BOWL PREVIEW Tangerine Bowl

Where: Orlando, Fla.
Who: N.C. State (7-5) vs. Kansas (6-6).
When: 5:30 p.m. Monday.
TV: ESPN.
Coaches: Chuck Amato (33-17 in fourth year at N.C. State) and Mark Mangino (8-16 in second year at Kansas).
Payout: Each school receives $750,000.
Bowl records: N.C. State is 10-10-1. Kansas is 3-5.
Last bowl appearance: N.C. State beat Notre Dame, 28-6, in last year's Gator Bowl. Kansas beat UCLA, 51-30, in 1995 Aloha Bowl.
Series history: N.C. State leads, 1-0.
Last meeting: N.C. State won, 31-18, in 1973 Liberty Bowl.
Last game: N.C. State lost at home to Maryland, 26-24, on Nov. 22. Kansas beat Iowa State, 36-7, on Nov. 22.
Stat that matters: When QB Bill Whittemore started and finished game, Jayhawks went 6-2 and averaged 36.8 points per game. When he didn't, KU was 0-4 and averaged 15.7 points.
Game facts: Preseason top 15 choice by many, disappointing Wolfpack may have questionable motivation here. QB Philip Rivers (second in nation in QB rating, 4,016 passing, 29 TDs, 7 ints. in 438 passes) need 55 total yards to set new ACC total offense mark). His sore knee now improved, RB T.A. McLendon (536 rushing, 8 TDs, 33 catches) could have field day vs. porous Jayhawks run defense (98th in nation vs. run, 196.6). But erratic Wolfpack defense (gave up 76 points in last 2 losses) may also have difficulty with gritty Whittemore (2nd in Big 12 with 2,592 total offense, 16 TD passes, 7 TD runs, 4 ints. in 222 passes), now healthy after breaking collarbone. Defense got pushed around (gave up 162 points in 1-4 finish) and nearly cost KU bowl bid. Return of DT Travis Watson from foot problem will help.
-- Scripps Howard News Service