TANGERINE BOWL PREVIEW
N.C. State vs. Pittsburgh
Thursday, Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

While N.C. State had a solid year from start to finish, the same can't be said of the Panthers, who needed a late flurry to earn a trip to the Visit Florida Tangerine Bowl.

	N.C. State QB Philip Rivers had a strong year.

In fact, the Panthers were basically off the radar screen early on, qualifying as one of the more disappointing teams in the country after beginning the campaign with a 1-5 record. At that point, Pittsburgh's only victory was in the season opener against East Tennessee State.

But coach Walt Harris and his staff were able to rally the troops and turn the season around. The Panthers won five straight games, highlighted by a dominating 38-7 upset victory over Virginia Tech in early November.

PITTSBURGH BREAKDOWN (6-5, 4-3 Big East)
The Panthers struggled on both sides of the ball during their five-game losing streak. Offensively, star wideout Antonio Bryant was hampered by an ankle injury and QB David Priestley lacked consistency throwing the ball.

Keyed by the rushing exploits of freshmen Raymond Kirkley and Marcus Furman and the improved play of Priestley and Bryant, Walt Harris' offense was really clicking late in the season, with the Panthers averaging 32 points per game over the last five weeks. Priestley, who struggled early, upgraded his play as the season went along and wound up completing 59 percent of his passes (plus 18 TD tosses with eight interceptions).

Besides Bryant, the Panthers have another reliable weapon in senior wideout R.J. English, who could end up being a solid mid-to-late round choice in April's NFL draft. But Bryant may not start vs. N.C. State. He's been limited some in practices leading up to the Tangerine Bowl due to the ankle injury.

Defensively, senior DE Bryant Knight had a good (not great) year, leading the D with 18 tackles for loss. Knight can be a force off the edge, and the Wolfpack will have to account for him on every snap. Junior LB Gerald Hayes is outstanding (100 tackles, 14 behind the line of scrimmage, seven sacks). Junior safety Ramon Walker is one of the hardest-hitting DBs in the country. Sophomore CB Shawntae Spencer has the desired height (6-1½) and strong cover skills.

N.C. STATE BREAKDOWN (8-4, 4-4 ACC)
The Wolfpack overcame the loss of standout WR Koren Robinson to the NFL, benefiting from the leadership of sophomore QB Philip Rivers. Despite his unorthodox delivery, Rivers has been effective, completing 63.7 percent of his passes. While senior tailback Ray Robinson averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, he qualifies as one of the top all-purpose backs in the country.

Ray Robinson was the Wolfpack's second-leading receiver with 44 catches. Junior wideout Bryan Peterson paced the offense with 45 catches, sophomore Jericho Cotchery made his share of key receptions and freshman Sterling Hick also showed promise. But a vital target for Rivers is senior TE Willie Wright (6-4, 240 pounds). The sure-handed Wright ended his career in Raleigh with more receptions than any other tight end in school history.

For a change of pace, versatile senior Olin Hannum is inserted at QB to provide an option look. Hannum can also line up at receiver and made his mark as a top-notch special teams performer.

And remember, Rivers went down in the third quarter of the regular-season finale against Ohio with a broken big toe on his left foot. Late word is that he has been practicing and will be ready to go as the starter against Pittsburgh.

Spearheading the Wolfpack defense is blue-chip senior LB Levar Fisher, underrated junior LB Dantonio Burnette and junior FS Terrence Holt. Fisher led the way with 135 stops, while Burnette finished with 99 (including an amazing 24-tackle effort against Clemson). Holt had 95 stops, while proving during his career to be a master at blocking kicks.

BOWL OVERVIEW
What jumps out at me with this matchup is the fact that both teams were playing their best football later in the season. I documented the Panthers and their late surge, while N.C. State also closed things out with a rush. Over the final five weeks of the season, the Wolfpack pitched a shutout against Virginia, shocked Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium and nearly edged out Orange Bowl-bound Maryland in what proved to be one of the most exciting games of the year.

While N.C. State has an edge at QB with Rivers, we'll have to see how well he's able to perform coming off the broken toe on his left foot. And remember, during the Panthers' five-game winning streak to close out the season, Priestley became a much more effective passer. The key for the Panthers now becomes the physical status of Bryant; at full strength, he can take over a game.

Defensively, the Panthers limited opponents over the last five weeks of the season to just over seven points per game. But slowing down Rivers, Robinson and company will be a tall order. Prior to the dramatic turnaround, the Panthers had allowed an average of 31 points per game in the first six weeks of the season. The Wolfpack also lacked consistency on the defensive side, holding Indiana and Wake Forest to 14 points and shutting out Virginia, but allowing 45 to Clemson and 31 to Duke.