Watch the 2015 Birmingham Bowl: Florida vs. East Carolina
What happens when a pirate fights an alligator? Find out on January 3.
It’s strength against strength in the 2015 Birmingham Bowl, as the high-powered offense of East Carolina faces the top-ranked defense of Florida. Kickoff is set for noon ET on January 3, with television coverage on ESPN and streaming service on WatchESPN.
The Birmingham Bowl, played at Legion Field, is celebrating its ninth anniversary by returning to its original name. The game had previously been known as the BBVA Compass Bowl and the PapaJohns.com Bowl. SEC participants have won the last two editions of the game, with Vanderbilt defeating Houston in the 2014 contest.
Florida enters the Birmingham Bowl without its coach, as Will Muschamp was fired before the end of the regular season and opted not to coach the bowl game. The Gators will be led by defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, and with good reason: Durkin’s defense has been the only thing keeping Florida afloat this year. The Gators finished the regular season ninth nationally, and second in the SEC, in total defense (311 yards per game). Florida’s defense allowed just 21 points per game and generated 27 turnovers.
East Carolina, coached by former Mike Leach assistant Ruffin McNeill, has no trouble airing it out. The Pirates were second in the nation in passing offense, averaging 367 yards per game through the air. That’s led to more than 37 points per game. ECU notched victories over Virginia Tech and North Carolina in September and looked poised to take the Group of 5 conferences’ bid in a New Year’s Day game, but November losses to Temple, Cincinnati and UCF derailed the Pirates’ season.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: January 3, 2015, noon ET
TV: ESPN
Radio: Florida and East Carolina affiliates courtesy of the respective programs
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: Florida enters the bowl 6-5, having had its season opener cancelled due to inclement weather. The Gators were 4-4 in the SEC. East Carolina finished the regular season 8-4, with a 5-3 record in the American Conference. Neither team is ranked.
Vegas: Florida is favored by 6.5 points, with the over/under at 56.
Weather forecast: The forecast for Birmingham looks chilly and rainy, with temperatures in the low 40s and a chance of rain.
Two things at stake
A win for Florida would give the Gators a winning record. The Gators have not gone two straight years without a winning record since 1978-79, a streak stretching back to the ignominious days of Coach Doug Dickey. With interim coach D.J. Durkin likely leaving the program after the game and replacement coach Jim McElwain already hired, the game could also give returning Gators a chance to make an impression on their new coach.
For East Carolina, one of only two teams to play in multiple Birmingham Bowl games, there is the matter of exorcising the demons of a 2006 loss to South Florida. A win would also give the program bowl victories in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1964-65.
One big matchup
Shane Carden vs. the Florida defense: Watching Florida's offense (91st nationally at 370 yards per game) try to break East Carolina's defense (44th nationally, also at 370 yards per game) might be enough to make your eyes bleed, so step away from the television when the Gators are moving. But come back for Carden, who finished second nationally in passing with 4,309 yards and 28 touchdowns on a 65 percent completion rate.
The senior signalcaller has thrown for more than 11,500 yards in his career, and has a top target in receiver Justin Hardy (110 catches, 1,334 yards, 9 TD). Carden has faced three pass defenses ranked higher than Florida's this season. Against those three defenses, Carden averaged 314 yards per game and threw six touchdown passes.
Further reading
Alligator Army covers the Gators, while Underdog Dynasty handles ECU and the rest of the American Conference, among others.
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