Bulldogs to Belk: MSU reaches sixth straight bowl
By Logan Lowery
Daily Journal
STARKVILLE, MS
Mississippi State is bound for the Belk Bowl.
The Bulldogs will make their sixth-straight bowl appearance against N.C. State at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 30 in Charlotte, televised by ESPN.
“On behalf of everyone at Mississippi State, we are excited to accept our sixth-straight bowl bid, this time to the 2015 Belk Bowl,” said MSU director of athletics Scott Stricklin. “It’s appropriate that one of the winningest senior classes in Bulldog history will wrap up their MSU careers in one of America’s great cities, against a quality ACC opponent in NC State.”
It will be MSU’s first appearance in the Belk Bowl and 19th bowl game overall. The Bulldogs own a 10-8 record in bowl games and are 3-2 under coach Dan Mullen.
“This is a great opportunity for our team and our fans to cap off the 2015 season at the Belk Bowl in Charlotte for the first time,” Mullen said. “This senior class is the second-winningest in school history and they have been to a bowl game every year. We want to send them out the right way for everything they have done for our program.
“We look forward to seeing our Bulldog fans take over Charlotte in what will be a fun week.”
With the bowl bid, Mullen ties Jackie Sherrill in leading Mississippi State to six bowl games.
The Bulldogs qualified for the postseason with an 8-4 record which included a 4-4 mark in conference play.
N.C. State is coming off a 7-5 campaign and had a 3-5 record in ACC action. The Wolfpack are led by senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett, a Florida transfer that threw for 2,448 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions.
It will be the sixth time the two programs have met, with the Wolfpack owning a 3-2 edge in the series. N.C. State won the previous meeting 28-24 in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta to conclude the 1994 season. They also met in the 1963 Liberty Bowl in Philadelphia, which was won by the Bulldogs 16-12.
Mississippi State has a home-and-home series with the Wolfpack scheduled for the 2020-21 seasons.
Former Bulldog commitment Tyler Jones is a redshirt freshman offensive tackle for N.C. State, appearing in 10 games with five starts this season.
MSU will get an allotment of 8,000 tickets available in the lower level. Cowbells will be permitted inside Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.