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NC State

Updating NC State’s bowl projections after win at Cal

image_6483441 (3)by: Noah Fleischman10/21/24fleischman_noah
Kendrick Raphael
Oct 19, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Kendrick Raphael (0) carries the ball against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

NC State is two wins away from bowl eligibility after it beat Cal this past weekend heading into its first of two open weeks this fall. As the Pack approaches bowl eligibility status, TheWolfpacker.com will update the team’s latest projections each week.

The Wolfpack’s current bowl projections are a wide-variety of the current slate, including the Birmingham, Gasparilla, Fenway and Radiance Technologies Independence Bowls. 

Action Network’s Brett McMurphy inserted the Wolfpack back into his projections after NC State’s 24-23 win at Cal this past weekend. He has the Pack going to the Birmingham Bowl, which is set for Dec. 27 at Protective Stadium, against Michigan State. 

NC State has played in a bowl hosted in Birmingham, Ala., twice in program history — the 1990 All-American Bowl (a 31-27 win over Southern Miss) and the 2008 PapaJohns.com Bowl (a 29-23 loss to Rutgers). 

While the Birmingham Bowl is an option for the Wolfpack, so is the Gasparilla Bowl, according to Athlon Sports’ latest prediction. That projection has NC State squaring off with Kentucky on Dec. 20 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The Pack played in this bowl, which was called the Hall of Fame Bowl at the time, to cap the 1994 season — a 42-7 loss to Michigan.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, meanwhile, placed NC State in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl against Arizona. That game is set for Dec. 28 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La. 

Rounding out this week’s bowl projections is CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm, who thinks the Wolfpack will square off with USF in the Fenway Bowl on Dec. 28 in Boston. 

NC State has appeared in eight bowl games under coach Dave Doeren, but the Wolfpack has not won in the postseason since it beat Arizona State 52-31 in the 2017 Sun Bowl. The Pack lost to Kansas State 28-19 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl last season. 

The Wolfpack has also played in the Duke’s Mayo, Gator, Independence, Belk and St. Petersburg Bowls during Doeren’s tenure.