Belk Bowl: NC State vs Mississippi State TV info, odds, live stream, predictions, and more
The Belk Bowl between the NC State Wolfpack and Mississippi State Bulldogs will feature one of the top quarterback duels of the 2015 bowl game schedule.
Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott has established himself as the greatest player ever to suit up for the Bulldogs, and the senior will don the Maroon and White for the final time against NC State in the Belk Bowl.
Prescott, who has completed 291 of 435 pass attempts for 3,413 yards and 25 touchdowns with only four interceptions while also leading the 8-4 Bulldogs with 541 rushing yards and ten TDs on the ground, is the driving force behind a Mississippi State offense that has averaged 33.0 points and 451.4 yards of total offense in 2015.
A three-year starter, Prescott has rewritten the school record book and now owns 38 school records. He is also one of the most decorated quarterbacks in SEC history.
Prescott was recently named to the All-SEC First Team for the second time, became the fourth player in conference history to account for more than 110 touchdowns in a career, the fifth ever to surpass 11,000 yards of total offense, and he also became the first in league history (and the only FBS signal caller this season) to account for 550 total yards of offense and score seven touchdowns in the same game in a thrilling 51-50 victory over Arkansas.
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Furthermore, Prescott has made waves on a national scale by becoming only the fourth player in college football history to throw 60 touchdowns passes and run for 40 touchdowns. He also needs just four passing yards and 26 rushing yards in the Belk Bowl to become the fourth FBS player to amass 9,000 passing yards and 2,500 rushing yards.
But Dak Prescott isn’t the only good quarterback making his final start in Charlotte. NC State signal caller Jacoby Brissett (a transfer from Florida) led the Wolfpack to a 7-5 record while completing 61.3 percent of his passes for 2,448 yards and 19 touchdowns with only four interceptions.
Also a capable ball carrier, Brissett ran for 303 yards and five touchdowns in 2015, including 128 rushing yards and two TDs in the season finale against North Carolina.
The senior has also played a big role in helping the Wolfpack take care of the football. NC State ranks fifth nationally in giveaways, having turned the ball over just 11 times all season.
Belk Bowl Information:
- Date: Wednesday December 30, 2015
- Time: 3:30 PM ET
- Location: Charlotte, NC
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- Spread: Mississippi State -6
In addition to solid quarterback play, the Belk Bowl will also feature talented supporting playmakers such as NC State running back Matthew Dayes (865 rushing yards, 12 TD) and tight end Jaylen Samuels (64 receptions, 599 receiving yards, 7 TD), in addition to Mississippi State receivers De’Runnya Wilson (55 receptions, 822 receiving yards, 9 TD) and Fred Ross (81 receptions, 933 receiving yards, 4 TD). Ross was voted to the All-SEC First Team and needs 103 receiving yards in the bowl game to set the school record.
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Defensively, NC State has held opponents to a modest 332.5 yards of total offense per game this season, which ranks No. 19 in the nation and is considerably better than Mississippi State’s 388.4-yard average (No. 57 nationally).
The Wolfpack rank No. 22 in the country in pass defense (188.5 passing yards allowed per game), but the Bulldogs have an edge in talent on the defensive side of the football with potential first round draft pick Chris Jones on the defensive line, freshman All-SEC linebacker Gerri Green, and senior cornerback Taveze Calhoun.
Belk Bowl Prediction:
Motivation should be high on both sides, not only to end the season on a positive note following losses to rivals at the end of the regular season, but also to smooth the transition from one season – and one quarterback – to the next.
NC State head coach Dave Doeren has yet to defeat a Power 5 team that finished the season with a winning record since taking over in Raleigh, and is 0-16 in such games. Doeren is searching for his second straight eight-win season, and a victory over a solid Mississippi State team would be icing on the cake.
On the other hand, Mississippi State is seeking a second consecutive season of at least nine wins for the first time in school history. In the battle of quarterbacks, expect the Bulldogs to send the school legend Prescott out a winner.