TODAY’S BOWL GAMES
Belk WAKE FOREST (7-5) vs. TEXAS A&M (7-5)
at Charlotte, N.C., 10 a.m., ESPN John Wolford, Wake Forest’s dual-threat quarterback, is the Demon Deacons’ career leader with 60 touchdowns. This season, he passed for 2,792 yards with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions, and added 615 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing. Kevin Sumlin was fired as Texas A&M’s head coach Nov. 26 and Jimbo Fisher was hired to take his place Dec. 4, but interim coach Jeff Banks will be calling the shots as the Aggies look to finish at 8-5 for the fourth straight season.
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NO. 24 NORTH CAROLINA STATE (8-4) vs. ARIZONA STATE (7-5)
at El Paso, Noon, Channel 2 Recently fired Arizona State coach Todd Graham will guide the Sun Devils one last time before Herm Edwards takes over the program. North Carolina State’s Ryan Finley has passed for 3,200 yards and 17 touchdowns with five interceptions. Arizona State’s Manny Wilkins has passed for 2,918 yards and 17 touchdowns with five interceptions. Arizona State senior running back Demario Richard needs 23 yards rushing to top the 1,000-yard mark for the second time in his career.
Music City KENTUCKY (7-5) vs. NO. 21 NORTHWESTERN (9-3)
at Nashville, 1:30 p.m., ESPN Kentucky sophomore Benny Snell set school records with 18 rushing touchdowns in a season and 31 in a career. He accumulated 1,318 yards this season but will face the country’s 10th-best run defense (111.3 yards per game). Northwestern running back Justin Jackson (1,154 yards, nine touchdowns) might have an easier time against a Kentucky run defense that allows 162.2 yards a game. Coach Pat Fitzgerald is going for his third 10-win season in 12 years with Northwestern; a victory will give Mark Stoops his first eight-win season as coach at Kentucky.
Arizona UTAH STATE (6-6) vs. NEW MEXICO STATE (6-6)
at Tucson, 2:30 p.m., CBSSN New Mexico State faced the same opponent last time it played in a bowl game — 57 years ago. That was the 1960 Sun Bowl, and New Mexico State emerged as a 20-13 winner to complete an 11-0 season. This time around, coach Doug Martin’s team needs a victory to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2002. His quarterback, Tyler Rogers, averages 347.7 yards per game, second-best in the nation. But Utah State is tough against the pass, holding opponents to an average of 181.8 yards per game.
Cotton NO. 8 USC (11-2) vs. NO. 5 OHIO STATE (11-2)
at Arlington, Texas, 5:30 p.m., ESPN USC’s Ronald Jones II is fifth on the Trojans’ career rushing list with 3,555 yards. He needs 135 to pass Ricky Bell and 169 to pass Anthony Davis. Ohio State is stingy against the run, giving up an average of only 108.8 yards a game. Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins set a team record for yards rushing by a freshman (1,364).