Anchors Aweigh

Backup quarterback Zach Abey scored five touchdowns and Navy rolled up a Military Bowl record 452 yards rushing as the Midshipmen crushed Virginia, 49-7, in a surprisingly lopsided contest.

Belk Bowl

Texas A&M (7-5) vs. Wake Forest (7-5), Noon, ESPN (Cox 29/HD 720, Dish 140, DirecTV 206, U-Verse 602/1602)

Where: Charlotte, North Carolina

Line: Wake Forest by 2 ½ Series Record: First meeting.

WHAT’S AT STAKE? The Demon Deacons look to earn their second straight bowl win. Texas A&M will start a new era next season under new coach Jimbo Fisher. In the meantime, interim coach Jeff Banks will coach the team after Kevin Sumlin was fired on Nov. 26 after six seasons at the helm. Sumlin, the former offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, was 51-26 as head coach at Texas A&M. KEY MATCHUP

Texas A&M De Landis Durham vs. Wake Forest offensive line: The Aggies were tied for third in the nation with 40 sacks, led by Durham’s 8 ½. The Demon Deacons offensive line is not overly big, but has done a solid job this season allowing just 17 sacks. PLAYERS TO WATCH

Texas A&M WR/PR Christian Kirk: He is the Aggies’ Mr. Everything. The firstteam All-SEC junior ranks as the NCAA’s active leader in punt return average (18.6 avg) and recently became the first wide receiver in school history to surpass the 4,000-yard plateau in all-purpose yardage. Kirk leads the Aggies in receptions (58), yards receiving (730) and TD catches (7).

Wake Forest QB John Wolford: The second-team All-ACC selection is the only Wake Forest QB to start four season openers. He led the conference in passing efficiency with a 157.5 rating this season. He ranked third in the ACC in total offense at 309.7 yards per game and is sixth in yards passing per game at 253.8.

Sun Bowl

No. 24 N.C. State (8-4) vs. Arizona State (7-5), 2 p.m., CBS (Cox 10/HD 709, Dish 9, DirecTV 9, U-verse 9/1009) Where: El Paso, Texas Line: N.C. State by 7. Series Record: Tied 1-1. WHAT’S AT STAKE?

N.C. State seeks its ninth win, the second-best total in school history, in its fourth straight bowl trip under Dave Doeren, who has six postseason trips in seven seasons as a head coach. Arizona State wants to send coach Todd Graham out on a winning note after he was replaced by former NFL coach Herm Edwards. Graham, the former head coach at Tulsa, was fired by the Sun Devils on Nov. 26.

KEY MATCHUP

Arizona State has one of the nation’s best offenses inside the 20 and is facing perhaps the most experienced defense in the FBS with eight seniors. That’s not counting N.C. State DE Bradley Chubb, who is expected to skip the game because he is a projected top 10 pick in the NFL draft. ASU running backs Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage have combined for 1,634 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

N.C. State: Junior Ryan Finley is second to Philip Rivers in school history with a 62.3 percent completion percentage. He’s also the first since Rivers in 2003 to open the season with consecutive 300-yard passing games.

Arizona State: Richard needs 23 yards to become the first ASU running back with multiple 1,000-yard seasons since Freddie Williams in 1974-75, when the Sun Devils were still playing in El Paso regularly as members of the Western Athletic Conference.

Music City Bowl

No. 21 Northwestern (9-3) vs. Kentucky (7-5), 3:30 p.m., ESPN

Where: Nashville, Tennessee

Line: Northwestern by 7 ½ Series Record: Northwestern leads 1-0.

WHAT’S AT STAKE? Northwestern can win back-to-back bowl games in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history. Kentucky can win an eighth game in a season for the first time since 2007. A win also would give the Wildcats a winning bowl record as a program.

KEY MATCHUP

Kentucky RB Benny Snell Jr. against the Northwestern defense. Snell ranked second in the Southeastern Conference with 1,318 yards rushing and led the SEC with 18 rushing touchdowns. Northwestern ranks 10th nationally allowing 111.3 yards rushing per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH Northwestern: RB Justin Jackson. The senior ran for 1,154 yards and nine touchdowns, and he holds school records for rushing yards, touchdowns and allpurpose yards.

Kentucky: QB Stephen Johnson. The senior has taken very good care of the ball with only four interceptions all season. Johnson has thrown for 2,048 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Cotton Bowl

No. 8 Southern California (11-2) vs. No. 5 Ohio State (11-2), 7:30 p.m., ESPN Where: Arlington, Texas Line: Ohio State by 7 ½. Series Record: USC leads 13-9-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE? Playoff-snubbed Ohio State takes on USC in a throwback to Rose Bowls past. This is the eighth postseason meeting between the Buckeyes and Trojans and the first seven were all in the Rose Bowl, the last one 33 years ago. The Big Ten champion Buckeyes haven’t lost more than two games in any of their six seasons under coach Urban Meyer. Pac-12 champion USC is trying to reach 12 wins for the first time since 2008.

KEY MATCHUP All-America center

Billy Price and Ohio State offensive line vs. USC front seven. The Buckeyes have allowed only 19 sacks, with one or none in six of the last eight games. The Trojans, with their 5-2 scheme, have 43 sacks. Four USC players have at least six sacks, led by All-Pac-12 defensive end Rasheem Green’s nine.

PLAYERS TO WATCH Southern California: Third-year sophomore and top NFL prospect QB Sam Darnold could be playing his last game for the Trojans. In his two seasons at USC, he already has a Rose Bowl title and has thrown for 6,873 yards with 57 TDs and 21 interceptions. He has 17 TDs and four interceptions in the last eight games.

Ohio State: Freshman RB J.K. Dobbins has rushed for 1,364 yards and seven TDs. The La Grange, Texas native had 174 yards rushing in the Big Ten title game, his sixth 100-yard game this season.