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North Carolina State Wolfpack at Central Florida Knights

Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida

Friday, December 26, 2014 8:00 PM

North Carolina State 34
Central Florida 27
48.0
-2
Final

Wolfpack Knights Game Recap


North Carolina State 34, Central Florida 27: Matt Dayes rushed for two touchdowns and Jacoby Brissett threw for 262 yards and a score as the Wolfpack withstood a late rally by the Knights in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl.

Shadrach Thornton rushed for 96 yards and threw an 18-yard TD pass for North Carolina State (8-5), which outgained the Knights 487-373 in total yards and won its first bowl game since 2011. Dayes had 13 carries for 78 yards while Johnathan Alston had 58 receiving yards, including a 37-yard score, as the Wolfpack closed by winning four of their final five games.

Justin Holman was 23-of-53 for 291 yards with three touchdown passes to Josh Reese and an interception for UCF (9-4), which saw its three-game bowl win streak come to an end. The Knights, who came in ranked fifth in the nation in rushing defense, allowed a season-high 187 yards on the ground, with most of the damage coming in the third quarter.

North Carolina State used a trick play to move ahead 7-3 midway through the first quarter as Brissett tossed the ball back to Thornton, who threw an 18-yard TD pass to Samuels. Holman opened the second quarter with a 6-yard TD pass to Reese, but the Wolfpack took a 17-10 lead into the break on Brissett’s scoring strike to Alston and Niklas Sade’s 19-yard field goal.

The Wolfpack took control in the third quarter as Dayes capped a 75-yard drive with a 24-yard TD run and later added a 15-yard scoring run to extend the lead to 31-13. Holman connected with Reese on two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, including a 2-yard pass with 1:44 remaining, but the Wolfpack sealed the win after recovering the ensuing onside kick.

GAME NOTEBOOK: William Stanback rushed 12 times for 38 yards for UCF, which was held to 82 yards on the ground. … Brissett completed 15-of-26 passes while Bo Hines led North Carolina State with 79 receiving yards, including a 45-yard catch, and also threw a 20-yard pass early in the fourth quarter. … Breshad Perriman had nine receptions for 138 yards for the Knights, who closed the regular season with four straight wins.

Preview: North Carolina State Wolfpack at Central Florida Knights


BITCOIN ST. PETERSBURG BOWL STORYLINES

1. When we last saw UCF, the Knights were storming the field following a Hail Mary catch by Breshad Perriman to defeat East Carolina and claim a share of the American Athletic Conference title. The dramatic win helped UCF earn a berth in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl against North Carolina State, which won three of its last four games. The teams have split their two previous meetings, with North Carolina State recording a 28-21 victory in 2010.

2. While UCF is seeking its fourth consecutive bowl victory, North Carolina State is returning to the postseason after going 3-9 in 2013. The Knights boast one of the nation’s top defenses, led by linebacker Terrance Plummer and cornerback Jacoby Glenn, who is tied for third in the country with seven interceptions. Plummer has a team-high 92 tackles for UCF, which allows 17.9 points per game - ninth in the nation.

3. UCF’s stout defense should be tested by a North Carolina State offense that outscored its final two opponents – Wake Forest and North Carolina – by a combined 77-20. The Knights boast the nation’s fifth-best rushing defense, but the Wolfpack rushed for 388 yards in a 35-7 victory over North Carolina to end the regular season. Shadrach Thornton led the way with 28 carries for 161 yards.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: UCF -2

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA STATE (7-5, 3-5 ACC): After jumping to a 24-7 first-quarter lead over Florida State on Sept. 27, the Wolfpack ended up falling 56-41 and losing their next three games. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett owns a 22-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and has run for 498 yards and three scores. Mike Rose has 14 tackles-for-loss to lead the defense, which allowed an average of 15.9 points in its seven victories.

ABOUT UCF (9-3, 7-1 AAC): The Knights opened with losses to Penn State and Missouri before winning five in a row, including a 31-24 overtime victory over BYU. While the defense has been a strength all season, the offense struggled early before averaging 33 points during a four-game winning streak to close the regular season. Quarterback Justin Holman has thrown 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while Perriman has caught a TD pass in seven straight games.

PREDICTION: UCF 21, North Carolina State 17
Away Spread Consensus 37% Wolfpack (2.0) Home Spread Consensus 63% Knights (-2.0)
Total Over Consensus 51% Over (48.0) Total Under Consensus 49% Under (48.0)
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