# 2018 Gator Bowl

The 2018 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 31, 2018. It was the 74th edition of the Gator Bowl, and one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. Sponsored by the financial technology company TaxSlayer, the game was officially known as the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, after four seasons without "Gator" in the bowl name.

## Teams

The game featured the NC State Wolfpack from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Texas A&M Aggies from the Southeastern Conference (SEC); the teams had never played each other. This was Texas A&M's second Gator Bowl and NC State's fourth.

### NC State Wolfpack

NC State received and accepted a bid to the Gator Bowl on December 2. The Wolfpack entered the bowl with a 9–3 record (5–3 in conference).

### Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M received and accepted a bid to the Gator Bowl on December 2. The Aggies entered the bowl with an 8–4 record (5–3 in conference).

## Game summary

After holding a 21–13 lead at halftime, Texas A&M outscored NC State 31–0 in the second half, for a 52–13 final. Aggie running back Trayveon Williams set a new Gator Bowl rushing record with 236 yards, breaking the prior record of 216 that had been set in the 1966 edition by Floyd Little. The game's attendance of 38,206 was the smallest since the 1950s.

### Scoring summary

Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NCSU | A&M |
| 1 | 14:41 | 2 | 71 | 0:26 | A&M | Kellen Mond 62-yard touchdown run, Seth Small kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | 2:21 | 12 | 71 | 5:53 | NCSU | 43-yard field goal by Christopher Dunn | 3 | 7 |
| 2 | 14:56 | 5 | 27 | 1:35 | NCSU | CJ Riley 9-yard touchdown reception from Ryan Finley, Christopher Dunn kick good | 10 | 7 |
| 2 | 10:45 | 7 | 35 | 2:17 | NCSU | 49-yard field goal by Christopher Dunn | 13 | 7 |
| 2 | 6:43 | 4 | 60 | 0:50 | A&M | Trayveon Williams 2-yard touchdown run, Seth Small kick good | 13 | 14 |
| 2 | 0:32 | 11 | 72 | 5:15 | A&M | Kendrick Rogers 6-yard touchdown reception from Kellen Mond, Seth Small kick good | 13 | 21 |
| 3 | 11:18 | | | | A&M | Interception returned 78 yards for touchdown by Tyrel Dodson, Seth Small kick good | 13 | 28 |
| 3 | 5:44 | 5 | 82 | 2:30 | A&M | Trayveon Williams 17-yard touchdown run, Seth Small kick good | 13 | 35 |
| 4 | 13:56 | 1 | 93 | 0:13 | A&M | Trayveon Williams 93-yard touchdown run, Seth Small kick good | 13 | 42 |
| 4 | 6:17 | 6 | 38 | 3:14 | A&M | 35-yard field goal by Seth Small | 13 | 45 |
| 4 | 0:22 | 6 | 34 | 3:30 | A&M | Cullen Gillaspia 13-yard touchdown run, Daniel LaCamera kick good | 13 | 52 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 13 | 52 |

### Statistics

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wolfpack | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| No. 19 Aggies | 7 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 52 |
| Statistics | NCSU | A&M |
| First downs | 15 | 18 |
| Plays–yards | 69–273 | 60–541 |
| Rushes–yards | 37–134 | 34–401 |
| Passing yards | 139 | 140 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 19–32–2 | 14–26–1 |
| Time of possession | 32:57 | 27:03 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| NC State | Passing | Ryan Finley | 19/32, 139 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| NC State | Rushing | Reggie Gallaspy | 14 car, 79 yds |
| NC State | Receiving | Emeka Emezie | 6 rec, 36 yds |
| Texas A&M | Passing | Kellen Mond | 14/26, 140 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Texas A&M | Rushing | Trayveon Williams | 19 car, 236 yds, 3 TD |
| Texas A&M | Receiving | Kendrick Rogers | 6 rec, 44 yds, 1 TD |