Yahoo’s Forde Picks NC State to Win Sun Bowl

Yahoo’s Pat Forde released his “Forde-Yard Dash: Bowl Edition” today, where he breaks down 40 bowl games, why you should watch each one, and who he thinks will win.

Forde thinks that NC State will not only cover the 6.5 point spread, but beat Arizona St. 38-14.

HYUNDAI SUN BOWL (28)

Who: North Carolina State (8-4) vs. Arizona State (7-5)
When: Dec. 29, 3 p.m.
Where: El Paso, Texas
Why Watch: On the off chance Herm Edwards is in attendance and does an on-camera interview. And to see Wolfpack pass rusher Bradley Chubb once more before he becomes a top-10 NFL pick. And because it’s the Sun Bowl, which has been plugging along since 1935.
Best Sun Bowl Ever: It most certainly was not Oregon State 3, Pittsburgh 0, in 2008. Let’s go with West Texas State 14, Cincinnati 13, in 1951. Because we can. The Buffaloes scored the winning points on a 62-yard fake-punt pass.
Absentee Coach Factor: Todd Graham is out at ASU.
Dash Pick: N.C. State 38, Arizona State 24. The Wolfpack have more than enough weapons to take advantage of a Sun Devils defense that ranks 110th nationally in yards allowed per play (6.30).
Conference Scorecard: ACC 6-1, Pac-12 3-4. (Yahoo)