NC State was already a 2.5-point underdog according to Vegas entering its bowl game matchup with Kentucky Saturday.

Considering the Wolfpack (8-4, 7-3 ACC) finished the regular season with an 8-3 overall record and the Wildcats (5-6, 4-6 SEC) won just four games, all against teams with losing records, many were perplexed why oddsmakers liked Kentucky.

Vegas always knows.

What wasn’t public knowledge leading up to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl was that the Pack would be without four of its top defensive starters against the SEC opponent.

It was already known that junior safety Tanner Ingle would be out due to an automatic one-game suspension for his third targeting penalty this fall he picked up in the regular-season finale against Georgia Tech.

One hour before kickoff, however, NC State announced that junior nose tackle Alim McNeill, redshirt sophomore linebacker Payton Wilson and sophomore linebacker Drake Thomas would also miss Saturday’s contest.

“I'm proud of the way we fought back in the second half and had multiple chances to get it back and get a lead,” Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren said. “It's one of those games, you lose by two points and there's a lot of plays you think about. We were without a lot of players today. I thought our defense really battled not having Alim, Payton, Drake and Tanner Ingle. The kids that had to play in their place played hard.”

McNeill, who announced his intention to enter the 2021 NFL Draft prior to the regular-season finale, was the highest-graded defender in the country this season among Power Five players with at least 250 snaps according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Wilson was the first NC State player since 2000 to lead the ACC in tackling. He finished the regular season with 108 tackles in 10 contests and also led the league in tackles per game.

Thomas had 58 tackles, the fourth-most on the team, and Ingle provided a veteran presence in the secondary and a hard-hitting run stopper in the backfield.

All four of those players would have been helpful in stopping one of the SEC’s best rushing offenses in Kentucky, but Doeren was encouraged from what he saw from his defense in their absence despite the Pack forfeiting 281 rushing yards to the Wildcats Saturday.

“They were put in some tough situations after turnovers,” Doeren said. “To have short fields and have a fourth-down stop like we did, we did a lot of good things on defense today. Did enough to win.

“Anytime you play a game without Payton Wilson, Drake Thomas, Tanner Ingle and Alim McNeill, those are four really good run defenders, against a really good rushing offense, we were concerned coming into the game about it. Not that we stopped the run, we didn't, but we did enough and kept them off the scoreboard enough to give ourselves a chance.”

On Kentucky’s four red zone trips, the Wolfpack forced the Cats to settle for a field goal three times. NC State also held Kentucky quarterback Terry Wilson to just 99 yards on 12-of-20 passing.

Ultimately, the Pack’s inability to win the turnover margin, which Doeren called “paramount” in his bowl game availability Thursday, fulfilled the head coach’s prophecy. The Wolfpack lost three turnovers and forced zero.

“Offensively, we just turned the ball over three times, we missed two field goals, we had our chances to make that a different game and we didn't,” Doeren said. “You have to give Kentucky credit for that. That was a really hard-fought game and a physical game as I expected it to be.”

Prior to the 2020 season, virtually nobody predicted NC State would win eight games to earn a Gator Bowl berth, let alone play an entire 12-game schedule.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wolfpack defied the odds to earn its third eight-win regular season in four years and a program-record seven conference victories.

The context of the year wasn’t lost by Doeren following a disappointing end to an undoubtedly successful season.

“Proud of the way the kids fought, proud of our season,” Doeren said. “This doesn't make me feel like we didn't have a good season, we did. It was a great experience. I'm appreciative of the opportunity to be down here and really excited that so many of these players are back. It's going to be a great offseason with them."

The bowl game loss Saturday didn't take away the fact that NC State finished tied for fourth in the ACC despite being picked to finish 11th in the preseason media poll. Or the fact that the Pack beat two ranked opponents and came out victorious as the underdog in three of its first four contests this season.

The surprising turnaround after a 2019 season that only produced one conference win was a big reason why Doeren was the close runner-up for the ACC Coach of the Year award in 2020.

“I love these guys. The players, the coaches, the staff. We went through a lot, went through a lot last season. There were a lot of people talking negatively about us and we stuck together. We came back with a growing attitude, we grew a lot together, we learned a lot from each other.

“A lot of guys stepped up this year and stepped into roles where they weren't starters and injuries took place, and guys would step in and just play. Isaac Duffy-Webb is a great example of that. I know Bailey is disappointed in himself, but he had a good season for us.

“I love this football team. I'm excited about the guys that are coming back and there's a lot of positives that we can take from the season.”

The makeup of the Pack’s roster in 2021 has already started to take shape and will become even more clear in the coming weeks. Many of NC State’s starters, particularly on defense, were underclassmen.

McNeill, fifth-year senior tight end Cary Angeline and fifth-year senior offensive guard Joe Sculthorpe have already announced their plans to enter the 2021 NFL Draft. The rest of the seniors will have the option of returning for an additional year of eligibility that was granted by the NCAA earlier this fall.

Now Doeren has the opportunity to reflect on the season as a whole and make adjustments to prepare for what could be another year of growth in 2021. When asked after the bowl game loss if this season was his most challenging to date, Doeren cited that the mental toll was what stood out the most to him.

“The number of things we dealt with that you just have never been through as a coach, trying to make decisions with all the unknowns,” Doeren said. “ We had a lot of really transparent conversations, we made mistakes along the way and learned from them. It was challenging. There were so many times you weren't talking about football, and obviously, that's not what I was hired to do. It was upside down, but I feel like we did a really good job managing it and learned a lot through it.”

NC State struggled to run the ball against the Wildcats Saturday, but most of its damage on the ground was carried out by sophomore running back Zonovan “Bam” Knight.

The Wolfpack netted just 50 rushing yards, but Knight ran for 52 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. He was named NC State’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Most Valuable Player for his efforts.

Knight’s 13-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Pack’s longest run of the game, made it a two-point contest with 4:46 remaining. The Wolfpack forced Kentucky to a three-and-out following Knight’s touchdown and had an opportunity to take its first lead of the afternoon, but it wasn’t in the cards Saturday.

Redshirt junior quarterback Bailey Hockman threw an interception in NC State territory, his third of the game and second in the fourth quarter, with just over three minutes remaining. On the next play, Wildcats running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. broke loose for a 26-yard touchdown that stretched UK’s lead to two possessions late in the contest.

“After the touchdown, the energy just raised,” Knight said. “Everybody was hype on the sideline. Sadly, we couldn't get the onside kick. After that, the momentum kind of changed for us.”

Knight finished the year as the Pack’s leading rusher for the second straight season despite receiving the second-most carries on the team this fall.

The All-ACC honorable mention totaled 788 rushing yards for an average 5.5 yards per carry in 2020 and led the team with nine touchdowns on the ground. He also reeled in 20 receptions for 136 yards.

Knight, who now has two collegiate seasons under his belt, pointed out how different the team’s chemistry was in the 2020 finale compared to over a year ago at the end of the 4-8 2019 campaign.

“Although there was a lot of chippiness on the field, you could tell that on the sideline it was more of a family feeling versus last year, when it was more individuals trying to do their own thing,” Knight said. “On the sideline, people keep each other up and motivate them.”

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