Maryland vs NC State prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Friday, December 30
Maryland vs NC State Duke’s Mayo Bowl Prediction Game Preview
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Maryland vs NC State How To Watch
Date: Friday, December 30
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Maryland (7-5), NC State (8-4)
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Maryland vs NC State Duke’s Mayo Bowl 5 Things To Know
Duke’s Mayo Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
– Maryland did what it was supposed to do. It beat the mediocre teams, pushed a few of the good ones – it gave Michigan a fight – and dropped a 50/50 game to Purdue on the way to a 7-5 run. That’s not a knock in any way – head coach Mike Locksley has the program turned around and back in bowl games on a regular basis.
The offense has a terrific passing game and a style that can crank up the points and yards in a hurry, but it’s going to take a heavy lift with almost all of the star receivers getting ready for the NFL. On the plus side, veteran Taulia Tagovailoa is around. NC State is a different story.
– NC State is also losing a ton or receivers to a variety of issues. The quarterback situation isn’t exactly a mess, but it’s a bit of a question mark with injuries hitting the group hard. If the Wolfpack can hold with the current opt-out situation and a slew of their better defenders are playing, the team should be okay.
No matter what, this will be a bit of a rough end to what was supposed to be a monster season. Everything was fine starting out 4-0 – that’s not quite true; the O wasn’t smooth – and then star QB Devin Leary was hurt in the middle of the season, tough late losses to Boston College and Louisville hurt, and it didn’t turn out to be the run to the ACC title game it was supposed to be. However, beating North Carolina in the regular season finale helped.
– NC State could use a great bowl performance. Last year’s Holiday Bowl against UCLA was dropped, and the team lost its previous two bowls, both in the Gator. Overall, though, NC State has been good over the last 20 years going going 8-5 since losing the 2001 Tangerine to Pitt.
– Maryland was lousy in bowls with three losses in a row before last year’s team broke the run. It was a scrimmage against a gutted Virginia Tech, but it was a 54-10 fun way to end the 2021 season. Overall, though, the Terps have gone 8-5-1 since 1983.
– It’s been one of the ACC’s home bowls since it was the Continental Tire back in 2002, but the conference has dropped the last three. The final scores might not have been great, but the games were interesting. Even so, eight of the last ten Belk/Duke’s Mayo Bowls have been decided by 11 points or more.
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Why Maryland Will Win The Duke’s Mayo Bowl
NC State is trying to piece it all together.
Offensive coordinator Tim Beck is the new Coastal Carolina head coach, the quarterback situation is a potential mess depending on who can actually go, and again, there’s a chance the defense could be dealing with a slew of late personnel losses.
No matter what, this isn’t a Wolfpack team that’s going to push the ball down the field enough to worry about, and the running game is hit-or-miss – to be kind about it.
State has to deal win on its run defense and keeping the score low. Maryland has to try getting out to a hot start with any sort of points early on. If it does that and the Wolfpack O has to push to come back, it’ll get out of its comfort zone in a big way.
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Why NC State Will Win The Duke’s Mayo Bowl
The Terps are missing the wide receiver weapons to make the O go.
Tagovailoa will keep throwing no matter what, but he won’t have Rakim Jarrett, Dontay Demus, Jacob Copeland or TE CJ Dippre to throw to. Leading receiver Jeshaun Jones should play, but the offense needs more considering what NC State does against the run.
Maryland is 7-0 when running for 130 yards or more and 0-5 when it doesn’t. NC State comes into this 11th in the nation against the run allowing just 103 yards per game. The D allowed 130 or more just four times, and it’s going to load up and dare Tagovailoa to force throws to Jones.
The Wolfpack defense is terrific on third downs, the pass rush should sit in the backfield against the leaky Terp line, and …
Duke’s Mayo Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History