One of the best things about bowl games is that you can concentrate on individual teams and players that may normally not be on television. That’s the case today in the Music City Bowl between Mississippi State and Wake Forest (6:40 p.m., ESPN). The Bulldogs have been on national television on a few occasions, but the Demon Deacons have largely been relegated to the ACC Network.
Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest: Music City Bowl NFL Draft watch notes
If you haven’t caught much Wake Forest, like most of us, you’ve missed out on wide receiver Chris Givens. According to Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger, Givens received a second- or third-round grade from the NFL Draft advisory committee. Givens had a good season with 74 catches for 1,276 yards and 9 touchdowns. Givens had his best game of the year on Nov. 19 against Maryland. In that game he had 8 catches for 191 yards and a touchdown.
The majority of the prospects in this game are on the Mississippi State side of the ball. Junior defensive tackle Fletcher Cox is expected to enter the 2012 draft and looks the part of a 3-4 end. He can get upright in his stance when he's working straight ahead, but is naturally strong enough to hold his spot and get penetration.
Also expected to go pro early is Bulldogs cornerback Johnathan Banks. He has enticing size at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds. He can do just about everything asked of a cornerback and should wind up being taken in the first 75 picks for the draft.
Senior running back Vick Ballard began the season to much acclaim after rushing for 301 yards in his first two games. He's a strong running back who has shown a nice burst to hit the seam.
Download the bowl watch list, put together by 3k here.
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