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 history.

“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.”

It gave Kentucky a 25-19 victory over East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl on Friday, and gave the Wildcats a third straight postseason victory — a distinction not even Bear Bryant’s teams were able to achieve decades earlier.

Jenkins was an unpredictable MVP after two straight Music City Bowl wins in which Kentucky’s former record-setting quarterback Andre Woodson led the way.

Kentucky (7-6) never led in this one until the fourth quarter, when fellow lineman Myron Pryor forced a fumble with about 3 minutes left. In the scramble for the loose ball, Jenkins came up with it and rumbled down the right sideline untouched.