The NC State football team will make its first bowl appearance in two seasons Dec. 26 against the University of Central Florida in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl.
While many State fans hoped for an appearance at this year’s Belk Bowl in Charlotte, the Wolfpack (7-5, 3-5 ACC) will head to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida after slipping in the ACC bowl hierarchy.
The last time the Pack was in action, it thrashed in-state rival UNC-Chapel Hill 35-7 to cap-off a much-improved 2014 regular season campaign.
The Knights (9-3, 7-1 AAC) won a share of the American Athletic Conference Championship this season along with Memphis and Cincinnati.
UCF most recently beat East Carolina on a last second Hail Mary touchdown pass to help clinch a share of the conference title.
The Knights rank 9th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 17.9 points per game, so redshirt junior quarterback Jacoby Brissett and the Pack offense face a stout test in the UCF defense.
The three losses under the Knight’s belt are to two solid Missouri and Penn State teams and an ugly loss to a UCONN team that finished 2-10 and dead last in the AAC.
However, UCF head coach and former Georgia Tech head coach, George O’Leary, knows the ACC well and won’t be underestimated.
There’s no doubt the Wolfpack face a tough challenge in its first bowl game under head coach Dave Doeren.
This will be the Pack’s first bowl game since the 2012 season and the fourth in the last five seasons. Doeren and co. look for the Pack’s first bowl win 2011’s 31-24 Belk Bowl win against Louisville.
The game kicks off at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
