Old rivals No. 23 NC State, Maryland meet in Mayo Bowl

Somebody will get doused with a vat of mayonnaise on Dec. 30 when No. 23 NC State meets Maryland within the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, N.C.

The bowl’s official Twitter account revealed that each applications’ coaches, Dave Doeren of NC State (8-4) and Mike Locksley of Maryland (7-5), have agreed to a “mayo tub” if their aspect wins.

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer set the usual final season when he allowed the condiment to be dumped on him as an alternative of Gatorade after his Gamecocks beat North Carolina 38-21.

NC State’s beginning quarterback did not stick round to see if Doeren would get messy. After a disappointing season ended with a season-ending harm, Devin Leary entered the switch portal earlier this month and dedicated to Kentucky.

Backup MJ Morris suffered a lower-body harm on Nov. 12 in a 21-20 loss to Boston School. Doeren declined to present an replace on Morris’ well being. Ben Finley can be subsequent in line at quarterback if Morris cannot return.

“They’re each training proper now,” Doeren stated. “Excited to have them on the sector. They went by means of apply yesterday and the day earlier than and, you realize, I look ahead to serving to these guys get higher.”

Finley accomplished 27 of 40 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns within the regular-season finale, when NC State upset then-No. 17 North Carolina 30-27 in double additional time.

Broad receiver Devin Carter opted out of the bowl recreation to arrange for the 2023 NFL Draft. Jordan Houston (530 yards, no touchdowns) heads a working recreation that ranked twelfth of 14 ACC groups with simply 121 yards per recreation.

Maryland ended a three-game slide on the finish of the common season by demolishing Rutgers 37-0. Taulia Tagovailoa threw for 342 yards in that recreation and threw for his fiftieth profession passing landing as a Terrapin to interrupt this system document.

Tagovailoa will not have three of his greatest large receivers obtainable in Charlotte. Rakim Jarrett, Jacob Copeland and Dontay Demus all opted out. Maryland additionally had not less than 10 gamers enter the switch portal after the tip of the common season, together with tight finish CJ Dippre.

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“We’re nonetheless assured within the guys that we’ve got,” Locksley instructed reporters. “A few of these guys (have) been working arduous all season to arrange for this second, so it will likely be thrilling to see.”

A pair of redshirt freshmen have powered Maryland’s speeding assault: Roman Hemby (924 yards, 5.6 per carry, 10 touchdowns) and Antwain Littleton II (370 yards, 5.1 per carry, six touchdowns).

In final 12 months’s Pinstripe Bowl, their first bowl look underneath Locksley, the Terrapins trucked Virginia Tech 54-10 with Tagovailoa going 20-for-24 for 265 yards and two touchdowns. NC State was scheduled to face UCLA within the 2021 Vacation Bowl earlier than a diffusion of COVID-19 circumstances compelled UCLA to drag out mere hours earlier than kickoff.

NC State and Maryland spent years squaring off as ACC rivals. The all-time collection is knotted 33-33-4. Maryland received the final assembly 41-21 in 2013.

–Area Stage Media