Belk Bowl
NC State (7-5) vs. Mississippi State (8-4)
Charlotte, North Carolina
Dec. 30, 2015
Wednesday’s Belk Bowl will mark the end of the collegiate careers of two standout quarterbacks – Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott and NC State’s Jacoby Brissett.
Prescott led the Bulldogs to a No. 1 ranking and the Orange Bowl last year, setting program records in the process. This season hasn’t been quite as decorated for MSU, but Prescott had another big year. Prescott was second in the SEC with 3,413 passing yards and led the Bulldogs with 541 rushing yards. He combined for 35 touchdowns – 25 passing, 10 rushing – and threw only four interceptions on the season.
The Bulldogs put up some big numbers in the non-conference, but did not quite match that production in SEC play. MSU mustered only six points in a Nov. 14 home loss to Alabama, but rebounded for a combined 1,033 yards in its final two games – a 51-50 win over Arkansas and a 38-27 Egg Bowl loss to Ole Miss.
Prescott and company want to get the bad taste from the Egg Bowl out of their mouths and finish the season on a high note against NC State.
The Wolfpack beat up on lesser competition in the non-con before struggling in conference play. The team’s only conference wins came against three of the ACC’s worst teams – Wake Forest, Boston College and Syracuse. In fact, NC State’s only win over a team with a winning record came against Eastern Kentucky, an FCS team that finished 6-5. So a win over an SEC opponent like Mississippi State would give the season a stamp of legitimacy.
To beat the Bulldogs, the NC State secondary needs to focus its attention on All-SEC receiver Fred Ross, who caught 81 passes for 933 yards and four scores. The 6-foot-5 De’Runnya Wilson (55 catches, 822 yards, 9 TDs) is Prescott’s favorite red zone target.
Led by Brissett, the Wolfpack offense can really move the ball. Like Prescott, Brissett is a dual-threat at quarterback who doesn’t turn the ball over. He threw for 2,448 yards, 19 touchdowns and only four interceptions on the year and is coming off his best rushing performance – 128 yards and two scores – in the season finale against North Carolina.
Brissett only averages 10.8 yards per completion, so the Wolfpack aren’t really known for the big play through the air. Instead, NC State likes to control the time of possession (No. 10 nationally) with a short passing game and running back Matthew Dayes (865 yards, 12 TDs).
The Bulldogs are in the middle of the pack defensively against the run, so the Wolfpack should have some success there.
Picks
Graham: N.C. State used a bowl game to propel this year’s 7-5 season and I think the Wolfpack will be looking for similar motivation in this bowl contest against Mississippi State. N.C. State 38, Mississippi State 35.
Nick: This would be a huge win for NC State and Dave Doeren. That said, I'm going to go with Dak Prescott in his final college game. Mississippi State 34-23.
Sam: NC State hasn't played well against top high-level competition and I don't expect that to change in this one. The Bulldogs roll in Dak's final game. Mississippi State 38, NC State 27.
For more Mississippi State news, visit BulldogBlitz.com.
For more North Carolina State news, visit TheWolfPacker.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
