CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Sophomore tailbacks Noel Devine and Jock Sanders will see action for the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against North Carolina Saturday, but West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said he wouldn't determine who would start until Friday.

Stewart indicated, however, that Devine, even with his team-leading 1,228 rushing yards, might have some amends to make for some late-season digressions.

"Nobody is in my doghouse," Stewart said, when asked who would start at tailback. "But I've got a few people on short leashes."

College athletes might be amateurs, but that doesn't mean that playing in a bowl game doesn't come without its perks. Mountaineers players received a surplus of merchandise from bowl game officials that was as impressive as most Christmas bounties people will receive tomorrow.

Just a few of the items given to participants for competing in the game: A full travel warm-up suit with jacket and pants, a hooded sweatshirt, a T-shirt, a long-sleeve mock blue turtleneck, a Nike roll-on suitcase, a hand-held video camera, a Fossil watch and sunglasses.

Mountaineers center Mike Dent was hopeful, but didn't appear too optimistic he would recover in time from a neck injury to play Saturday. Dent had a second MRI recently which showed that his injury had still not improved enough for doctors to give him the go-ahead to play.

"I'm hanging out with the offensive linemen, watching drills, taking mental reps," Dent said. "I've been lifting and running and doing film study. I don't want my career to end because of an injury."

Stewart said if Dent can't practice today or tomorrow, it would be highly unlikely that he would be ready in time to make an appearance Saturday.

Players from both teams were treated to another perk of bowl-game competition: They got to take part in the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Lowe's Motor Speedway, just outside of Charlotte. At speeds of up to 170 miles per hour, some players became converted fans of the sport.

"I was never a fan of NASCAR," punter Pat McAfee said. "But I am now. The ride was awesome."

The biggest problem players had wasn't in the racing around the track, which many compared to a roller-coaster ride, but in getting their larger-than-average bodies into and out of the tiny cars.

"Some of the guys are bigger than me, but they were all able to get into the cars," left tackle Ryan Stanchek said. "That was the toughest part."

The Mountaineers will be the visiting team, but they will wear the dark blue jerseys they usually wear for home games.