Birmingham Bowl 2015: Game Grades, Analysis for Florida's Win vs. East Carolina

The Florida Gators used a defense that has carried them all season to hold off a pesky East Carolina team to win 28-20 in the Birmingham Bowl.

Playing for interim coach D.J. Durkin, the former defensive coordinator, the Gators defense played with passion the entire game. Despite being on the field for 101 plays, the unit allowed just 20 points and clinched the game when Vernon Hargreaves III intercepted Shane Carden in the end zone.

UF (7-5) was offensively impotent for much of the season half when quarterback Treon Harris was lost to injury. But the defense was strong enough to outlast the Pirates (8-5).

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	D	D
Run Offense	A	B-
Pass Defense	C	B-
Run Defense	A	A
Special Teams	B	B
Coaching	C+	B+

Pass Offense: Treon Harris completed just five passes before leaving the game with an injury. Thankfully for the Gators, one of those was to speedster Ahmad Fulwood, who raced 86 yards for his first touchdown of the year. Demarcus Robinson had a few catches, but there were too many drops and too much inconsistency in the passing game. Once Jeff Driskel replaced Harris, the offense could generate nothing.

Run Offense: With Matt Jones not playing, Florida needed to find a spark, which they did in redshirt freshman Adam Lane Jr. Though he had just seven carries all year, Lane was awesome in winning the bowl game's MVP. His performance left many UF fans wondering why he didn't get more touches this season. Lane wound up with 109 yards and a touchdown. He did have a costly fumble.

Pass Defense: This grade may seem a little high (or a lot high) for any team that allows 427 yards through the air. But that's Ruffin McNeill's offense with Shane Carden at the helm. They put so much pressure on defenses, and many times, you just have to weather the storm. The Gators did that and more. Needing big plays, Florida got two massive ones. On the first, Brian Poole intercepted Carden and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown for UF's first score of the game. Then, Vernon Hargreaves III picked off Carden to seal the game.

"

1Q FLA S. Carden pass intercepted for a TD,B. Poole return for 29 yds for a TD, (A. Hardi... - via @ESPN Champ Drive http://t.co/9rdpCRLYpa

— Gene Wynne (@genewynne_55) January 3, 2015"

Run Defense: With ECU missing its top two rushers, the Pirates didn't figure to be much of a threat on the ground—and weren't. Carden was arguably the most effective runner once plays broke down. UF's front seven was strong, even when it was riddled with injuries. They held ECU to 109 rushing yards, and there never really was much of a concern that the Pirates would break one on the ground.

Special Teams: There really wasn't much to speak of from a special teams standpoint. Austin Hardin didn't attempt a field goal. Punter Kyle Christy averaged a respectable 42.9 yards over his eight punts. Chris Thompson and Brandon Powell provided a bit of a spark in the return game, but all in all, this was just a ho-hum game.

Coaching: This would have been very easy for Florida to just mail in. The Gators' former coach is gone, and their new coach wasn't coaching them. Instead, UF's defense rose to the occasion for the man who led them during the season, coordinator and interim coach Durkin. The makeshift UF staff didn't do a poor job calling plays, and the game-clinching quarterback draw was vital to making sure ECU's strong offense didn't get back on the field. The only real head-scratcher was inserting Driskel in the first half just when it looked as if Harris were getting into a rhythm.

Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.