Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher and his new journey with the Aggies continues one last time in 2018 against NC State in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Texas A&M football take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack in a game that means a ton for both teams. For NC State, a win means the Wolfpack can lock up a 10-win season and great momentum heading into the off-season where they will need to replace senior quarterback Ryan Finley.
For A&M, a win means they stop their current bowl game losing streak and get to nine wins for the first time since the 2013 season. This win is critical for the Aggies’ own momentum which will head into 2019 with most coming back on offense if Trayveon Williams, Jace Sternberger, and Erick McCoy having decisions to make.
The game itself will be the first meeting between the Aggies and Wolfpack. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Enrollment is listed at 33,755 according to their fall of 2017 numbers.
Below is all the information you could possibly need for the game.
Game Time: 7:30 PM EST / 6:30 PM CST
Location: TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida
TV Channel: ESPN (National)
Announcers: Adam Amin (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst), Quint Kessenich (sideline)
Streaming: WatchESPN
Local Radio: The Texas A&M Radio Network provides coverage via nearly 60 stations across the state of Texas. For a complete list, please visit 12thMan.com
Local Commentators: Andrew Monaco (play-by-play), Dave Elmendorf (analyst), Will Johnson (sideline)
Rankings: NC State / NR (college football playoff) – Texas A&M / No. 19 (college football playoff)
Odds: Texas A&M -7, game is listed between -7 and -7.5 depending on the sports book. Oddshark believes NC State will win outright, they had UAB and LSU as well.
Scouting Report, Weather Report, Injury Report
Head coach Dave Doeren is in his sixth year (43-33) at the helm after taking over for Tom O’Brien and Dana Bible after the 2012 season.
Before his time in Raleigh, Doeren was the head coach at Northern Illinois for two seasons. Those two seasons produced a 23-4 record, two conference championships and a win in the GoDaddy.com bowl in 2011. Doeren did not coach the Huskies in the Orange bowl following the 2012 season.
His other stints started back in 1994 after playing his college ball at Drake University:
- One year at Shawnee Mission (KS) HS (WR/DL coach in 1994)
- Three years at Drake (LB coach in 1995-1996, DC/LB in 1997)
- Two years at USC (GA in 1998-1999)
- Two years at Montana (DB coach in 2000-2001)
- Four years at Kansas (LB coach from 2002-2004, co-DC/LB coach in 2005)
- Five years at Wisconsin (co-DC/LB in 2006-2007, DC/LB coach from 2008-2010)
For your Aggies, A&M is currently ranked No. 19 in offense averaging 465 yards per game. On defense, the Aggies are No. 35 in the nation giving up 354 yards per game. The stat we’ve been watching all season is finally below six — the Aggies are giving up 5.94 yards per play.
For the Wolfpack, NC State is currently ranked No. 15 in total offense averaging 471 yards per game and No. 55 in total defense. They’re giving up 380 yards per game; the Aggies will need to continue to maximize possessions, own the time of possession battle and score when they get the opportunity as this game could turn into a shootout if they’re not careful.
The Aggies are bowl eligible for the tenth year in a row which is tied for the 11th-longest active streak in the FBS and fourth-longest in the SEC. A&M is playing in their 40th bowl game in school history, that ranks 18th among all college football programs. Texas A&M’s 17 bowl victories rank as the 21st most among FBS programs. The Aggies will look to stop a current three game bowl losing streak.
Stats provided by ncaa.com
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