UCLA vs NC State: San Diego Country Credit Union Holiday Bowl Prediction, Game Preview

UCLA vs NC State: San Diego Country Credit Union Holiday Bowl prediction, game preview, how to watch

UCLA vs NC State: San Diego Country Credit Union Holiday Bowl How To Watch

Date: Tuesday, December 28
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET
Venue: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
How To Watch: FOX
Records: NC State (9-3), UCLA (8-4)
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UCLA vs NC State San Diego Country Credit Union Holiday Bowl Preview

– UCLA is back in a bowl game. By now, the Chip Kelly era was supposed to be rocking and rolling. Even though this wasn’t a Pac-12 Championship season, it was a great step forward after a few seasons of struggling.

– Now the Bruins are bowling for the first time since 2017 – they haven’t won a bowl since 2013 – and this one game can set the tone for the offseason and going into 2022.

– Yeah, UCLA closed with three straight wins, and yeah, it beat USC in a blowout. But the Trojans upped the game with the hiring of Lincoln Riley. Anything less than a bowl win will make the fan base nervous.

– The Bruins are tough, the downfield passing game was the best in the Pac-12, and the run defense held up well. Now it all has to work against a rock-solid NC State team that lost just two ACC games by a total of four points.

– The Wolfpack have a terrific passing attack, the defense was third in the ACC overall and second in points allowed – giving up fewer than 20 per game – and they have a style that should be able to control the tempo throughout.

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Why NC State Will Win The San Diego Country Credit Union Holiday Bowl

Devin Leary is just that good.

He might not have been celebrated in the ACC like Kenny Pickett or Sam Howell or Sam Hartman, but he was right up there with the leadgg’es top quarterbacks, closing the season out with four touchdown passes in four of the last six games.

He’s going to keep pressing a UCLA secondary that was okay and improved over the second half of the season, but that’s partly because the D didn’t face as many top-shelf passing attacks. It’s about to get pressed.

The offense is efficient, the defense is terrific at getting off the field with a defense that doesn’t give up a whole lot of third down conversions, and there’s no issues when it comes to matching up with the UCLA lines.

NC State will have no issues dealing with the power game.

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Why UCLA Will Win The San Diego Country Credit Union Holiday Bowl

The offense is ultra-efficient.

The running game averages 215 yards per game with a good blend of power and speed, Dorian Thompson-Robinson is great at hitting the downfield pass, and it’s all done without a whole lot of turnovers.

The offense has gotten it done on the ground late in the season with three straight games of 244 yards or more, and that’s where it starts. Again, the passing game is dangerous, but when the offensive line rolling, the team wins.

UCLA is 8-0 when running for 200 yards or more, and NC State will give up rushing yards. The overall stats are terrific, but the Wolfpack gave up eight touchdown runs over the last three games, allowed 300 yards to North Carolina, over five yards per carry against Syracuse, and got pounded on for 215 rushing yards against Louisville.

However …

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UCLA vs NC State: San Diego Country Credit Union Holiday Bowl, What’s Going To Happen

NC State got run on by the teams that could run the ball – and it won all three games.

It should be a good battle with plenty of energy – at least as much as a UCLA team can muster from the base. Expect a good back-and-forth battle between two well-coached teams that should be more physical than most might think.

NC State is too sound and too strong on the lines, Leary will be solid, and the ACC will get a big win in a blast of a back-and-forth battle.

San Diego Country Credit Union Holiday Bowl: UCLA vs NC State Prediction, Lines

NC State 34, UCLA 31
Line: NC State -1, o/u: 60.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1
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Must See Rating: DDDDD

5: “Die Hard” (as a Christmas movie)
1: “A Very Boy Band Holiday”

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San Diego Country Credit Union Holiday Bowl History

2020 Canceled
Dec. 27, 2019 Iowa 49, USC 24
Dec. 31, 2018 Northwestern 31, Utah 20
Dec. 28, 2017 Michigan State 42, Washington State 17
Dec. 27, 2016 Minnesota 17, Washington State 12
Dec. 30, 2015 Wisconsin 23 USC 21
Dec. 27, 2014 USC 45 Nebraska 42
Dec. 30, 2013 Texas Tech 37 Arizona State 23
Dec. 27, 2012 Baylor 49 UCLA 26
Dec. 28, 2011 Texas 21 California 10
Dec. 30, 2010 Washington 19 Nebraska 7
Dec. 30, 2009 Nebraska 33 Arizona 0
Dec. 30, 2008 Oregon 42 Oklahoma State 31
Dec. 27, 2007 Texas 52 Arizona State 34
Dec. 28, 2006 California 45 Texas A&M 10
Dec. 29, 2005 Oklahoma 17 Oregon 14
Dec. 30, 2004 Texas Tech 45 California 31
Dec. 30, 2003 Washington State 28 Texas 20
Dec. 27, 2002 Kansas State 34 Arizona State 27
Dec. 28, 2001 Texas 47 Washington 43
Dec. 29, 2000 Oregon 35 Texas 30
Dec. 29, 1999 Kansas State 24 Washington 20
Dec. 30, 1998 Arizona 23 Nebraska 20
Dec. 29, 1997 Colorado State 35 Missouri 24
Dec. 30, 1996 Colorado 33 Washington 21
Dec. 29, 1995 Kansas State 54 Colorado State 21
Dec. 30, 1994 Michigan 24 Colorado State 14
Dec. 30, 1993 Ohio State 28 BYU 21
Dec. 30, 1992 Hawaii 27 Illinois 17
Dec. 30, 1991 BYU 13 Iowa 13
Dec. 29, 1990 Texas A&M 65 BYU 14
Dec. 29, 1989 Penn State 50 BYU 39
Dec. 30, 1988 Oklahoma State 62 Wyoming 14
Dec. 30, 1987 Iowa 20 Wyoming 19
Dec. 30, 1986 Iowa 39 San Diego St. 38
Dec. 22, 1985 Arkansas 18 Arizona State 17
Dec. 21, 1984 BYU 24 Michigan 17
Dec. 23, 1983 BYU 21 Missouri 17
Dec. 17, 1982 Ohio State 47 BYU 17
Dec. 18, 1981 BYU 38 Washington State 36
Dec. 19, 1980 BYU 46 SMU 45
Dec. 21, 1979 Indiana 38 BYU 37
Dec. 22, 1978 Navy 23 BYU 16

UCLA vs NC State Preview
Why UCLA, NC State Will Win
Holiday Bowl Top Players To Know