NC State Wolfpack: Pack head to Independence Bowl
The NC State Wolfpack will be facing the Vanderbilt Commodores in Shreveport, LA.
The NC State Wolfpack are going bowling. The Wolfpack will be headed to Shreveport, La to play in the Independence Bowl. This was their reward for a 6-6 record that they achieved on the last day of their season by beating North Carolina.
The Independence Bowl has tie-ins with both the ACC and the SEC not unlike the Belk Bowl these days. Therefore State will be facing the Vanderbilt Commodores in the game. The Commodores are headed to their first bowl game since the departure of James Franklin for the Penn State job.
If the Commodores have one quality on their side it would be pluck. They played their opposition to close games all year, but they really turned it on against Ole Miss and Tennessee in the last two games. Both Rebels and Volunteers had been ranked during the season at times but each fell by at least nine points to Vandy.
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Kyle Shurmur is the quarterback for Vandy for their best weapon is at running back. Ralph Webb had a five yard per carry average and twelve touchdowns on the season for Vandy. Khari Blasingame is his relief and the second string running back had nine touchdowns of his own. Given State’s run game, this sounds like it could be a grinding contest between the two.
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Matt Dayes will be the point man once again for the offense, but expect some of the same creativity that Coach Dave Doeren showed against North Carolina to be used here. That should mean a bigger role for Jaylen Samuels and some of the bigger Wolfpack receivers.
The good news for State is that Vandy is unlikely to run and hide with the score. The bad news for State is that Vandy has plenty of experience hanging around in close games. Like State last game, they may be due for one of those.