TODAY’S GAME

TANGERINE BOWL

North Carolina State (7-5) vs. Kansas (6-6), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) -- Although fans from the schools don’t appear to be enthusiastic about this game, it should provide good theater. Quarterback Philip Rivers gets the headlines for the Wolfpack, but the key player is running back T.A. McClendon, who sat out five games and parts of others because of injuries. With McClendon in the lineup, the pressure will be off Rivers. Kansas is 98th defending the run, so expect McClendon to have a banner game. The Jayhawks exceeded expectations behind Bill Whittemore, who set a school record for completion percentage (62.6%). He also is Kansas’ No. 3 rusher (450 yards). The Jayhawks will run a dizzying number of formations. Expect to see plenty of empty seats. Of 24,500 tickets allotted to the schools, only 7,000 were sold through Saturday.

-- Jay Christensen