NC State vs. Vanderbilt: Score and Reaction for 2016 Independence Bowl

Jaylen Samuels and a strong defensive effort helped North Carolina State bring home a win in the Camping World Independence Bowl.

The Wolfpack dominated Vanderbilt in all phases of the game, earning a convincing 41-17 victory Monday night.

Samuels was the star for North Carolina State, scoring three touchdowns to go with 104 receiving yards on six catches. The junior did most of his damage after the catch, turning heads throughout the game.

Travis Haney of 247Sports provided his thoughts on the star's play:

The performance put him in some impressive company, per David Hale of ESPN.com:

Quarterback Ryan Finley had a strong showing as well with 235 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

On the other side of the ball, Bradley Chubb and the defensive line put constant pressure on the opposing offense all night long, tallying four sacks in the win.

This matchup led to problems for Vanderbilt's Kyle Shurmur. The quarterback struggled to a 19-of-46 showing with 158 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.

Eric Single of Sports Illustrated mocked the sophomore, who had a rough start to the regular season before closing strong:

Ralph Webb helped keep the Commodores competitive with a strong day on the ground, ending the night with 111 rushing yards and a touchdown. However, it was not enough to keep up on a rough day for the SEC East squad.

Jared Stillman of ESPN Radio provided a harsh realization for the conference:

"

Vanderbilt proving that their late season "success" was more about UT and Ole Miss than it was Vanderbilt.

— Jared Stillman (@JaredStillman) December 27, 2016"

The game started slowly, despite what appeared to be a one-sided performance by North Carolina State. The Wolfpack had a 120-44 yardage advantage in the first quarter but trailed 3-0.

Zac Ellis of Vanderbilt's official website summed up the opening session, which included a fumble and a goal-line stop by Vanderbilt on fourth down:

Adam Sparks of The Tennessean described why the sequence should not have been a surprise:

The Wolfpack finally got on the scoreboard in the second quarter following a Trae Meadows interception. Finley found Samuels for a nine-yard score, helping North Carolina State seize a 7-3 lead.

The connection worked again before the end of the half, this time for a larger gain. Samuels took a screen pass and glided through the defense for a 55-yard touchdown.

While he showcased impressive speed and agility to reach the end zone, Mike Solarte of Time Warner Cable News credited the linemen for creating space on the long gain:

This was all good enough for a 14-3 halftime advantage.

Vanderbilt had a chance to cut into the deficit with possession to start the third quarter, but another Shurmur interception gave N.C. State the ball deep in Commodores territory. The ACC squad responded with another score, this one coming on a five-yard Reggie Gallaspy run.

The Wolfpack added to their lead on the next offensive possession, which again ended with a Samuels touchdown off a screen pass.

Nick Cole of SEC Country discussed the dominant performance from the playmaker:

However, the 28-3 lead wasn't enough to put the game away. There were finally signs of life from the Vanderbilt offense at the end of the third quarter thanks to a big run by Webb.

The SEC Network shared the replay:

The Commodores then cut the deficit to 28-17 after a 71-yard punt return by Kalija Lipscomb set Khari Blasingame up for a one-yard score.

The momentum turned out to be brief when the Wolfpack answered with a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff, as David Brandt of the Associated Press described:

Vanderbilt was never able to recover, and North Carolina State closed out the win on a pick-six on the final play, giving the team a 24-point win.

This was a rough season for the Wolfpack, who lost a handful of winnable games over the course of the year. Fortunately, they were able to improve to 7-6 with a bowl win, finishing with a winning record for the third straight season.

Vanderbilt fell to 6-7, its third year in a row under .500 under head coach Derek Mason. While there are plenty of young players on the roster, the team needs to start turning promise into wins.

Postgame Reaction

Vanderbilt seemed overmatched throughout the game, much to the surprise of the coaching staff.

"We looked a little rusty," Mason said, per Brandt (via Yahoo Sports). "All the way around—special teams, offense and defense. We just didn't look like the Vanderbilt team that came out of the regular season."

On the other sideline, North Carolina State head coach Dave Doeren was proud of his team's effort.

"We were physical and didn't flinch," the coach said, per Pack Pride. "Some things went the other way and we responded. That's how we've been."

Doeren added $50,000 to his yearly salary by closing the regular season with a victory to become bowl-eligible and then winning the game, per Joe Giglio of the News & Observer, so this was a great end to the year for him.

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