UCLA and No. 18 NC State will meet in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 28 in the first football game to be played at Petco Park, the San Diego Padres' downtown ballpark.

The Holiday Bowl needed a new home after SDCCU Stadium in Mission Valley was torn down to expedite construction of San Diego State’s new Aztec Stadium. This is also the first year of a new contract matching the ACC and Pac-12. UCLA tied for second in the Pac-12 South and NC State finished second in the ACC Atlantic Division.

Top players

UCLA: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson became the sixth Bruins player to achieve 3,000 yards of total offense in a season. He has 2,409 yards passing and 21 touchdowns, and 609 yards rushing with seven touchdowns.

NC State: QB Devin Leary threw four TD passes against North Carolina to give him 35 this season, breaking the school’s single-season record of 34 by Phillip Rivers, the former San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers QB.

Notable

UCLA: Tied for second place in the Pac-12 South division, the Bruins’ best finish since 2014.

NC State: Finished second in the ACC’s Atlantic Division and won four of its last five games, including rallying to beat North Carolina 34-30. Earned bowl bid in first year of ACC’s deal with Holiday Bowl.

Last time

UCLA 7, NC State 0 (Oct. 29, 1960)

Bowl history

UCLA: Second appearance in Holiday Bowl, 37th bowl appearance overall and first since 2017.

NC State: First appearance in Holiday Bowl, 34th bowl appearance overall.