GAMEDAY: Sun Bowl Notebook
To Chubb or Not to Chubb, That is the Question
Will Bradley Chubb take the field at the Sun Bowl?
It seems unlikely at this point that the senior will play or go extended minutes if he does. On the depth chart he is listed at starter but both James Smith-Williams and Tyrone Riley are also listed as backups. No other defensive starting player has two reserves listed behind him.
The answer to whether or not Chubb will play will have to wait until opening kickoff.
We are not going to talk about it," NC State head coach Dave Doeren said. "The whole focus of the bowl season was for the team to be able to benefit from all the work that they have done. Bradley made it clear he wanted to come down here with his teammates and enjoy their company and be a part of the bowl experience and not make it about him."
The senior did make the trip and his presence with the team has been felt with teammates and beyond.
"It is just who he is," Doeren said. "We are at the children's hospital and he is the first guy in every room. That is Bradley. He is such a great teammate. As big as he has become nationally, he is still just a guy that loves being around his brothers, the coaches and the program. He is a great ambassador."
State of Bliss
A trip to a bowl game means more than just postseason play. It is also a chance for the team to enjoy the local sites and embrace the fun activities that each inevitably are offered on the journey.
Nyheim Hines, a Garner-native and life-long NC State fan, embraces the trips to host sites for what they have to offer. He is pleased with what he has found in El Paso.
"I like it," Hines said of The Sun City. "I didn't know what to expect when I got here. The welcoming was great."
"The Mexican and Spanish food has been great down here," Hines added. "I've loved it. Hopefully it does not slow us down because I have been eating a lot of it."
One of the events the football team got to participate in was a trip to Fort Bliss.
With NC State, the Sun Bowl officials will have a team uniquely qualified to embrace a visit to a military base, as North Carolina is a armed forces-friendly state. Hines was eager to take in the sights at Fort Bliss and hopeful that he would get to participate in one particular exercise.
"I have a lot of family members in the Army and the military," Hines said. "I am really excited. I'm hoping they let us shoot a couple of guns at the range. I don't know if they will let us, but I am going to try to shoot one or two."
Hines has amazing skills on the football field and the Wolfpack has been a winning program during his time at NC State. It has led to him and his teammates to places and experiences that they will not soon forget. In fact, it is unlikely most even knew how much fun a place like El Paso could be.
"I don't think other than football I'd ever come here," Hines said. "It's really exciting. I am excited I came here, and last year in Shreveport. Football and sports are a lot of the reasons why you learn new experiences. That is the best part about bowl games."
Familiar Finley
It is not often that a Phoenix-native plays football at NC State. It is not often the Wolfpack takes on Arizona State on the gridiron.
The 2017 Hyundai Sun Bowl is where the unlikely becomes reality.
Ryan Finley will get to face the university he grew up near when NC State squares off with Arizona State for only the third time in program history. The Sun Devils have a good idea what they are going up against.
"I recruited him," Arizona State head coach Todd Graham said. "His high school coach works on my staff as the recruiting coordinator. Ryan was a young man that, going into this game and watching him, I wish we had recruited him a little bit harder. We recruited him. A great young man. Great character.
"He is a winner. I think he will have a great NFL career ahead of him. To have a winning team and to be successful you have to have a championship quarterback and he has been that for them."
Finley transferred to NC State from Boise State prior to the 2016 campaign.
Eli Drinkwitz was likely a big reason why Finley made the cross-country trip as he was hired as the Wolfpack's offensive coordinator after the 2015 season. He has paired with Finley for two seasons at NC State and the redshirt junior, who is currently in graduate school, has tossed for over 6,200 yards with the Pack.
Drinkwitz has Graham's attention too.
"I have been so impressed with Eli Drinkwitz," Graham said. "He is a rising star in the business. His innovation and his genuine approach to offense is unique and something that has been a challenge for us to prepare for. He is a very good offensive coordinator."