Gator Bowl 2018: NC State vs. Texas A&M TV Schedule, Time and Odds
The final college football bowl game to kick off in 2018 features one of the best quarterback battles of the postseason.
NC State's Ryan Finley is one of the quarterbacks in the 2019 NFL draft class set to benefit from Justin Herbert's decision to stay at Oregon.
Texas A&M's Kellen Mond came into his own in Jimbo Fisher's first season as head coach, and he will try to use to Gator Bowl as a stepping stone for his junior season.
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Outside of the signal-callers, there are a few other skill position players worth watching, but one will be noticeably absent, as NC State wide receiver Kelvin Harmon is sitting out the contest in Jacksonville, Florida, to focus on the 2019 NFL draft.
Gator Bowl Information
Date: Monday, December 31
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Odds (via OddsShark): Texas A&M -7; Over/Under: 56
Preview
Texas A&M enters with a worse record than its opponent from the ACC, but the SEC West side is better than its record suggests.
The Aggies deserve to be favored in the Gator Bowl because of how they have played against certain opponents, including their two-point loss to Clemson in Week 2.
Fisher's side eked out overtime victories over Kentucky and LSU in order to end up as one of the better SEC teams that didn't qualify for the New Year's Six.
With a full complement of playmakers available on offense, the Aggies should be in control for the majority of the contest.
It all starts with Mond, who threw for 2,967 yards and 23 touchdowns and added 389 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
Mond's top target is tight end Jace Sternberger, who led the Aggies in receiving with 804 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Sternberger's been especially impressive in his past two games, as he hauled in a pair of touchdowns in wins over UAB and LSU.
If Mond is able to take advantage of Sternberger's size in the middle of the field, the pair could be borderline unstoppable.
When it comes to the Texas A&M rushing attack, Trayveon Williams is one of the best running backs you may not have paid enough attention to.
Williams, a junior, was a workhorse out of the backfield for the Aggies, as he carried the ball 252 times for 1,524 yards and 15 touchdowns.
In his past four contests, Williams averaged 175 yards per game, with his most impressive showing coming against Ole Miss, when he ran for 228 yards.
With the roll Texas A&M's offense is on, it's going to be hard for the Wolfpack to stop everything the Aggies throw at them.
The one area in which Dave Doeren's team can make a difference is defending the run, as it sits 12th in the FBS in rushing defense. The Wolfpack give up 103.1 yards per game on the ground and 3.5 yards per attempt.
However, stopping the run will be a bit more difficult for NC State, with linebacker Germaine Pratt—who is the team's leading tackler—sitting out to focus on the NFL draft.
Pratt's absence puts a bigger burden on players like linebacker Isaiah Moore to shut down the A&M offense.
NC State faces a similar issue on offense, as it will be without Harmon, who is the top receiver on the team with 1,186 yards.
If there's good news to come out of this particular hardship, it's that Finley has another 1,000-yard receiver to rely on in Jakobi Meyers.
How the supporting cast beneath Meyers on the depth chart react to their new roles will determine how successful the Wolfpack are.
Running back Reggie Gallaspy should play an important role in the NC State offense as well, but if he's the only player who finds his groove Monday, NC State is in trouble.
Prediction
Texas A&M 37, NC State 28
There are too many what-ifs surrounding NC State to throw full confidence behind it before the Gator Bowl.
Texas A&M has plenty of reliable options on offense for Mond to work with, which suggests the Aggies should be in front for the majority of the contest.
Finley chips in with a few impressive plays throughout the game, but NC State's offense won't fire on all cylinders like it did during stretches of ACC play.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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