky coach Rich Brooks would retire if the Wildcats beat East Carolina here Friday. A Liberty Bowl win would give UK a school-record three straight bowl victories and three consecutive winning seasons under Brooks, 67. With offensive coordinator Joker Phillips already named UK's head coach in waiting, some have speculated that this could be Brooks' final game.

Kentucky will be without yet another offensive player Friday when it plays East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl after coach Rich Brooks revealed Monday that sophomore running back Moncel Allen was academically ineligible. Allen, who ran for 202 yards and one touchdown and caught five passes for 39 yards and another score, did not accompany the team to Memphis, Tenn. "We have other guys that are eligible to play," Brooks said Monday at a Liberty Bowl press conference. "I won't have to worry quite as much about the rotations.

MEMPHIS -- Kentucky offensive coordinator Joker Phillips says head coach Rich Brooks has a knack for knowing how to prepare a team for a bowl game. "The reason we've done so well in bowl games is coach Brooks does a good job keeping players fresh. You've got to make it fun," Phillips said as the Cats finished their preparations for Friday's Liberty Bowl matchup with East Carolina here. Kentucky beat Clemson in 2006 and Florida State in 2007 in the Music City Bowl. Phillips says Brooks continued his philosophy this year of not making bowl practices long.

LEXINGTON - For three years, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl has courted Kentucky. Now the Wildcats are finally going to make the trip to Memphis, Tenn., to play in the bowl after officially accepting a bid Sunday to the Jan. 2 game to play Conference USA champion East Carolina. "They (Liberty Bowl officials) have trailed us hard for three years and been at every game for three years running to watch us. I give them all the credit in the world for doing that," Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart said.