Just about everything that could go wrong for NC State in the Gator Bowl did go wrong, and after a completely listless first half, the Wolfpack could not make enough plays to rally back from its 13-point halftime deficit to Kentucky.
It was the result that NC State deserved after a sloppy effort characterized by bad penalties and poor execution. The offense was off-kilter from the start, as Bailey Hockman struggled to find any sort of rhythm. And with the ground game not amounting to much, NC State needed Hockman to play well. Instead, he turned in one of his worst performances of the season, one that included a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions that helped derail the comeback effort.