Kansas Can’t Contain Rivers

Philip Rivers kept throwing and throwing and throwing, leading North Carolina State to another victory.

Now, the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year will take his act to the NFL.

“He’s going to make somebody a winner, because he is a winner,” Coach Chuck Amato said after the Wolfpack routed Kansas, 56-26, in the Tangerine Bowl on Monday night. “He’s been that way since the day he showed up to our campus.”

Rivers threw for Tangerine Bowl records of 475 yards and five touchdowns, and T.A. McLendon scored three touchdowns to help the Wolfpack (8-5) rebound from a two-game losing streak that cost them a trip to a bigger bowl.

The Wolfpack amassed 653 yards, including 30 plays of at least 10 yards.

“You never do know if you’re going to blow the doors wide open and just be hitting on everything,” Rivers said. “But we felt coming in there were going to be some opportunities for big plays. We felt there were a lot of holes right behind the linebackers. That’s where we attacked, and it got us rolling.”

North Carolina State marched 64, 68 and 97 yards on its first three possessions to build a 21-7 lead. Rivers led an 88-yard drive in the third quarter, then broke the game open by taking advantage of a blocked punt to put the Wolfpack up, 42-17.

Richard Washington scored on receptions of 45 and 14 yards, and Jerricho Cotchery had 13 catches for 171 yards and one touchdown.

McLendon got into the end zone three times, scoring on a three-yard reception and runs of one and 26 yards.

Amato didn’t remove Rivers until midway through the fourth quarter after his final completion gave him the yardage record.

Kansas Coach Mark Mangino didn’t think the Wolfpack showed up the Jayhawks by continuing to throw with a 30-point lead.

“I’m of the school of thought that you never run it up,” Mangino said. “If you can’t stop them, too bad.”

Rivers, the ACC’s career passing and total offense leader, completed 37 of 45 passes for his fifth 400-yard game this season.

Kansas (6-7) fell short in its bid to finish with its first winning record since 1995, the last time the Jayhawks appeared in a bowl game.