The 2008 PapaJohns.com Bowl was the third edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game was played starting at 2 p.m. US CST on Monday, December 29, 2008. The game, telecast on ESPN, pitted the Rutgers Scarlet Knights against the North Carolina State Wolfpack.
The game marked the first ever meeting of the two universities' football programs.Kansas City Star NC State led 17–6 at halftime, but crumbled in the second half after losing starting quarterback Russell Wilson to a knee injury. Rutgers won, 29–23.
This was also the first edition of the bowl game not to feature any current or former members of Conference USA. The selection of NC State did have a connection to past bowl games in Birmingham as the Wolfpack had competed in the last All-American Bowl, which was also held at Legion Field in 1990.
Scoring summary Scoring Play Score 1st QuarterRutgers - Rob Cervini 6-yard TD run (kick blocked), 11:47Rutgers 6–0NCSU - Owen Spencer 44-yard TD pass from Russell Wilson (Josh Czajkowski kick), 7:54NCSU 7–6NCSU - Czajkowski 32-yard FG, 1:00NCSU 10–6 2nd QuarterNCSU - Andre Brown 5-yard TD run (Czajkowski kick), :38NCSU 17–6 3rd QuarterRutgers - San San Te 31-yard FG, 10:14NCSU 17–9Rutgers - Tiquan Underwood 10-yard TD pass from Mike Teel (Te kick), 6:50NCSU 17–16 4th QuarterRutgers - Te 28-yard FG, 13:31Rutgers 19–17 NCSU - Anthony Hill 16-yard TD pass from Daniel Evans (two-point conversion no good), 9:21NCSU 23–19Rutgers - Kenny Britt 42-yard TD pass from Teel (Te kick), 8:30Rutgers 26–23 Rutgers - Te 24-yard FG, :47Rutgers 29–23
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