CFB Bowl Preview 2025: Duke's Mayo Bowl
By Rory Daniels
Bowl season is in full swing, and we will be previewing some of the bigger matchups over the next couple of weeks. This year’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl will be contested between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Rory-Joe Daniels takes a look at the key matchups.
Where and When
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Date: Friday, January 2
Time: 8.00pm EST / 1.00am GMT
Story So Far...
Wake Forest were one of the teams to benefit indirectly from the breakup of the Pac-12. They were able to steal away Cougars’ Head Coach Jake Dickert, and his presence was immediately felt for the Demon Deacons. After two losing seasons, Wake Forest were able to bounce back with an 8-4 record, even if their conference showing of 4-4 left something to be desired. A close loss to a strong Georgia Tech team and a sound defeat at the hands of Florida State proved costly. Dickert stiffened the defense and the Deacons’ running game, led by star back Demond Claiborne, was a standout, even though they will need to do without him as he heads to the draft.
After a lot of upheaval following the tragic loss of Head Coach Mike Leach, 2025 felt like a year where the Bulldogs finally found their feet under new leadership. Jeff Lebby managed to improve on last year’s 2-10 record by going 5-7. Within that record was a 2-point loss to Florida and overtime defeats to Tennessee and Texas. While State remains one of the weaker SEC teams, they proved they could be competitive, and the future looks bright with young QB Kamario Taylor showing promise. Despite the difference in records, don’t expect the Bulldogs to roll over.
The Quarterbacks
Transfer QB Robby Ashford finally secured a starting job, having bounced around the SEC with Auburn and then South Carolina. His dual-threat ability was noteworthy, throwing for 2,169 yards and nine touchdowns, tempered by his seven interceptions. On the ground, he had 504 yards and seven touchdowns, and he should relish the opportunity to go and battle against SEC foes once more in the Liberty Bowl.
Blake Shapen led the Bulldogs for most of the year, and his performance was solid if unspectacular. For the Egg Bowl matchup with Ole Miss, the Bulldogs moved to Kamario Taylor, the highest-rated QB recruit in Mississippi State history. His impact was immediate. He had 178 passing yards and 173 rushing yards, the most an Ole Miss defense had conceded to an opposition QB since 2016. While it was a losing effort, everyone in Starkville was buoyed by the glimpse into the future.
Who to Watch
Wake Forest
Langston Hardy, Edge Rusher
Langston Hardy made the move from UConn to Wake Forest, and it paid off in 2025. He led the Demon Deacons in sacks with seven, as well as having 17.5 tackles for loss. Hardy is the son of former NFL linebacker Kevin, who played for eight seasons, and it clearly runs in the genes. If Wake Forest can contain Taylor in the pocket, Hardy will hope to speed up his mental processing.
Mississippi State
Brenan Thompson, Wide Receiver
After stints on both sides of the Red River, Brenan Thompson finally found his best landing spot with the Mississippi State Bulldogs. He led the team in receiving with 948 yards and six touchdowns. He was a steady presence on the outside and had standout games against Arizona State, Florida and Arkansas. Taylor will likely lean on him if forced to throw regularly.
Prediction
This could be an intriguing matchup. Robby Ashford is more experienced than Kamario Taylor, but the Wake Forest offense ran through Demond Claiborne, and his absence will be felt. Taylor could be an electric playmaker long term, and he could be the difference maker in this one.
Wake Forest 27-31 Mississippi State
Rory-Joe Daniels
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
AS A LONG-SUFFERING CINCINNATI BENGALS FAN, RORY HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL FOR OVER 20 YEARS. HIS PASSION FOR THE DRAFT LED HIM TO GET ENTANGLED WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND HE HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT PROSPECTS AND THE CFB LANDSCAPE EVER SINCE.