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Here's how the Commodores and Wolfpack matchup on paper (source: statmilk.com):
| Category | VAN | NC St. | VU Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Offense, Rank | 71st | 51st | -20.0 |
| Total Offense, Yards/Game | 393 | 421 | -28.3 |
| Scoring Offense, Rank | 63rd | 72nd | +09.0 |
| Scoring Offense, Points/Game | 29 | 28 | +00.9 |
| Rushing Offense, Rank | 55th | 109th | +54.0 |
| Rushing Offense, Yards/Game | 171 | 117 | +54.5 |
| Passing Offense, Rank | 71st | 20th | –51.0 |
| Passing Offense, Yards/Game | 221 | 304 | –82.8 |
| Total Defense, Rank | 17th | 81st | +64.0 |
| Total Defense, Yards/Game | 326 | 420 | +93.2 |
| Scoring Defense, Rank | 15th | 46th | +31.0 |
| Scoring Defense, Points/Game | 18 | 25 | +06.3 |
| Rushing Defense, Rank | 51st | 60th | +09.0 |
| Rushing Defense, Yards/Game | 151 | 158 | +07.3 |
| Passing Defense, Rank | 10th | 98th | +88.0 |
| Passing Defese, Yards/Game | 176 | 262 | +85.9 |
| Turnover Differential | - 5 | - 4 | –01.0 |
Of course, Vanderbilt and North Carolina State didn't exactly play the same schedule, so it's hard to just rely on unadjusted performance. With that in mind, here's how the Commodores and Wolfpack stack up in the various rankings that comprise the BCS (source: cbssports.com):
| Measure | VAN | NC St. | VU Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| BCS | 26 | 63 | +07 |
| Harris Votes | 76 | 00 | +76 |
| Coaches Votes | 75 | 00 | +75 |
| Sagarin | 29 | 71 | +42 |
| Colley | 27 | 61 | +34 |
| Anderson-Hester | 25 | 62 | +37 |
| Billingsley | 50 | 58 | +08 |
| Massey | 17 | 65 | +48 |
| Wolfe | 23 | 60 | +37 |