college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...
East Carolina Pirates
The East Carolina Pirates are the athletic teams that represent East Carolina University (ECU), located in Greenville, North Carolina. All varsity-level sports teams participate at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I ...
This was the second overall meeting between these two teams. The last time these two teams met was in 1983, a game Florida won by a score of 24–17. The teams would meet again on September 12, 2015 at Florida's
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (in full Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium),Florida won 31-24.
East Carolina Pirates
After finishing their regular season with an 8–4 record, the Pirates accepted their invitation to play in the game.
This was East Carolina's second Birmingham Bowl. They previously played in the
2006 PapaJohns.com Bowl
The 2006 PapaJohns.com Bowl was the inaugural postseason college football match of the game, between the South Florida Bulls and the East Carolina Pirates at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The University of South Florida represented the ...
(the inaugural version of that game), losing to the South Florida Bulls by a score of 24–7.
Florida Gators
After finishing their regular season with a 6–5 record, the Gators accepted their invitation to play in the game.
Florida was led by interim head coach
D. J. Durkin
Daniel John Durkin (born January 15, 1978) is an American football coach, who is currently the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. He is the former co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Mississippi ( Ole Miss) and he ...
. Durkin was the Gators defensive coordinator until former head coach Will Muschamp was released at the conclusion of the 2014 regular season. Muschamp's replacement is former Colorado State head coach Jim McElwain.
This was Florida's first Birmingham Bowl.