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Bowl season is underway, and the Kentucky Wildcats and the NC State Wolfpack will compete for postseason bragging rights in the Taxslayer Bowl at TIAA Bank Field at noon ET on Saturday.
UK took their matchup against the South Carolina Gamecocks four weeks ago by a conclusive 41-18 score. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 27-3. It was another big night for the Wildcats' RB Christopher Rodriguez Jr., who rushed for three TDs and 139 yards on 14 carries. One of the most memorable plays of the game was Rodriguez Jr.'s 79-yard touchdown rush in the fourth quarter. Rodriguez Jr.'s sharp performance set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
UK's defense was a presence as well, as it collected one interception and three fumbles. S Yusuf Corker picked up that interception and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by taking it back the other way for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, NC State had a touchdown and change to spare in a 23-13 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets four weeks ago. The squad ran away with 20 points in the first half and mostly just sat on those in the second to pick up the win. No one had a standout game offensively for NC State, but they got scores from RB Zonovan Knight and RB Ricky Person Jr..
Special teams collected 11 points for NC State. K Christopher Dunn delivered a perfect 3-for-3 game.
This next contest is expected to be close, with the Wildcats going off at just a 2.5-point favorite. They are currently two-for-two against the spread in their most recent games, a trend bettors might want to take into account.
A pair of stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: UK enters the matchup having picked the ball off 13 times, good for 10th in the nation. Less enviably, the Wolfpack are stumbling into the matchup with the 16th most thrown interceptions in the nation, having thrown 12 on the season. The Wildcats' secondary is poised to pounce all over NC State's passing game.
