N.C. STATE (8-4) VS. ARIZONA ST. (7-5)
Site: Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas.
Kickoff: Friday, 3 p.m. TV: CBS.
Line: N.C. State by 6 ½.
All-time series: Tied 1-1.
Last meeting: N.C. State 35, Arizona St. 13 (1974).
NORTH CAROLINA STATE
Coach: Dave Doeren (5th season, 33-30; overall 7th season, 56-34).
All-time postseason: 16-13-1.
Last postseason appearance: Beat Vanderbilt 41-17 in 2016 Independence Bowl.
Draft spotlight: DE Bradley Chubb. The Nagurski Award winner plays with outstanding leverage out of his stance while maintaining all of his foot speed and man-strength. Chubb is all over the field week in, week out. Chubb’s edge rushing ability and presence against the run are a fit for any scheme. Read full report here.
Other Wolfpack to watch: WR Jaylen Samuels, G Tony Adams, DT B.J. Hill, DT Justin Jones, DE Kentavius Street.
Wolfpack Tracks: QB Ryan Finley takes on his hometown school, having grown up a half-hour away from the ASU campus. He didn’t take up football until 9th grade. … WR Kelvin Harmon needs 7 receiving yards to reach 1,000 – rounding out a set with Finley’s 3,000 yards passing and RB Nyheim Hines’ 1,000 on the ground.
ARIZONA STATE
Coach: Todd Graham (6th season, 46-31; overall 12th season, 95-60).
All-time postseason: 14-14-1.
Last postseason appearance: Lost to West Virginia 43-42 in 2015 Cactus Bowl.
Draft spotlight: RB Kalen Ballage. A bruising, vertical rusher with a rare combination of size and athleticism. Doesn’t have stats of top RBs because he shares duties with Demario Richard, but brings a well-rounded game that includes pass blocking and catching out of the backfield. Fastest guy on the ASU roster.
Other Sun Devils to watch: RB Demario Richard, NT Tashon Smallwood,*DT JoJo Wicker, LB D.J. Calhoun.
Devil Tales: Graham will lead the Sun Devils one final time before giving way to Herm Edwards. He is the only fired coach in FBS who stayed through the bowl. … ASU leads FBS in red-zone scoring, getting points on 46 of 48 trips inside opponents’ 20. The exceptions were late-game kneeldowns. … Wicker and Calhoun are among three ASU players with at least 10 TFLs this year.
* underclass draft prospect