A battle of ranked teams and two of the most consistent programs of the last couple of seasons highlights the showdown between No. 18 NC State and No. 25 Kansas State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Coaches Dave Doeren and Chris Klieman have both guided their respective teams to eight-plus win seasons in each of the last three years, and the Wolfpack enter Thursday’s game with a 9-3 record and a chance to win 10 games for just the second time in program history. This coming at the end of a season that saw Doeren become the school’s winningest coach (81 wins) while battling through adversity that included multiple changes at quarterback and just a 4-3 record heading into the team’s mid-October off week.
Though Kansas State did not repeat the success of last season’s Big 12 championship and 10-win season, the Wildcats were right in the mix in basically every week. The combined margin across Kansas State’s four losses was just 21 points, and three of those defeats came to teams that finished in the top 20 of the final College Football Playoff Rankings. There is plenty to be excited about given the quality of Kansas State’s team this season, and the fact that the bowl game will be the beginning of a new era for the Wildcats offense after the departure of quarterback Will Howard.
How to watch Pop-Tarts Bowl live
Date: Thursday, Dec. 28 | Time: 5:45 p.m. ET
Location: Camping World Stadium — Orlando, Florida
TV: ESPN | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
For a limited time, new subscribers can save $20 on Fubo’s Pro, Elite and Premier plans.
Kansas State vs. NC State: Need to know
A new era begins for Kansas State’s offense: While Howard has left to either pursue other playing opportunities in college or the NFL Draft, the Kansas State coaching staff has the succession play ready to go with freshman Avery Johnson making his first career start in the bowl game. One of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the 2023 recruiting class, Johnson made spot appearances during the year appearing in seven games and totaled nine touchdowns (three passing, six rushing). Johnson’s six rushing touchdowns are tied for third nationally among all true freshmen, and his dual-threat ability will be a key factor going up against a stout NC State defense.
Defensive excellence is a foundation of NC State’s consistency: While NC State’s offense struggled out of the gate in 2023 and endured two changes at the quarterback position, the Wolfpack defense helped steady the ship and keep the team on course for a top-25 finish. Led by linebacker Payton Wilson, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and Butkus Award winner, the Wolfpack defense ranks in the top 25 nationally in 10 different categories, including scoring defense (20.2 points per game) and run defense (104.75 yards per game allowed). Wilson has opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft, but this is a deep group that has been well-developed by defensive coordinator Tony Gibson and should be ready for the challenge of stopping Kansas State’s ground game.
Brennan Armstrong’s strong finish to the season: NC State quarterback Brennan Armstrong arrived in Raleigh to reunite with Robert Anae, the offensive coordinator during his most successful stretch of football at Virginia. However, the offense failed to score more than 24 points against an FBS opponent through the first month of the season. That led to a quarterback change which saw MJ Morris take over, but after a 3-1 record with Morris as the starter, the sophomore chose to sit out the remainder of the year to preserve a year of eligibility under redshirt rules. Thrust back into the starting role, Armstrong had won the support of his teammates through the process and carried the way to consecutive wins against Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and rival North Carolina to finish the year with a 9-3 record. Along the way, Armstrong ran for 544 yards, which is a new single-season school record for rushing yards by a quarterback.
Pop-Tarts Bowl prediction, picks
Odds via SportsLine consensus
Kansas State’s great strength in this game is going to be running the football, but it is running up against NC State’s best strength, which is stopping the run. With two quarterbacks who are a big factor in the ground game and two solid defenses, the clock should move pretty quickly which will limit possessions and potentially suppress scoring. I think the quality of this game is excellent, but I do not see it being a high-scoring affair. Pick: Under 47.5
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