How to Watch Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest: Duke's Mayo Bowl Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – January 2, 2026

Updated Jan. 2, 2026 7:28 p.m. ET

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Blake Shapen and the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons play in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on January 2, 2026, with kickoff at 8 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN. The matchup featuring the Bulldogs and Demon Deacons will be available on ESPN.

Keep up with college football all season on FOX Sports. Learn more about the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

How to Watch Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest

When: Friday, January 2, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET
Location: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina
TV Channel: ESPN
Streaming: FOX One + ESPN Bundle

Mississippi State's 2025 Schedule

Date	Opponent	Score
8/30/2025	at Southern Miss	W 34-17
9/6/2025	vs. Arizona State	W 24-20
9/13/2025	vs. Alcorn State	W 63-0
9/20/2025	vs. Northern Illinois	W 38-10
9/27/2025	vs. Tennessee	L 41-34
10/4/2025	at Texas A&M	L 31-9
10/18/2025	at Florida	L 23-21
10/25/2025	vs. Texas	L 45-38
11/1/2025	at Arkansas	W 38-35
11/8/2025	vs. Georgia	L 41-21
11/15/2025	at Missouri	L 49-27
11/28/2025	vs. Ole Miss	L 38-19
1/2/2026	vs. Wake Forest	-

Mississippi State 2025 Stats & Insights

Mississippi State ranks 56th in total offense (398.4 yards per game) and 105th in total defense (405.8 yards allowed per game) this season.
Mississippi State is totaling 237 passing yards per game on offense, which ranks them 58th in the FBS. The defense ranks 59th, giving up 216.3 passing yards per game.
The Bulldogs rank 42nd in scoring offense (30.5 points per game) and 96th in scoring defense (29.2 points allowed per game) this year.
With 189.5 rushing yards allowed per game on defense, which ranks 19th-worst in the FBS, the Bulldogs have had to lean on their 62nd-ranked running game (161.4 rushing yards per contest) to keep them competitive.
On offense, Mississippi State ranks 33rd in the FBS with a 44.1% third-down conversion rate. Meanwhile, the team's defense ranks 69th in third-down conversion rate allowed (189.5).
With 17 forced turnovers (57th in the FBS) against 15 turnovers committed (50th in the FBS), the Bulldogs' +2 turnover margin ranks 53rd in college football.

Mississippi State 2025 Key Players

Name	Position	Stats
Blake Shapen	QB	2,436 YDS (64.1%) / 15 TD / 8 INT 26 RUSH YDS / 3 RUSH TD / 2.4 RUSH YPG
Brenen Thompson	WR	53 REC / 948 YDS / 6 TD / 79 YPG
Davon Booth	RB	552 YDS / 7 TD / 46 YPG / 4.1 YPC 15 REC / 165 REC YDS / 2 REC TD / 18.3 REC YPG
Kamario Taylor	QB	388 YDS (54.5%) / 4 TD / 1 INT 395 RUSH YDS / 7 RUSH TD / 39.5 RUSH YPG
Brylan Lanier	DB	59 TKL / 2 TFL / 1 SACK / 3 INT
Nic Mitchell	LB	68 TKL / 4 TFL / 2.5 SACK / 1 INT
Jahron Manning	DB	79 TKL / 3 TFL / 1 INT / 1 PD
Isaac Smith	DB	54 TKL / 1 TFL / 1 SACK / 1 INT

Wake Forest's 2025 Schedule

Date	Opponent	Score
8/29/2025	vs. Kennesaw State	W 10-9
9/6/2025	vs. Western Carolina	W 42-10
9/11/2025	vs. North Carolina State	L 34-24
9/27/2025	vs. Georgia Tech	L 30-29
10/4/2025	at Virginia Tech	W 30-23
10/11/2025	at Oregon State	W 39-14
10/25/2025	vs. SMU	W 13-12
11/1/2025	at Florida State	L 42-7
11/8/2025	at Virginia	W 16-9
11/15/2025	vs. North Carolina	W 28-12
11/22/2025	vs. Delaware	W 52-14
11/29/2025	at Duke	L 49-32
1/2/2026	vs. Mississippi State	-

Wake Forest 2025 Stats & Insights

Wake Forest ranks 68th in the FBS with 389.1 total yards per contest, but it has been lifted up by its defense, which ranks 23rd-best by giving up only 321.9 total yards per game.
From an offensive perspective, Wake Forest is generating 232.3 passing yards per game (62nd-ranked). It ranks 39th in the FBS on the other side of the ball (199.7 passing yards allowed per game).
From an offensive angle, the Demon Deacons are posting 26.8 points per contest (73rd-ranked). They rank 39th in the FBS on the other side of the ball (21.5 points surrendered per game).
From an offensive standpoint, the Demon Deacons are generating 156.8 rushing yards per contest (69th-ranked). They rank 28th in the FBS defensively (122.3 rushing yards given up per game).
From an offensive angle, Wake Forest is posting a 38.3% third-down conversion rate (85th-ranked). It ranks 48th in the FBS defensively (36.6% third-down rate allowed).
After forcing 15 turnovers (74th in the FBS) and turning the ball over 20 times (105th in the FBS) this season, the Demon Deacons sport the 103rd-ranked turnover margin of -5.

Wake Forest 2025 Key Players

Name	Position	Stats
Robby Ashford	QB	2,169 YDS (59.2%) / 9 TD / 7 INT 504 RUSH YDS / 7 RUSH TD / 45.8 RUSH YPG
Demond Claiborne	RB	907 YDS / 10 TD / 75.6 YPG / 5.1 YPC 28 REC / 140 REC YDS / 0 REC TD / 12.7 REC YPG
Chris Barnes	WR	39 REC / 547 YDS / 3 TD / 49.7 YPG
Carlos Hernandez	WR	34 REC / 538 YDS / 3 TD / 44.8 YPG
Langston Hardy	DL	62 TKL / 10 TFL / 6.5 SACK
Nick Andersen	DB	90 TKL / 4 TFL / 0.5 SACK
Dylan Hazen	LB	63 TKL / 4 TFL
Nuer Gatkuoth	DL	33 TKL / 6 TFL / 6 SACK / 1 INT