Kentucky @ Pittsburgh preview

The Skinny: Pitt has plenty of distractions to put aside when it faces 6-6 Kentucky in Saturday's Compass Bowl. The Panthers will be led by interim head coach Phil Bennett, their third coach in the last month. Dave Wannstedt resigned under pressure following a 7-5 season. Pitt hired Miami-Ohio coach Mike Haywood, but the deal lasted less than a week. Haywood was arrested on a domestic battery charge and was terminated.

Kentucky also has its fair of distractions, after starting quarterback Mike Hartline was suspended after alcohol-related arrest. The Wildcats are led by first-year coach Joker Phillips, a native of the state who was promoted when Rich Brooks resigned last January.

The game promises to be a battle between the Pitt defense, annually one of the best in the Big East, against an explosive Kentucky offense that averages 33 points per game. It remains to be seen how the Wildcats will do against another strong defense; they struggled against Florida, Mississippi State and an improving Tennessee.

Point Spread: Pitt -3.5. Over/under – 53.5.

Pitt's edge: The Panthers are a strong defensive team. Senior defensive end Jabaal Sheard was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year, the third straight year a Panther has earned the award. Sheard had 52 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Pitt ranks 11th in the nation in total defense (304.25 yards) and 22nd in scoring defense, allowing just 19.75 points per game. Beware of Brandon Lindsey, who has 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.

Kentucky's edge: Befitting coach Phillips' former role as offensive coordinator, the Wildcats do some inventive things with the ball. Sophomore quarterback Morgan Newton will step in for Hartline, but expect Kentucky to use the athletic Randall Cobb in a Wildcat formation to take advantage of his elusiveness and various skills; Cobb has rushed for 401 yards and five touchdowns, and three of his five completions have gone for a touchdown.

The Quarterbacks: Pitt's Tino Sunseri has been reliable since earning the job. He's thrown for 2,476 yards and 15 touchdowns, including a 307-yard effort against Rutgers. Newton saw limited action this season, but made a handful of starts during his freshman season. He's a big, athletic quarterback but, like most young signal-callers, has struggled with consistency.

NFL Prospects: Pitt – DE Greg Romeus, SS Dom DeCicco. Kentucky – RB Derrick Locke, WR Chris Matthews, QB Mike Hartline, DE DeQuin Evans.

Bowl history: Pitt has an 11-15 record in bowl games and is coming off a 19-17 win over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Kentucky, which is making a school-record fifth consecutive bowl appearance, has an 8-6 record. The Wildcats dropped a 21-13 decision to Clemson last year, which broke a three-game bowl winning streak. Neither team has appeared in the Compass Bowl.

Etc. Pitt defensive end Greg Romeus tore the ACL in his right knee in November and is out, one of the team's four season-ending knee injuries. Running back Ray Graham (back) should be back. Kentucky suspended defensive tackle Mark Crawford for violating team rules; it was his second suspension of the year. Defensive end Nermin Delic (shoulder) and linebacker Qua Huzzie (shoulder) remain questionable.