Bowl notes: Pack's Irving touts adidas

ORLANDO – N.C. State senior linebacker Nate Irving ended his career with a little trash talk.

The Wolfpack defeated No. 22-ranked West Virginia 23-7 in the Champs Sports Bowl. Given an opportunity to speak on the podium after the game in front of N.C. State’s fans, Irving talked about the team’s jerseys.

That’s right, the jerseys.

“I don’t think that’s bad for a school that’s sponsored by adidas,” he said, smiling.

The comment was a response to a comment one of West Virginia’s players made Monday. After an N.C. State performance at a talent show at the bowl luncheon, a West Virginia player remarked that it was a good effort for somebody from a team that wears adidas jerseys.

West Virginia wears Nike attire, and N.C. State’s players apparently took exception to the jab at their garb.

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The fake field goal that N.C. State botched in the first half was similar to one Boston College and coach Tom O’Brien used in a defeat of North Carolina in the 2004 Continental Tire Bowl.

In that game, holder Matt Ryan delivered the ball to Ryan Ohliger for a 21-yard touchdown run for the Eagles. On Tuesday, holder Corey Tedder tried to flip the ball over his shoulder toward Josh Czajkowski.

Although Czajkowski was open for a big gain, the ball never got to him. Czajkowski said N.C. State didn’t watch film of the Ohliger play, but said he was open for a big gain on the botched play Tuesday.

“It was open, and we’d worked on it,” Czajkowski said. “. . .I saw open grass and said, ‘Oh.’ ”

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Tuesday’s win was Tom O’Brien’s 100th as a head coach.

He is 100-70 overall in his 14-year career, including 25-25 in four seasons at N.C. State.

O’Brien has taken 10 of his 14 teams to bowl games and has won seven of his last eight bowl games.

Ken Tysiac