NC State (8-4) vs Arizona State (7-5)
When: Friday, December 29th 2017
Where: Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX
Time: 3:00 ET | TV: CBS
Opening Odds: North Carolina State -5/60.5
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Its not often you see a head coach fired after the regular season ends but still leads the team into a Bowl game, but that’s what the Arizona State Sun Devils are doing as they move on from Todd Graham to the Herm Edwards era in Tempe. The Sun Devils will have a short trip to El Paso to take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the 2017 Sun Bowl on December 29th. NC State surprised some by challenging Clemson for the ACC Atlantic Division crown and has a shot at its first nine-win season since 2010 and finished No. 24 in the final College Football Playoff rankings. The Sun Devils averaged 40 points while winning three of their last four games to reach bowl eligibility including a 42-30 win over in-state rival Arizona in the regular season finale. Edwards is a big name in the broadcasting business and in football coaching circles after his stints as head coach with the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets. Edwards, who spent the last nine years as an analyst at ESPN, will not be on the sideline during the Sun Bowl. North Carolina State avoided losing their coach at the end of the regular season, fending off an effort by Tennessee to hire head coach Dave Doeren and signing him to a five-year extension. Doeren will lead the Wolfpack to their fourth consecutive bowl appearance after reaching eight wins by beating rival North Carolina in the regular-season finale.
The Wolfpack defense is led by senior defensive end Bradley Chubb, who won the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s top defensive player after recording 10 sacks in 2017 and 25 in his career. The defense ranked 54th overall (377.2 yards/game), but was 96th against the pass (244.9). The offense is guided by junior quarterback Ryan Finley, who threw for 3,200 yards and 16 touchdowns and was at his best in the biggest games – averaging 373.3 yards and totaling six TD passes against Louisville, Clemson and South Carolina this season. Finley’s favorite target is tight end Jaylen Samuels, who was named third-team All-American after catching a team-best 69 balls and four TDs.
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Edwards will keep most of the coaching staff, but defensive coordinator Phil Bennett elected to leave the program and will be coaching his last game after guiding the defense that allowed opposing offenses to score an average of 31.3 points in the regular season – 88th in FBS. The Sun Devils made up for some of the defensive struggles on the other side of the ball as dual-threat quarterback Manny Wilkins passed for 2,918 yards and 17 scores while rushing for 269 yards and six TDs. Arizona State averaged 180.3 yards on the ground and totaled 26 rushing TDs, led by senior running back Demario Richard (977 yards, 12 TDs).
NCAA FOOTBALL ODDS – SCORES – PUBLIC PLAYS
Arizona State is just not good enough on defense to beat a fellow Power 5 team like NC State, who is very balanced. The Wolfpack rose to the occasion in big games, and they’ll do the same thing here.
Pick: NC State -6.5
TRENDS:
- Wolfpack are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 bowl games.
- Wolfpack are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games in December.
- Wolfpack are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 Bowl games.
- Wolfpack are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
- Wolfpack are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Wolfpack are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
- Wolfpack are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.
- Sun Devils are 5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Sun Devils are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
- Sun Devils are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Sun Devils are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
- Sun Devils are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 bowl games.
- Sun Devils are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 Bowl games.
- Sun Devils are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.
- Sun Devils are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games in December.
- Sun Devils are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games on turf.
- Sun Devils are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Friday games.
- Sun Devils are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.
- Over is 5-0 in Wolfpack last 5 Bowl games.
- Under is 6-0 in Wolfpack last 6 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 5-0 in Wolfpack last 5 games in December.
- Over is 7-0 in Wolfpack last 7 neutral site games.
- Over is 5-0 in Wolfpack last 5 bowl games.
- Under is 4-0 in Wolfpack last 4 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Under is 8-1 in Wolfpack last 9 games overall.
- Under is 7-1 in Wolfpack last 8 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Over is 8-2-1 in Wolfpack last 11 non-conference games.
- Under is 4-1 in Wolfpack last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 6-2 in Wolfpack last 8 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
- Over is 7-1 in Sun Devils last 8 Friday games.
- Over is 5-1 in Sun Devils last 6 Bowl games.
- Over is 5-1 in Sun Devils last 6 bowl games.
- Over is 4-1 in Sun Devils last 5 games overall.
- Over is 4-1 in Sun Devils last 5 games on turf.
- Over is 7-2 in Sun Devils last 9 neutral site games.
- Under is 6-2 in Sun Devils last 8 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 22-10 in Sun Devils last 32 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
- Under is 13-6-1 in Sun Devils last 20 games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 34-16-2 in Sun Devils last 52 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
