DC Orange-Bowl12-29-2012

ORANGE BOWL: NO. 15 NORTHERN ILLINOIS (12-1) VS. NO. 12 FLORIDA STATE (11-2) 7:30 P.M. TUESDAY • SUN LIFE STADIUM IN MIAMI • ESPN • AM-1360

THE biggest game in niu history SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com • Saturday, December 29, 2012

| HUSKIES IN THE ORANGE BOWL

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Bowl bid could be beginning R

od Carey had it right from his opening news conference.

Northern Illinois’ newest on-field leader didn’t need any collegiate head coaching experience to know where the Huskies’ Orange Bowl berth stood in the history of NIU football games.

“The biggest,” Carey said.

“You can say it that easy. It’s the biggest.”

Certainly it is. And nothing comes close.

It’s not NIU’s first January bowl game – the Huskies played in the GoDaddy.com Bowl last season and the now-defunct International Bowl at the beginning of 2010 – but neither of those came on New Year’s Day, the most revered of days in the college football bowl season.

The Orange Bowl will be the most prestigious game in Huskie history.

Yet it will be only the start of what could prove to be the most impactful calendar year in the program’s 114-year existence.

Fast-forwarding past the matchup with Florida State in Miami; 2013 could be a game-changer for NIU because of the personnel the team brings back and the resources and events the program gains next fall.

Quarterback Jordan Lynch’s exceptional junior season, combined with the New Year’s Day exposure NIU will receive playing in primetime, should put him on the list of preseason Heis-

VIEWS Ross Jacobson man hopefuls for 2013.

But to even have him in the conversation, NIU will need to post another 12-1 or 13-0 season. The Huskies have winnable showcase games at Iowa and Purdue and, with 12 of 22 starters coming back, should be the preseason favorite to win the Mid-American Conference again. NIU has a good shot to become only the second team in MAC history to win three consecutive MAC Championship games.

It’s an impressive résumé when talking to high schoolers in the ever-heightening recruiting battles.

But the affect of NIU’s recent success is buoyed by the expected opening of the Chessick Practice Center next fall. The long-awaited indoor practice center gives NIU something comparable to the facilities of in-state rivals Northwestern and Illinois.

No longer will the Huskies have to rent out the DeKalb Recreation Center from the city’s park district.

Of course, the scheduled opening of the Chessick Center also is partially responsible for NIU’s successful bid to host the IHSA football state finals every other year, starting next November.

The finals had been played at Illinois’ Memorial Stadium in Champaign since 1999,

Florida St. Seminoles Overall record 496-237-17 Coach Jimbo Fisher, third season (30-10)

By the numbers 2: National championships: 2 (1993, 1999) 13: Atlantic Coast Conference titles 31: Consecutive bowl appearances 36: First-round NFL draft picks 89: Wins vs. Associated Press Top-25 opponents

Famous alumni Lee Corso, ESPN analyst Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants catcher Jake Owen, country music star Mack Brown, Texas football coach Doug Marlette, Pulitzer Prize winner Burt Reynolds, actor Cheryl Hines, actress

Kyle Bursaw – kbursaw@shawmedia.com

Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch (left) throws a pass during a Dec. 19 practice at the DeKalb Recreation Center in DeKalb. but now 16 of the state’s best teams will get a first-hand look at what NIU has to offer.

It’s yet another tool to draw in recruits for a program that often has trouble getting national, or even state-wide, exposure. On Thanksgiving weekend, DeKalb will be the center of Illinois football.

The Orange Bowl on Tuesday is the most significant event in NIU’s football

history. Win or lose, it will be remembered as such.

But it’s far from the only thing Huskie fans should be excited about in 2013. It’s literally just the start.

• Ross Jacobson is the sports editor of the Daily Chronicle. He can be reached at 815-756-4841 (ext. 2224), or via email at rjacobson@shawmedia.com.

Orange Bowl History Overall Record: 3-5 1980: Oklahoma 24, Florida St. 7 1981: Oklahoma 18, Florida St. 17 1993: Florida St. 27, Nebraska 14 1994: Florida St. 18, Nebraska 16 1996: Florida St. 31, Notre Dame 16 2001: Oklahoma 13, Florida St. 2 2004: Miami (FL) 16, Florida St. 14 2006: Penn State 26, Florida St. 23 Heisman Trophy winners Charlie Ward (1993) Chris Weinke (2000) Notable NFL players Deion Sanders (1985-88) Derrick Brooks (1991-94) Fred Biletnikoff (1962-64) Warrick Dunn (1993-96) Anquan Boldin (1999-2002) Laveranues Coles (1996-1999) LeRoy Butler (1987-89)

LOOKING BACK

Novak helped jump-start team in mid-1990s

By STEVE NITZ snitz@shawmedia.com

In the mid-1990s, the idea of Northern Illinois participating in a prestigious game such as the Orange Bowl was unheard of.

When Joe Novak took over the program in 1996, the school had just finished a string of five consecutive losing seasons under Charlie Sadler.

Novak had worked as an NIU assistant from 1980-83.

To him, there always was potential in DeKalb, with a prime recruiting area in Chicagoland. He just needed to change the culture.

“There had never been sustained success there,” said Novak, who has retired and now lives in North Carolina. “Just trying to get that changed to the point where people can see now what a good athletic program can do for the school.”

On New Year’s Day, NIU will play Florida State in the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium in Miami in the most important bowl game in school history.

New Huskies coach Rod Carey will coach his first game, taking over for Dave Doeren, who went 23-4 in

Daily Chronicle file photo

Former Northern Illinois football coach Joe Novak, who helped revive program in the mid-1990s, said he will be watching the Huskies in south Florida on Tuesday when they play Florida State in the Orange Bowl. two seasons before departing for N.C. State the day after the Mid-American Conference Championship. Before Doeren, Jerry Kill went to a bowl game in each of his three seasons at the helm of NIU. But it was Novak who helped jump start the program, and Tuesday, he’ll be watching his Huskies in south Florida.

“Honestly, it’s probably

still a little surreal,” he said. “I’m certainly very proud of it, and these kids have earned and deserve it.

Anxious to see it on the big stage.”

NIU football has come a long way in the past 30 years, and it certainly wasn’t an easy road.

MAC title and switching conferences

Bill Mallory already had

won a MAC title before even stepping foot on the NIU campus in 1980, having led Miami (Ohio) to a league crown seven years earlier.

After five seasons at Colorado, Mallory came to DeKalb and won the conference in his fourth year, 1983, with Novak serving as his defensive coordinator. After a victory in the California Bowl, Mallory was off to Indiana, and he said Indi-

ana’s administration wasn’t interested in hiring any of his assistants then.

In came Lee Corso, who went 4-6-1 in one season before heading off to coach the Orlando Renegades of the USFL. Jerry Pettibone followed and stayed for six seasons, going 9-2 in 1989 and 6-5 in 1990 before leaving for Oregon State.

See JOURNEY, page 4

The Board of Education, administration, staff, students and families of DeKalb CUSD 428 we would like to congratulate Northern Illinois University’s football team, administration, faculty, alumni and students on another successful football season.

Good luck to the Huskies as they represent NIU and the DeKalb region in the Orange Bowl!

We are proud to be your partner in education!

HUSKIES IN THE ORANGE BOWL | Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com • Saturday, December 29, 2012

Journey to Miami started long ago

3

Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com • Saturday, December 29, 2012

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Novak suffered through 4 losing seasons before going 6-5 in 2000 • JOURNEY

Continued from page 3 During that period of time, NIU left the MAC and became an independent.

“That was what (former athletic director) Dr. (Bob) Brigham felt like was going to be the best thing for the direction of the athletic department, and I agreed,” Pettibone said of the school leaving the MAC. “So we took that on and did the best we could.”

The Huskies competed in the Big West from 199395, and was an independent once again in 1996 before rejoining the MAC in 1997.

Mallory, a MAC guy through and through, couldn’t believe NIU actually would leave the conference when he heard about it.

To him, the MAC is the best fit for NIU. “Northern belongs in the MAC,” Mallory said. “It’s a great conference for them to be involved in.”

Novak’s slow start and continued success

When the NIU job came open after the 1995 season, Mallory thought Novak was the perfect fit.

“First of all, the kind of person he is, he’s just a quality individual. Joe’s a very humble person, very much of a people, team-type person,” Mallory said. “He had a great rapport with the players, they had a great respect. Very

intelligent individual.”

However, it took a while.

Novak suffered through four losing seasons before NIU went 6-5 in 2000. In 2003, Novak’s Huskies got wins over Maryland, Alabama and Iowa State, and finished 10-2.

It was a sign that the program was hitting a turning point. Novak went on to lead NIU to a 34-21 victory over Troy in the 2004 Silicon Valley Classic, and the Huskies then played in the Poinsettia Bowl, losing to TCU, in 2006, before Novak retired after the next season.

While Novak had success at the end of his career, he credits former NIU athletic director Cary Groth, who now holds the same position at Nevada, for a lot of the team’s achievements.

Groth stuck with Novak during those tough first years, which allowed him time to build the program.

When Novak arrived, players had to pay for their own summer school, so many of them weren’t on campus after the normal school year ended.

Groth changed that, and now it’s common for players to work out all summer.

In 2007, the Jeffrey and Kimberley Yordon Center, was completed in the north end zone of Huskie Stadium and sometime next fall, the Kenneth and Ellen Chessick Practice Center, NIU’s new indoor practice facility, will be finished and ready for use.

Novak credits Groth for

not only riding out the tough years, but also getting the academic support and facility upgrades started.

“All those little things that are behind the scenes that are so important, that they started to make a commitment to,” he said. “And again, that was Cary starting to stick her neck out.”

Everything comes to fruition

The BCS was put into place in 1998 and other midmajor schools such as Boise State, Utah and TCU have made BCS bowl games in the past. Now it’s NIU’s turn, as the Huskies are the first MAC team to earn a berth.

When the new four-team playoff system is instated in 2014, the top team from the “Group of Five” conferences will get an automatic bid into one of the six access bowls, meaning there’s a better chance for schools like NIU to be in a prestigious contest such as the Orange Bowl.

“It’s great. It’s good for the Mid-American Conference, it’s good for college football,” Pettibone said. “It’s refreshing.”

Mallory always thought NIU had vast potential as a program, and he’s not surprised to see the Huskies here.

“I was just really, really happy to see that they had the opportunity to go into the Orange Bowl,” Mallory said. “It’s a nice challenge for them. I know those guys will be ready.”

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5

Growing up a Seminole

Evans has deep ties with Florida State

By STEVE NITZ snitz@shawmedia.com

N

orthern Illinois cornerback Sean Evans grew up with Florida State football.

For starters, Evans’ father, Mo, and aunt, Pat, both are Florida State graduates. His dad’s close friend, Bill Richardson, who Evans considers an uncle, was a walk-on cornerback during the Deion Sanders era in Tallahassee.

Evans, who grew up in Fort Walton Beach, less than three hours from Florida State’s campus, remembers the Seminoles’ dominance in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and spent his share of Saturday afternoons watching Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium up until he graduated high school.

“Every weekend when I was younger, if the weekend and my dad’s schedule opened up, we were

Congrats Northern Illinois Huskies

in Tallahassee every weekend,” Evans said. “That’s all I knew as a child.”

Playing the Seminoles in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day is a unique experience for any Huskie, maybe even more so for Evans, who will have roughly 15 family members and friends watching him at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

Each player is allotted six tickets, and Evans was able to get a few extra

from players who won’t have as many family members attending the bowl game. Normally, the situation is reversed as Evans gave other players his tickets to home games with his family in Florida, although his parents were able to come to three home games this season, as well as the MidAmerican Conference Championship win over Kent State.

See EVANS, page 13

Way to go!

Orange Bowl Bound and Making History!!! Go Get Em! Good Luck From Two Proud Alumni Good Neighbors.

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HUSKIES IN THE ORANGE BOWL | Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com • Saturday, December 29, 2012

Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com

Northern Illinois cornerback Sean Evans watches during a Dec. 8 practice at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com • Saturday, December 29, 2012

| HUSKIES IN THE ORANGE BOWL

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RECRUITING FLORIDA

Sunshine State a hotbed for talent

By STEVE NITZ

snitz@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Northern Illinois linebackers coach Kevin Kane started recruiting south Florida in the spring.

Kane doesn’t go into Miami too often, but recruits Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale, all the way up the coast to the Vero Beach area.

When it comes to recruiting south Florida, which is widely known as the biggest hotbed of college football talent in the country, Kane describes it as a “meat market.”

“Everybody’s down there,” Kane said.

“You definitely have to Kevin Kane separate yourself.”

Eleven players on NIU’s roster hail from the Sunshine State. Five are from the Miami area – defensive tackle Ken Bishop (Sunrise), receiver Angelo Sebastiano (Coconut Creek), safety Demetrius Stone (Miami), as well as linebackers Jamaal Bass (Miramar) and Victor Jacques (Miami).

Receiver Tommylee Lewis, who played high school football about 90 minutes north of Miami in Riviera Beach, said he was playing against a Division I prospect almost every game. Lewis said there were 11 players in his Dwyer High School senior class alone who went on to sign with FBS teams. One of Lewis’ teammates was Florida State tight end Nick O’Leary.

In places like south Florida, the talent is so deep that certain players are bound to be overlooked. Lewis’ only major offer came from NIU.

See FLORIDA, page 14

Where they come from

Charles Ivory, Freshman, Cornerback, Vero Beach

Charlie Miller, Freshman, Wide Receiver, Vero Beach Tommylee Lewis, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, Riviera Beach

Sean Evans, Junior, Cornerback, Ft. Walton Beach

Angelo Sebastiano, Freshman, Wide Receiver, Coconut Creek

Akeem Daniels, Junior, Running Back, Kissimmee

Jhony Faustin, Junior, Cornerback, Naples

Ken Bishop, Junior, Defensive Tackle, Sunrise Nick Gerts illustration

The Northern Illinois football team’s roster has 11 players from Florida, and will have another, incoming freshman linebacker Robert Jones, next year.

Jamaal Bass, Sophomore, Linebacker, Miramar

Robert Jones, Class of 2013 recruit, linebacker, Opa Locka

Victor Jacques, Senior, Linebacker, Miami Demetrius Stone, Senior, Defensive Back, Miami

OCT. 4, 1986: NO. 1 miami 34, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 0

Baker, Korcek recall NIU’s trip 26 years ago

By STEVE NITZ snitz@shawmedia.com

Bill Baker remembers walking up to the old Miami Orange Bowl and thinking he was seeing a piece of history.

Northern Illinois made the trip to south Florida to take on the University of Miami in October of 1986, and Baker, the voice of the Huskies since 1980, still remembers walking up to the stadium he had seen so many times on TV. “This is college football.

Growing up as a kid, the Orange Bowl was always the last game of the day on New Year’s Day,” Baker said.

“It had all the glitz and the glamor and halftime entertainment.”

However, it was a different story when Baker actually stepped foot inside the famous football facility.

When he was heading up to the press box, Baker was told by a security guard to go a certain way so he could avoid “critters.”

“You got close to it, you got into it, it was a different story,” he said. “... By today’s standards, it left a lot to be desired.”

The Orange Bowl held its last Orange Bowl bowl game in 1999, and the facility no

Photo courtesy of NIU Media Services

Former Miami coach Jimmie Johnson and former Northern Illinois coach Jerry Pettibone talk before their teams’ game Oct. 4, 1986, at the old Orange Bowl in Miami. The Huskies lost, 34-0. Twenty-six years after playing in south Florida, the Huskies are on their way back, and the team will compete against Florida State in the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on Tuesday. longer stands. On the site in Miami’s Little Havanna neighborhood now sits the new Marlins Park.

Twenty-six years after playing in south Florida, the Huskies are on their way back, and the team will com-

uskie H g n i t r o p p u S Athletics Since 1970

pete against Florida State in the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on Tuesday.

It’s a stark contrast from 1986, when Jerry Pettibone was just getting under his feet, coaching a team that ended up going 2-9. Included

on the slate was the Huskies’ 34-0 loss at Miami.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes were the premier program of the 1980s. Miami won national titles in 1983, 1987 and 1989 while adding another in 1991. The Hur-

ricanes’ 1986 squad featured future NFL players like Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde, receiver Michael Irvin, safety Bennie Blades and running backs Melvin

See BACK TO MIAMI, page 12

Good Luck Huskies!

Beat the Seminoles!

Order your NIU Sportswear today at

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HUSKIES IN THE ORANGE BOWL | Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com • Saturday, December 29, 2012

Last trip to Miami wasn’t pretty

7

Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com • Saturday, December 29, 2012

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BIG TEST AHEAD J

ordan Lynch, Northern Illinois’ do-eve Heisman Trophy voting after breaking signal-caller will have his toughest te Huskies’ offense face a Florida State Bjoern Werner, which is conside

JORDAN LYNCH ST RUSHING LEADERS Ka’Deem Carey, Arizona, RB 1.) 1,929 Lynch 4.) 1,771 RUSHING TOUCHDOWN LEADERS Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech, RB 1.) 27 Lynch 8.) 19

JORDAN LYNC

• 38 passing yards away from becoming firs • Scored 43 touc • 1,771 rushing yards • 11 consecutive 100 Daily Chronicle file photo

BJOERN WERNER S

Northern Illinois junior quarterback Jordan Lynch

TACKLES

SACK LEADERS

Datone Jone

Anthony Barr, UCLA, LB 1.) 13.5 Bjoern Werner, Florida State, DE

Werner

t-2.) 13

FLORIDA STATE DEFENS TOTAL DEFENSE LEADERS Alabama 1.) 246 YARDS/GAME Florida State 2.) 253.77 yards/game

POINTS Notre Dame

1.) 10

Florida State

7.) 15

erything quarterback, finished seventh in the several NIU and NCAA records. But the junior est of the season Tuesday when he and the defense, led by All-American defensive end ered to be one of the best in the nation.

TATISTICAL BREAKDOWN TOTAL OFFENSE NICK FLORENCE, BAYLOR, QB 1.) 387.67/game Lynch 3.) 364.08/game TOTAL OFFENSE LEADERS Lynch 1.) 4,733

• Saturday, December 29, 2012

NICK FLORENCE, BAYLOR, QB 2.) 4,652

CH ACCOMPLISHMENTS

st player in FBS history with 3,000 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards chdowns this season via passing or running s – most by a QB in single season in FBS history 0-yard rushing games, an NCAA record for a QB

STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN

S FOR LOSS LEADERS

es, UCLA, DE

SINGLE-GAME SACK HIGHS Quanterus Smith, W. Kentucky

1.) 26

1.) 5 (OCT. 12 VS. FIU) Werner

t-13.) 18

T-3.) 4 (sept. 12 vs. murray st.)

SE’S STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN

S ALLOWED LEADERS

0.3 points/game

e

5.1 points/game

RUSHING DEFENSE LEADERS Alabama 1.) 79.8 yards/game Florida State 4.) 92.6 yards/game

HUSKIES IN THE ORANGE BOWL | Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com

D FOR LYNCH, NIU

9

Photo provided

Florida State senior defensive end Bjoern Werner

Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com • Saturday, December 29, 2012

| HUSKIES IN THE ORANGE BOWL

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Q&A WITH NIU COACH ROD CAREY

Carey looks to be self as NIU coach

By STEVE NITZ snitz@shawmedia.com It’s been a heck of a season for Northern Illinois coach Rod Carey.

He started the year as the Huskies’ offensive line coach before taking over play-calling duties in Week 2. On Dec. 2, Carey was promoted to head coach after Dave Doeren left for North Carolina State. His promotion came the same day NIU was selected to play Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

Before the Huskies’ trip to Florida, Carey talked with Daily Chronicle NIU beat writer Steve Nitz about the wild ride he’s had the past few weeks leading up to New Year’s Day. The following is an edited transcript:

You’re going to be coaching your first game in the Orange Bowl. Has everything sunk in yet, or is it still kind of surreal?

I’ve got that question before. It hasn’t sunk in, and here’s why: Because you don’t get to some big stage like that without a bunch of little details. So we’re in the middle of creating all the little things that we do each week. It builds up to a big thing, and then you’re comfortable with it. So if you told me I had to coach it today I wouldn’t be ready, but we’re not there yet.

How many coaches have you called for advice, on an estimate?

Probably a dozen.

Any certain piece of advice that really stands out?

The biggest thing, everyone, they’ve said it all a different way, but the biggest thing they’ve said is “Be yourself, do what you do.”

It was a big transition for this team, having Doeren leave. Obviously, you

Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com

Northern Illinois football coach Rod Carey watches over a Dec. 8 practice at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb. have some assistants who are staying for the Orange Bowl but are leaving for N.C. State. How has the team handled the whole transition?

That’s a credit to them, they’ve handled it really well. It’s hard when you lose family members, and that’s a tough thing to go through. They also know this is about them, it’s not about coaches. It’s about them. And

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they have taken a hold of this thing, and led by the senior class, really made it special for them.

How big of a transition will it be for you coaching on the sideline after being up in the press box?

It’ll be different. But how we operate on offense won’t. The biggest thing will just be managing the whole game.

But we’re going to do that as a staff, which we did any ways for coach Doeren. I’ll just be more involved with that than I was before.

One last thing, are you finally ready to get out of this rain and snow and into some nice weather in south Florida?

Yeah, I think the guys are too. It’ll be fun for them.

Good Luck Huskies!

Beat the Seminoles!

Congratulations on a Great Season!

TAKE 2

11

HUSKIES IN THE ORANGE BOWL | Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com • Saturday, December 29, 2012

Ross Jacobson and Steve Nitz face off

Bowl win would put NIU as MAC’s all-time best team

Jacobson: Northern Illinois became the first Mid-American Conference team to earn a berth in a Bowl Championship Series bowl game this season. The Huskies did so by going 12-1 and winning their second straight MAC Championship with a double-overtime victory against Kent State.

There have been a lot of great MAC teams over the past 10 to 15 years.

In your mind, what teams are in the discussion for the greatest MAC team of all-time?

Nitz: There have been some good teams in the past, which might have gotten a shot in a BCS bowl game if the system were the way it is now.

Ben Roethlisberger’s Miami (Ohio) team from 2003 certainly comes to mind. The RedHawks finished 13-1 and were 11th in the final BCS standings that season, which would have gotten them to a BCS bowl game in the current environment that has since added a fifth BCS game. You can’t forget about the Marshall squads from the late 1990s to early 2000s, either.

Here’s an old-school team to think about – the 1973 Miami squad, which went 11-0 and beat Florida in the Tangerine Bowl (in Gainesville, Fla., no less).

Jacobson: Those Marshall squads were absolutely loaded. Is it a surprise to you they never finished ranked higher with NFL players

such as Chad Pennington, Byron Leftwich and Randy Moss at the skill positions? Marshall went 13-0 in 1999, but still only finished at No. 10 in The Associated Press poll after beating BYU in the Motor City Bowl.

Nitz: It’s the MAC, man. Teams never get a ton of love from the voters, so I’m not surprised. But those Thundering Herd teams were legit.

Back then it was much tougher for a team like that to compete in a BCS bowl game. If the current rules were in place, Marshall would have played in a BCS game, as the Herd finished in the top 12 of the final BCS standings.

If that team wins a BCS bowl game, it’s looked at much differently historically.

Jacobson: So then where would you rank NIU if the Huskies pull off the upset over Florida State? Keep in mind, that Marshall team went 13-0 and beat Clemson on the road. NIU lost to a 4-8 Iowa team and struggled against lowly Kansas.

Nitz: This Florida State team is a much better squad than the 1999 Clemson team that finished 6-6. Plus, the MAC is just a stronger league this year than it was in 1999.

If NIU wins on New Year’s Day, I think it’s safe to say the Huskies are the best MAC team of all-time. Honorable mention goes to the Marshall team you mentioned, and the 1973 and 2003 Miami teams.

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Hurricanes finished No. 2 in ’86 • BACK TO MIAMI

Continued from page 7 Bratton and Alonzo Highsmith. A whopping 34 players on the 1986 Miami team went on to get drafted by NFL teams.

Miami started 11-0 in 1986 before losing to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl. The Hurricanes finished No. 2 in the country.

“They had a great football team,” Pettibone said. “They had everything.”

Things didn’t go well for the Huskies at the Orange Bowl that day. However, considering how talented “The U” was that season, Pettibone, who coached with former Hurricanes coach Jimmy Johnson for two seasons at Oklahoma, certainly wasn’t embarrassed.

“I thought our players really went out and really represented themselves well,” he said.

Pettibone also said the ‘Canes showed a lot of class, something the Miami teams of that era weren’t exactly known for. Pettibone’s friend Johnson called off his dogs when Miami got a big lead, and Pettibone said he didn’t see or hear any trash talking.

“I know Jimmy really, really well,” Pettibone said.

“In the third quarter, when it was like 31-0, he started substituting. He was very good to me. He could have kept his players in longer and run up

No. 1 Miami 34, Northern Illinois 0 1st Quarter MIA: Melvin Bratton 27yard run (Greg Cox kick) MIA: Brian Blades 56-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Greg Cox kick) 2nd Quarter MIA: Michael Irvin 20-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Greg Cox kick) MIA: Vinny Testaverde 4-yard run (Greg Cox kick) 3rd Quarter MIA: Darryl Oliver 1-yard run (kick failed)

Photos courtesy of NIU Media Services

In Northern Illinois’ last trip to Miami, the Huskies lost, 34-0, to Vinny Testaverde (13) and the Hurricanes on Oct. 4, 1986. Testaverde was one of 34 players on that Hurricanes team to be drafted by NFL teams. the score on us, but he didn’t.

I really appreciated that.”

Mike Korcek was in his third season as NIU’s head sports in formation director in 1986. Before the game, he was on the field at the 50-yard line waiting for Pettibone to give him the lineup changes.

Korcek remembers how there was a gentle wind, and how Jimmy Johnson’s hair didn’t budge.

“His hair never moved an inch, Jimmy Johnson’s hair.

Of course, I think he probably leads the country in hair

spray,” Korcek said. “Jerry Pettibone and I laugh about that.”

One thing both Baker and Korcek mentioned was how there was talk at the time of Miami coming up north for a return game at Soldier Field, something that never came to fruition.

NIU hasn’t played Miami since the 1986 season, but will get its chance at one of the other Florida powers on New Year’s Day, where the Huskies hope the outcome will be different than their last trip to south Florida.

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Memorable Orange Bowl games

Sean Evans Northern Illinois cornerback

Jan. 1, 1965 Texas upset top-ranked Alabama, 21-17, in the first college bowl game televised in prime time.

Joe Namath was stopped just short of the goal line on a fourth-down play late in the fourth quarter. Namath still was named the game’s MVP, completing 18 of 37 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns.

Jan. 1, 1972 Top-ranked Nebraska won its second straight national championship with a dominating 38-6 victory over Alabama and coach Bear Bryant.

The Cornhuskers had defeated LSU, 17-12, in the 1971 Orange Bowl.

Jan. 2, 1984 Miami won its first national championship with a 31-30 win over Nebraska. The Cornhuskers went for a two-point conversion and the win, but couldn’t convert as Miami safety Ken Calhoun stepped in front of Nebraska’s pass attempt. Bernie Kosar was named Most Outstanding Player.

Jan. 1, 1994 Florida State won its first national crown with an 18-16 win over Nebraska. Charlie Ward led the Seminoles in front of an Orange Bowl-record crowd of 81,536. Nebraska missed a 45-yard field goal as time expired to give the Seminoles the win.

Jan. 4, 2005 USC blitzed Oklahoma, 55-19, to win the BCS national championship. Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Jason White faced off, but Leinart came out on top, throwing for an Orange Bowl-record five touchdowns. Reggie Bush had 149 all-purpose yards for the Trojans.

Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com

Northern Illinois cornerback Sean Evans is seen during a Dec. 8 practice at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

Evans has seven pass breakups this season • EVANS Continued from page 5 Unfortunately, Evans had to turn down some ticket requests, but he’ll have plenty of fans watching him.

“I can’t have everybody come, but it’s going to be good, because I have my close, immediate family and friends will be there,” said Ev-

Congrats On A Great Season And Good Luck In The Orange Bowl!

ans, who has 19 tackles, a sack and seven pass breakups this season.

“So, I’m excited.”

At first, Evans said competing against the team he grew up watching felt like a dream. Now, it finally has sunk in and Evans is ready to play on the big stage in Florida.

“I’ve been a fan [of Florida State] since I’ve been a little kid. When we go down there to South Beach, it’s a business trip as if it’s playing any

other team,” Evans said. “I’m not star-struck by any means, but this is a great opportunity for me to go back to my home state, and to show them what they missed out on.”

Evans’ father is an FSU fan, but not New Year’s Day. “He’s pulling for me 100 percent.

When we’re not playing, he’ll yell at the TV when Florida State’s on,” Evans said. “But when it’s NIU, it’s no question.”

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HUSKIES IN THE ORANGE BOWL | Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com • Saturday, December 29, 2012

The Orange Bowl has produced several memorable bowl games in its more than 70-year history.

The first Orange Bowl was played between Bucknell and Miami in 1935 and the bowl game has hosted 18 national championships. Here are five of the more memorable Orange Bowl games in history:

“I’ve been a fan [of Florida State] since I’ve been a little kid. When we go down there to South Beach, it’s a business trip as if it’s playing any other team. I’m not star-struck by any means, but this is a great opportunity for me to go back to my home state, and to show them what they missed out on.”

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Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com • Saturday, December 29, 2012

| HUSKIES IN THE ORANGE BOWL

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8FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES BY THE NUMBERS 2012 Regular Season Sept. 1 vs. Murray State W, 69-3 Sept. 8 vs. Savannah State W, 55-0 Sept. 15 vs. Wake Forest W, 52-0 Sept. 22 vs. Clemson W, 49-37 Sept. 29 at South Florida W, 30-17 Oct. 6 at N.C. State L, 17-16 Oct. 13 vs. Boston College W, 51-7 Oct. 20 at Miami W, 33-20 Oct. 27 vs. Duke W, 48-7 Nov. 8 at Virginia Tech W, 28-22 Nov. 17 at Maryland W, 41-14 Nov. 24 vs. Florida L, 37-26 Dec. 1 vs. Georgia Tech W, 21-15

TEAM STATISTICS

FSU Opp. SCORING 519 196 Points Per Game 39.9 15.1 FIRST DOWNS 299 186 Rushing 136 76 Passing 150 95 Penalty 13 15 RUSHING YARDAGE 2,639 1,204 Yards gained rushing 2,957 1,593 Yards lost rushing 318 389 Rushing Attempts 476 437 Average Per Rush 5.5 2.8 Average Per Game 203.0 92.6 TDs Rushing 37 10 PASSING YARDAGE 3,418 2,090 Average Per Pass 8.8 5.1 Average Per Catch 13.0 10.1 Average Per Game 262.9 160.8 TDs Passing 23 12 TOTAL OFFENSE 6,057 3,294 Total Plays 866 849 Average Per Play 7.0 3.9 Average Per Game 465.9 253.4 KICK RETURNS: #-Yds 31-764 55-924 PUNT RETURNS: #-Yds 37-528 7-81 INT RETURNS: #-Yds 10-152 10-69 KICK RETURN AVERAGE 24.6 16.8 PUNT RETURN AVERAGE 14.3 11.6 INT RETURN AVERAGE 15.2 6.9 FUMBLES-LOST 23-16 18-9 PENALTIES-Yds 81-713 64-549 Average Per Game 54.8 42.2 PUNTS-Yds 44-1,624 9 8-4,055 Average Per Punt 36.9 41.4 Net punt average 33.9 35.2 KICKOFFS-Yds 99-6238 46-2705

Average Per Kick 63.0 58.8 Net kick average 51.8 35.7 TIME OF POS./Game 29:45 28:25 3RD-DOWN Conv. 66/149 55/202 3rd-Down Pct 44% 27% 4TH-DOWN Conv.

1/4 15/23 4th-Down Pct 25% 65% SACKS BY-Yds 33-262 26-183 MISC YARDS 0 0 TOUCHDOWNS SCORED 64 22 FG-ATTEMPTS 24-28 14-17 ON-SIDE KICKS 0-0 0-3 RED-ZONE SCORES 91% 86% RED-ZONE TDS 71% 52% PAT-ATTEMPTS 98% 100% ATTENDANCE 52,9208 29,8549 Score by quarters

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Tot. FSU 138 158 130 93 519 Opp. 33 47 40 76 196

Overall Individual Statistics RUSHING

Att Net Avg TD Chris Thompson 91 687 7.5 5 Devonta Freeman 97 630 6.5 8 James Wilder, Jr. 99 583 5.9 11 EJ Manuel 97 284 2.9 3 Lonnie Pryor 42 242 5.8 6 Debrale Smiley 29 152 5.2 3 Kelvin Benjamin 2 33 16.5 0 Rashad Greene 4 30 7.5 1 Chad Abram 4 20 5.0 0 Clint Trickett 1 3 3.0 0 Jared Haggins 1 -9 -9.0 0

Lonnie Pryor 10 100 Jared Haggins 8 108 Devonta Freeman 7 43 Christian Green 3 33 Willie Haulstead 3 31 Kevin Haplea 3 15 Christo Kourtzidis 1 13 Debrale Smiley 1 12 EJ Manuel 0 11

0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

PUNT RETURNS

No. Yds Avg TD Rashad Greene 20 307 15.4 2 Tyler Hunter 8 126 15.8 1 Kenny Shaw 8 99 12.4 0 Reggie Northrup 1 -4 -4.0 0 INTERCEPTIONS

No. Yds TD L ong Xavier Rhodes 3 14 0 14 Tyler Hunter 3 37 0 37 Nick Waisome 1 19 0 19 Terrence Brooks 1 8 0 8 Lamarcus Joyner 1 33 0 33 Karlos Williams 1 41 0 41 KICK RETURNS

No. Yds TD L ong Lamarcus Joyner 18 424 0 90 Karlos Williams 13 340 0 60 SCORING

TDs F Gs PATs Pts Dustin Hopkins 0 24-28 61-62 133 James Wilder, Jr. 13 0-0 0-0 78 Devonta Freeman 8 0-0 0-0 48 Rashad Greene 8 0-0 0-0 48 Lonnie Pryor 6 0-0 0-0 36 Chris Thompson 5 0-0 0-0 30 Kelvin Benjamin 4 0-0 0-0 24 Nick O’Leary 3 0-0 0-0 20 Rodney Smith 3 0-0 0-0 18 Kenny Shaw 3 0-0 0-0 18 Debrale Smiley 3 0-0 0-0 18 EJ Manuel 3 0-0 0-0 18 Greg Dent 2 0-0 0-0 12 Tyler Hunter 1 0-0 0-0 6 Christian Jones 1 0-0 0-0 6 Kevin Haplea 1 0-0 0-0 6

PASSING Connection.

Your Community

Cmp-Att-Int Yds TD

Manuel 237-349-10 3,101 22 Call to start EJClint your subscription today!

Trickett 22-34-0 272 0

Jacob Coker 3-5-0 800-589-9363

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RECEIVING

No. Yards TDs Your Community Connection.

Rashad Greene 52 696 5

Smith 35 483 3 Call to start Rodney your today!

Kelvin Benjaminsubscription 29 482 4

Kenny Shaw 800-589-9363 Greg Dent

Chris Thompson Nick O’Leary James Wilder, Jr.

27 24 21 19 19

471 313 248 223 136

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TOTAL OFFENSE

Rush Pass EJ Manuel 284 3,101 Chris Thompson 687 0 Devonta Freeman 630 0

Total 3,385 687 630

James Wilder, Jr. 583 Clint Trickett 3 Lonnie Pryor 242 Debrale Smiley 152 Jacob Coker 0 Kelvin Benjamin 33 Rashad Greene 30 Chad Abram 20 Jared Haggins -9

0 272 0 0 45 0 0 0 0

583 275 242 152 45 33 30 20 -9

DEFENSE

Tackles (tot.) Sacks Christian Jones 85 0 Cornellius Carradine 80 11 Telvin Smith 60 1 Vince Williams 49 0 Terrence Brooks 48 0 Lamarcus Joyner 45 0 Timmy Jernigan 43 1.5 Bjoern Werner 40 13 Xavier Rhodes 35 0 Demonte McAllister 32 2.5 Karlos Williams 31 0 Everett Dawkins 26 0.5 Anthony McCloud 24 1 Tyler Hunter 23 0 Nick Waisome 21 0 Ronald Darby 18 0 Nick Moody 17 0 P.J. Williams 14 0 Mario Edwards, Jr. 14 1.5 Giorgio Newberry 13 0 Toshmon Stevens 12 0 Nile LawrenceStample 10 0 Reggie Northrup 10 0 Keelin Smith 9 0 Terrance Smith 9 0 Eddie Goldman 8 0 Gerald Demps 7 0 James Wilder, Jr. 6 0 Chad Abram 5 0 Brandon Jenkins 3 1 Jermaine Washington 2 0 Dustin Hopkins 2 0 Shayne Broxsie 2 0 Willie Haulstead 2 0 Debrale Smiley 1 0 Rodney Smith 1 0 Bryan Stork 1 0 Nigel Terrell 1 0 Anthony Porterfield 1 0 Chris Thompson 1 0 EJ Manuel 1 0 Chris Casher 1 0 Greg Dent 1 0

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Huskies welcome exposure bowl offers • FLORIDA

Continued from page 6 “You’ve got to come to play every week. Every week you’ve got to come to play,” Lewis said.

“Because you’ve got people on the other team that are just as fast as you, just as athletic and have the same capabilities as you. It’s fun though, very competitive.

“If you’re balling down there, you just can ball period,” Lewis added.

NIU already has one commit from the Miami area for the recruiting class of 2013, linebacker Robert Jones out of Opa Locka. Jones lives just a few miles from Sun Life Stadium, and will be attending the Orange Bowl. He said he already has talked to six or seven players he knows from the area who have wanted to get in touch with NIU. “A lot of people have been asking about [NIU], seeing if they can get in contact with them,” Jones said. “[Playing in the Orange Bowl] will help them with the recruiting down here. That will be big.”

Being in a BCS game should help NIU in recruiting nationwide. Huskies coach Rod Carey said the added exposure and prestige already are paying dividends.

“The recruits call back. It’s good,” Carey said.

“They’re really fired up about it, all the guys we are talking to and they should be. We’re a BCS bowl team this year.

“If you’re 18 (and) you’re looking at some schools, I think we would be at the top of your list, and we should be. That’s been a positive. How will it translate? I will let you know on signing day.”

With NIU spending a week in Miami, Kane certainly is hoping the experience will be useful in recruiting the Sunshine State. Kane and other members of the coaching staff won’t be able to speak to recruits, as the bowl week comes during the NCAA’s dead period, but Kane had been trying to get as many kids as possible to watch NIU’s practices.

Having recruits be able to watch NIU front and center is just one of many positive things that will come out of the Orange Bowl experience.

“That’s huge,” Kane said. “Right now, you’re walking around there with a Huskie on your shirt ... it’s a big deal.”

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8NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES BY THE NUMBERS 2012 Regular Season

TEAM STATISTICS

NIU Opp. SCORING 530 247 Points Per Game 40.8 19.0 FIRST DOWNS 309 290 Rushing 158 131 Passing 137 132 Penalty 14 27 RUSHING YARDAGE 3,252 1,807 Yards gained rushing 3,468 2,212 Yards lost rushing 216 405 Rushing Attempts 581 550 Average Per Rush 5.6 3.3 Average Per Game 250.2 139.0 TDs Rushing 44 18 PASSING YARDAGE 3,063 2,830 Comp-Att-Int 230-369-5 258-471-15 Average Per Pass 8.3 6.0 Average Per Catch 13.3 11.0 Average Per Game 235.6 217.7 TDs Passing 25 10 TOTAL OFFENSE 6,315 4,637 Total Plays 950 1,021 Average Per Play 6.6 4.5 Average Per Game 485.8 356.7 KICK RETURNS: #-Yds 34-809 62-1,062 PUNT RETURNS: #-Yds 31-257 7-14 INT RETURNS: #-Yds 15-187 5-117 KICK RETURN AVERAGE 2 3.8 17.1 PUNT RETURN AVERAGE 8.3 2.0 INT RETURN AVERAGE 12.5 23.4 FUMBLES-LOST 19-13 21-11 PENALTIES-Yds 78-727 5 8-533 Average Per Game 55.9 41.0 PUNTS-Yds 46-1,764 68-2,672 Average Per Punt 38.3 39.3 Net punt average 36.7 33.8 KICKOFFS-Yds 94-5,533 54-3,232 Average Per Kick 58.9 59.9

Score by quarters

1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Tot. NIU 103 159 128 130 10 530 Opp. 64 63 45 72 3 247

Overall Individual Statistics RUSHING

Att Net Avg TD Jordan Lynch 271 1771 6.5 19 Leighton Settle 101 453 4.5 5 Akeem Daniels 65 432 6.6 9 Keith Harris 55 226 4.1 4 Tommylee Lewis 17 102 6.0 1 Matt McIntosh 25 92 3.7 2 Giorgio Bowers 12 64 5.3 0 Luke Eakes 1 32 32.0 0 Jacob Brinlee 3 31 10.3 1 James Spencer 2 30 15.0 0 Da’Ron Brown 3 24 8.0 1 Ryan Neir 1 17 17.0 0 Jamal Womble 8 12 1.5 1 Mathew Sims 1 7 7.0 1 Camer Stingily 1 5 5.0 0 A.J. Sebastiano 1 2 2.0 0 PASSING

Cmp-Att-Int Yds TD Jordan Lynch 2 22-353-5 2962 24 Matt McIntosh 7 -13-0 57 1 Perez Ashford 0-1-0 0 0 Tyrone Clark 0-1-0 0 0 Jamison Wells 1-1-0 44 0 RECEIVING

No. Yards TDs Martel Moore 71 1054 12 Tommylee Lewis 43 478 5 Perez Ashford 30 354 1 Akeem Daniels 18 192 2

Jamison Wells Luke Eakes Jacob Brinlee James Spencer Da’Ron Brown Ryan Neir Jamal Womble Mathew Sims Cameron Stingily A.J. Sebastiano

0 32 31 30 24 17 12 7 5 2

44 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

44 32 31 30 24 17 12 7 5 2

DEFENSE

Tackles (tot.) Sacks Jimme Ward 90 0 Tyrone Clark 82 1 Jamal Bass 76 0.5 Demetrius Stone 73 0 Alan Baxter 58 9.5 Nabal Jefferson 56 1 Ken Bishop 52 3 Sean Progar 46 8.5 Rashaan Melvin 45 0 Victor Jacques 44 0.5 Marlon Moore 39 0 Dechane Durante 37 0 Joe Windsor 36 7 Boomer Mays 30 0 AP photo Dominique Ware 29 0 Northern Illinois players are greeted by Orange Bowl Committee Members handing out Anthony Wells 27 4 oranges and gift bags as the team arrives Wednesday at Miami International Airport in M. Santacaterina 27 0 George Rainey 24 2.5 Miami.

Jhony Faustin 23 0 Sean Evans 19 1 Da’Ron Brown 17 156 2 Tyrone Clark 1 0 0 0 Akeem Daniels 11 0-0 0-0 66 Donovan Gordon 18 1 Jamison Wells 16 180 0 Sean Progar 1 21 0 21 Tommylee Lewis 7 0-0 0-0 42 Marckie Hayes 17 0 Juwan Brescacin 11 223 0 Dechane Durante 1 0 0 0 Leighton Settle 5 0-0 0-0 30 Jason Meehan 17 0 Luke Eakes 8 268 0 Sean Evans 1 32 0 32 Keith Harris 4 0-0 0-0 24 Courtney Stephen 13 0 A.J. Sebastiano 5 64 1 Rashaan Melvin 1 0 0 0 Da’Ron Brown 3 0-0 0-0 18 Rasheen Lemon 11 0 Leighton Settle 4 20 0 M. Santacaterina 1 0 0 0 Matt McIntosh 2 0-0 0-0 12 Paris Logan 9 0 Jason Schepler 3 65 1 Jamaal Bass 1 44 0 44 Jason Schepler 1 0-0 0-0 6 Giorgio Bowers 7 0 Tim Semisch 2 9 1 Jacob Brinlee 1 0-0 0-0 6 Perez Ford 6 0 Jacob Brinlee 2 0 0 KICK RETURNS Tim Semisch 1 0-0 0-0 6 Zach Anderson 6 0

No. Yds TD L ong Perez Ashford 1 0-0 0-0 6 Bobby Winkel 5 0 PUNT RETURNS Tommylee Lewis 21 526 1 93 A.J. Sebastiano 1 0-0 0-0 6 Tre Moore 4 0

No. Yds Avg TD A.J. Sebastiano 6 136 0 33 Jamal Womble 1 0-0 0-0 6 Daniel Green 4 0.5 A.J. Sebastiano 16 101 6.3 0 Perez Ashford 2 53 0 29 Tyler Wedel 0 0-0 2-2 2 Mike Cotton 4 0 Perez Ashford 9 77 8.6 0 Leighton Settle 2 52 0 30 Da’Ron Brown 4 0 Tommylee Lewis 5 79 15.8 0 Luke Eakes 1 17 0 17 TOTAL OFFENSE 2 0 Nate McNeal 1 0 0.0 0 Jamison Wells 1 12 0 12

Rush Pass Total Tyler Wedel 1 0 Rob Sterling 1 13 0 13 Jordan Lynch 1771 2962 4733 Cameron Stingily Jacob Brinlee 1 0 INTERCEPTIONS Leighton Settle 453 0 453 Matt McIntosh 1 0

No. Yds TD Long SCORING Akeem Daniels 432 0 432 Ryan Gorrell 1 0 Jimmie Ward 3 40 0 18

TDs FGs P ATs Pts Keith Harris 226 0 226 Perez Ashford 1 0 Demetrius Stone 2 20 0 20 Mathew Sims 1 14-18 66-67 114 Matt McIntosh 92 57 149 Akeem Daniels 1 0 Marlon Moore 2 13 0 12 Jordan Lynch 19 0-0 0-0 114 Tommylee Lewis 102 0 102 Courtney Stephen 1 17 0 17 Martel Moore 12 0-0 0-0 72 Giorgio Bowers 64 0 64 Jordan Lynch 1 0

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HUSKIES IN THE ORANGE BOWL | Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com • Saturday, December 29, 2012

Sept. 1 vs. Iowa L, 18-17 Sept. 8 vs. Tenn.-Martin W, 35-7 Sept. 15 at Army W, 41-40 Sept. 22 vs. Kansas W, 30-23 Sept. 29 vs. C. Michigan W, 55-24 Oct. 6 at Ball State W, 35-23 Oct. 13 vs. Buffalo W, 45-3 Oct. 20 at Akron W, 37-7 Oct. 27 at W. Michigan W, 48-34 Nov. 3 vs. Massachusetts W, 63-0 Nov. 14 vs. Toledo W, 31-24 Nov. 23 at E. Michigan W, 49-7 Nov. 30 vs. Kent State W, 44-37

Net kick average 50.7 36.1 TIME OF POSS./Game 27:18 32:39 3RD-DOWN Conv. 90/186 87/213 3rd-Down Pct 48% 41% 4TH-DOWN Conv. 18/23 1 3/30 4th-Down Pct 78% 43% SACKS BY-Yards 40-261 14-65 MISC YARDS 0 0 TDs SCORED 70 30 FG-ATTEMPTS 14-18 1 4-20 ON-SIDE KICKS 0-0 0-2 RED-ZONE SCORES 80% 65% RED-ZONE TDs 71% 43% PAT-ATTEMPTS 99% 92%

Daily Chronicle / HuskieWire.com â&#x20AC;˘ Saturday, December 29, 2012

| HUSKIES IN THE ORANGE BOWL 16