Mayonnaise bath waiting for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl winning coach

Duke’s Mayo Bowl: 25 North Carolina State (8-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) vs. Maryland (5-5 Big Ten), Dec. 30, 1, p.m. Eastern (Fox).

FanDuel Sportsbook College Line: Maryland: 1/2

Series record: Series tied 33-33-4.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

A mayonnaise bath for the winning coach — and hopefully he will not get clocked over the head with a bucket like what happened last year to South Carolina’s Shane Beamer. This is NC State’s third appearance in the game which has changed sponsors twice. They lost to Mississippi State 51-28, and beat Central Florida 14-0 in 2015. This will be Maryland’s first appearance in the game.

KEY MATCHUP

Maryland RBs Antwain and Roman Littleton will face off against the Wolfpack defense. Rakim Jarrett and Jacob Copeland, WRs, have left the program. The Terrapins will rely heavily on their running game. Hemby (920 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Littleton (237 yards, 6 TDs) are the two leading candidates. The 12th-best run defense in the country is found at North Carolina State.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

North Carolina State: LB D Drake Thomas. He is the heart and soul for the Wolfpack defense. He has 90 tackles including 15 for loss.

Maryland: QB Taulia Tavoiloa. He is the younger brother of Tau Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins QB). He threw for 17 touchdowns and ran for four more. In his three previous games, he hasn’t thrown an interception.

FACTS & FIGURES

North Carolina State’s quarterback situation was muddled. Four different players started at the position. Devin Leary, who was injured, entered the transfer portal. It’s not clear who will start for the Wolfpack. MJ Morris was injured in the lower body on November 12. Ben Finley may be able to start MJ Morris’s season if he is unable. Finley completed 27 out of 40 passes for 271 year and two touchdowns against then-No. 17 North Carolina. Devin Carter, Wolfpack wide receiver, chose to leave the bowl game to focus on the 2023 NFL Draft. Maryland lost three consecutive games after going 6-2. The Terrapins ended the regular season by beating Rutgers. Maryland won the matchup 41-21 on November 30, 2013.

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