If it wasn’t for Michigan State’s defense this season they wouldn’t be bowling because the offense has been atrocious. The Spartans were on the brink of missing out on a bowl for the second time under Dantonio until a late season surge got them to the break-even point. A five-game losing streak where the Spartans scored only 61 points nearly doomed them. And more than half of those points came in 37-34 loss to Illinois. In the other four outings Sparty scored 27 points. Following a 44-10 loss at rival Michigan, the Spartans needed wins in their final two matchups. It’s a good thing they had bottom feeders Rutgers and Maryland on the schedule. MSU won those games against teams that finished with a combined overall record of 5-19.
The Spartans rank 18th nationally in total defense allowing 320.1 yards per game and they’ve been good against the run yielding 109.5 yards per outing. They will face an offense that tore up the ACC through the first eight weeks before faltering down the stretch. Still, Sparty needs a spark from Brian Lewerke and the offense to avoid a disaster like they had at last year’s Redbox Bowl. The defense shut down Justin Herbert and Oregon’s offense, but the Spartans failed to score a touchdown in the 7-6 setback. It was MSU second bowl defeat in their last three trips.
Boasting an explosive offense Wake darted out to a 7-1 record and entertained thoughts of winning the ACC Atlantic. That was until a loss at Virginia Tech and a 52-3 beatdown in Clemson. The Deacs won just one of their final four games with a loss at Syracuse putting a cap on an 8-4 regular season. Still, Wake can finish with nine wins for the first time since 2007 and capture a fourth straight bowl victory. Weather conditions are expected to be less than favorable which could influence Wake’s up-tempo approach.
The loss of leading receiver Sage Surratt impacted the offense late in the season, as did ailments to quarterback Jamie Newman. Surratt is done for the year and Newman, who passed for 2,693 yards and 23 touchdowns, is questionable with a leg injury. The pair helped Wake boast the 12th ranked offense with 473.4 yards per contest, and the 18th best pass attack with nearly 300 yards per game. The Deacs also scored 32.8 points per outing. Surratt missed the last three games and still leads the team with 1,001 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. The Deacs went into a tailspin defensively allowing 38.5 points over the final four games, an increase of 13 points per game over their first eight outings.