What they're saying: NC State football vs. UCLA in Holiday Bowl
On3’s Mike Huguenin ranked the bowl games 1-42, and the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl showdown featuring NC State football against UCLA on Dec. 28 checked in at No. 9.
“Good quarterbacks, talented running backs, solid receivers,” Huguenin wrote. “This could be good. NC State is a lot better defensively, though.”
The entertainment value of the Holiday Bowl matchup is sparking a lot of intrigue. CBS Sports similarly had the game rated among the top 10, checking in at No. 8.
“Have you ever really liked a band or a musician that few others know existed?” writer Tom Fornelli asked. “You always talk them up in conversations with friends and even some strangers, trying to spread the good word, but it never makes a difference, and the band continues to toil in anonymity.
“That’s how I feel about NC State sometimes. The Wolfpack are 9-3 and have gone 39-23 over the last five seasons but rarely garner attention. A win here against UCLA would give NC State its first 10-win season since it went 11-3 in 2002 with Philip Rivers. Devin Leary isn’t quite Rivers, but he’s been outstanding this year and has already broken Rivers’ single-season mark for touchdown passes with 35. Leary’s name could be all over NC State’s record books when he leaves, and it’s not like State hasn’t produced plenty of NFL QBs in its time.”
Fornelli had only the Peach Bowl between Michigan State and Pittsburgh rated higher among games involving an ACC team, while Huguenin also had the Peach listed above the Holiday Bowl, plus the Gator Bowl showdown with Texas A&M and Wake Forest was in his top five.
Joining those two in including the bowl among the top 10 postseason matchups of the year was Patrick Stevens of The Washington Post. Stevens had the matchup at No. 10.
“N.C. State (9-3) is aiming to complete only the second 10-win season in program history, while UCLA (8-4) is one of the few Pac-12 teams that didn’t endure an at least mildly disappointing season,” Stevens wrote. “It’s the first bowl trip for the Bruins in four seasons under Chip Kelly.”
Yahoo! Sports’ Sam Cooper and Nick Bromberg did not include the game in the top 10 matchups, with it instead checking in at No. 13.
“N.C. State had an incredibly solid season in 2021 — its three losses came to Mississippi State, Miami and Wake Forest,” they wrote. “All three of those teams are going to bowl games. QB Devin Leary has completed two-thirds of his passes and has thrown 35 TDs and just five interceptions. UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson can be electric in Chip Kelly’s offense and the Bruins have scored at least 42 points in each of their last three games.”
No. 13 is also where Athlon’s Steve Lassan has the bowl game rated, and he went ahead and made NC State his early pick to win.
“Stopping the pass was an issue for UCLA in the regular season, and on paper, Leary and the Wolfpack playmakers should be able to take advantage on Dec. 28,” Lassan added.
If you looking for other early predictions, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg likes NC State to win in a high-scoring 41-35 affair.
The location certainly favors UCLA, as NC State will be traveling across the country, but the matchup leans toward the Wolfpack, who boast a significantly better defense than the Bruins.
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