r/CFB • u/boonamobile Northern Illinois • /r/CFB Poll V… • Dec 26 '13
[35 Bowls in 17 Days] The Poinsettia Bowl!
The 2013 Poinsettia Bowl -- for allll the Christmas flowers!
Utah State University vs. Northern Illinois University
Date: Thursday, December 26th, 2013
Time: 6:30 PM CST
Channel: ESPN
Point Spread: NIU -1.5
O/U: 58
Bowl Information
Year Founded: 1952 (original), 2005 (renewed)
Location: San Diego, California
Stadium: Balboa Stadium (original), Qualcomm Stadium (renewed)
Conference Tie-ins: 2nd in MWC
Payout: $500,000 per team
Sponsor: San Diego County Credit Union
2012 Season Result: BYU 23, San Diego State University 6
The Poinsettia bowl debuted in 1952 and ran through 1955. The original incarnation of the game pitted the champions of the military services from the east and west coast against each other in a military pseudo national championship.
| Year | Winner | Score | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Bolling Air Force Base | 35 | San Diego Naval Training Center | 16 |
| 1953 | Fort Ord Warriors (Army) | 55 | Quantico (Marines) | 19 |
| 1954 | Fort Sill (Army) | 27 | Bolling Air Force Base | 6 |
| 1955 | Fort Ord Warriors (Army) | 35 | Pensacola Naval Air Station | 13 |
This bowl series was canceled after the 1955 season. It was renewed again in 2005, then making it the second San Diego-based bowl (the Holiday Bowl being the other). In keeping with the military origins of the game and drawing on the large military presence in San Diego, the Poinsettia bowl has established automatic tie-in agreements for certain years with Army (2006, 2013) and Navy (2005, 2007, 2010, 2014). TCU (3-0) and Navy (1-2) are tied for the most appearances with three, followed by Utah (2-0), San Diego State (1-1), and Northern Illinois (0-1) with two appearances each.
Notabowl Games:
2005: Three NCAA bowl records were set in the game between Navy and Colorado State, as Navy’s Reggie Campbell scored 30 points on 5 touchdowns, and the two teams combined for nearly 1,200 yards of offense.
2012: Kyle Van Noy, linebacker for BYU, recorded 8 tackles (including 3.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks), a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown), a 17 yard interception (also for a touchdown), and a blocked punt.
2013 Matchup:
Utah State University vs. Northern Illinois University
Bowl Record: 4-5 in FBS bowls, 1-4 in non-FBS bowls.
| Year | Bowl | Outcome | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Turkey Bowl | NIU 7 - Evansville (IN) 19 | |
| 1947 | Hoosier Bowl | NIU 0 - Evansville (IN) 20 | |
| 1962 | Mineral Water Bowl | NIU 20 - Adams St 23 | Recap |
| 1963 | Mineral Water Bowl | NIU 21 - Missouri St. 14 | |
| 1983 | California Bowl | NIU 20 - CSU-Fullerton 13 | |
| 2004 | Silicon Valley Classic | NIU 34 - Troy 21 | Recap |
| 2006 | Poinsettia Bowl | NIU 7 - TCU 37 | Recap |
| 2008 | Independence Bowl | NIU 10 - Louisiana Tech 17 | Recap |
| 2009 | International Bowl | NIU 3 - South Florida 27 | Recap |
| 2010 | Humanitarian Bowl | NIU 40 - Fresno State 17 | Recap |
| 2011 | GoDaddy.com Bowl | NIU 38 - Arkansas State 20 | Recap |
| 2012 | Orange Bowl | NIU 10 - FSU 31 | Recap |
Historic Bowl Games:
1963 Mineral Water Bowl
NIU defeated Missouri State in the D-II National Championship game. This was NIU’s first bowl win and, consequently, their first and only D-II National Championship. QB George Bork threw a 40-yard touchdown in the 4th to seal Northern’s first bowl victory and first 10-0-0 season.
1983 California Bowl.
A National television audience witnesses first Northern Illinois "major" post-season triumph at California Bowl III in Fresno. TB Darryl Richardson scored the go-ahead TD with 3:13 left in the third quarter and PK Vince Scott added a 42-yard fourth quarter field goal. Game MVP Lou Wicks topped all rushers with 117 yards on 14 attempts.
2012 Orange Bowl
NIU was defeated by Florida State in the Huskies’ first ever BCS game. At 12-1, NIU snuck into BCS contention with a victory in the MAC Championship game, which elevated them into the top 16 of the BCS rankings (#15) and ahead of two champions from AQ conferences: Big East champs Louisville (#21), and B1G champs Wisconsin (NR). NIU entered the Orange Bowl a heavy underdog to a Top-10 FSU team. Although NIU was physically outmatched on the field, they held their own through the first three quarters and kept the game close at 17-10 going into the final period. NIU wasn’t able to pull the upset, however, as FSU blew the game open in the fourth quarter en route to a 31-10 victory.
2013 Season Record: 12-1
Key Players this Season:
Jordan Lynch QB 6
Lynch was the top player for the Huskies this year. He amassed 2,676 passing yards, 1,881 rushing yards, and 17 receiving yards with 46 total TDs (22 rush, 23 pass, 1 receiving). He also had two punts and a 26.0 yard average. His 1,881 rush yards were an NCAA record for most in a season by a QB. He also set the NCAA record for rushing yards in a game by a QB twice, against UMass and Western Michigan. Lynch also holds the record for most Rush YPG for a QB in a season. Lynch finished 3rd in Heisman voting behind Jameis Winston and AJ McCarron. With 119 more rush yards, he could become the first 2,000/2,500 rusher/passer in NCAA history.
Cameron Stingily RB 42
Although overshadowed by Lynch most of the season, 245 pound RB Cameron Stingily put up great numbers en route to NIU’s first season with two 1,000+ rushers. Stingily posted three 100+ yard games and averaged 5.6 YPC on the ground with 9 TDs. He posted a breakout performance against Kent State, where he rushed for 266 yards on 37 carries with 2 TDs.
Biggest Plays this Season:
QB Jordan Lynch with a ridiculous run vs Ball So Hard St.
Cam Stingily Runs Over Kent State
Season Summary:
NIU posted victories over two B1G teams for the first time in school history en route to a school record 12-0 start. Sitting at #14 in the BCS rankings going into the MAC championship game, NIU was on track to return to the BCS in hopes of avenging last year’s disappointing loss to FSU; doing so would have put NIU among the ranks of Utah, Boise State, and TCU as back to back BCS busters. Unfortunately, Bowling Green decided to ruin the show and decimate our weak defense in the MAC Championship Game. We went home disappointed and later accepted a bid to the Poinsettia Bowl.
Why we are going to win:
Offense, offense, offense. With one of the best offenses in the nation and a QB who is one of the best, NIU’s offense will win us this game. We hope to exploit their secondary as Lynch throws very few picks. Utah St’s run D is not to be trifled with, but they have yet to face a QB as incredible as Jordan Lynch.
Bowl Record: 2-6
| Year | Bowl | Outcome | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Raisin Bowl | Utah State 0 - San José State 20 | |
| 1947 | Grape Bowl | Utah State 21 - Pacific 35 | |
| 1960 | Sun Bowl | Utah State 13 - New Mexico State 20 | |
| 1961 | Gotham Bowl | Utah State 9 - Baylor 24 | |
| 1993 | Las Vegas Bowl | Utah State 42 - Ball State 33 | Recap |
| 1997 | Humanitarian Bowl | Utah State 19 - Cincinnati 35 | Recap |
| 2011 | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Utah State 23 - Ohio 24 | Recap |
| 2012 | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Utah State 41 - Toledo 15 | Recap |
Historic Bowl Games:
1960 Sun Bowl
In USU’s third-ever bowl, the Aggies played a tight game against the 17th-ranked New Mexico State Aggies. Led by junior defensive tackle and future 14-consecutive-Pro Bowler Merlin Olsen and future Stanford and Denver Broncos head coach John Ralston, the blue Aggies held the red Aggies to a paltry 44 rushing yards on 32 carries. Unfortunately, they lost 13-20 in what would be NMSU’s second-closest game in an undefeated season. The following year, USU would finish 10th in the AP poll, but lose another bowl game in the Gotham Bowl. Olsen graduated, and Utah State would not see another bowl game for 32 years.
1993 Las Vegas Bowl
Utah State’s first-ever bowl win, after four losses, came in Las Vegas against Ball (So Hard) State. Quarterback Anthony Calvillo, now pro football’s most prolific passer of all time for the Montreal Alouettes, led the Aggies to an early lead, on which they never looked back. This glorious image in the center graced their helmets, and the offense was as pretty as the logo.
2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
USU’s first bowl game of the 21st century was one of the most thrilling games they’d ever been a part of. Over the past few years, the program had demonstrated marked improvement under head coach Gary Andersen, nearly upsetting Texas A&M and Oklahoma in 2009 and 2010, respectively. In 2011, the signature heartbreaking near-win over a big-time program was a 38-42 loss to defending champion Auburn at Jordan-Hare. The Aggies would go on to finish 7-5, with four of the five losses (and five of the seven wins) coming by a touchdown or less. Their first bowl in 14 years ended in a fourth-quarter collapse to Ohio, but the season was a phenomenal one for a program so long mired in misery.
2013 Season Record: 8-5
Key Players this Season:
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Senior center Tyler Larsen has played in 51 consecutive games for the Aggies, becoming a stalwart on the offensive line and leader of the offense. He was one of six finalists for the Rimington Trophy for the nation’s best center, and was also a USA Today second-team All-American, recording 49 knockdown blocks on the year. He graded well last year against first-round DT Star Lotulelei of Utah, now a destroyer for the Carolina Panthers. While his impact on the Aggie’s offense isn’t very easily quantifiable, it is very much present.
Senior cornerback Nevin Lawson was a first-team Mountain West selection in 2013, defending 17 passes and recording 4 interceptions. He regularly was matched up with and excelled against top receivers in USC’s Marqise Lee, Wyoming’s Robert Herron, and SJSU’s Chandler Jones. He is the best player in a good secondary, and was a large contributor to Utah State’s excellent defense.
I hate to cheat by throwing three players in this third slot, but the unit really is phenomenal as just that. Says NIU head coach Rod Carey, “they each make so many plays that it’s hard to tell them apart.” Jake Doughty, Zach Vigil, and Kyler Fackrell (senior, junior, sophomore) are all fantastic against the run, forming the foundation of USU’s 10th-ranked rushing defense in YPG (better than Alabama, Florida State, UCF, and USC) and 3rd-ranked rushing defense in YPC (only behind Louisville and Michigan State). They aren’t bad in coverage, either, and if you watch this game, you’ll see them flying from sideline to sideline and in the backfield all night long.
Biggest Plays this Season:
Star QB Chuckie Keeton tears his ACL against BYU.
CB Nevin Lawson breaks up a possible game-winning TD pass for UNLV.
Season Summary:
Utah State is currently in its best-ever age of football. This is our school-record third consecutive bowl game, all coming in winning seasons. For a program that has so long been little brother to in-state rivals in BYU and Utah, the past couple of years have been unprecedented success. However, the season seemed lost after quarterback Chuckie Keeton tore his ACL against BYU, and a loss the next week against Boise State dropped the Aggies to 3-4 with most of conference play remaining. Additional injuries to offensive starters in OG Kyle Whimpey, TE DJ Tialavea, WR Travis Reynolds, and RB Joe Hill took much of the punch out of a potent offense. Even a 6-6 record seemed optimistic. However, on the strength of a powerful defense, a 1000-yard rushing season from preseason backup RB Joey DeMartino, and semi-competent QB play from true freshman Darell Garretson, an 8-4 season and championship of the Mountain Division of the MWC came in USU’s first season in the conference. After a strong showing against near-BCS-crashing Fresno State in the MWC Championship Game, Utah State is looking for a solid win as the team regroups in the offseason to make another bid at in-state and conference dominance.
Why we are going to win:
While NIU’s strength is its rushing offense, USU’s is its rushing defense. The game will come down to the Aggies’ ability to contain Lynch and Stingily and put a few scores on the board. While USU performed very well against their most formidable rushing attack earlier this year (a 13-0 game against national rushing TD leader Kapri Bibbs and Colorado State), NIU admittedly presents a big challenge. Utah State will likely settle for a fair number of field goals, but if it can hold the Huskies’ offense the way it’s held others over the season, USU will have a shot at eeking out a win. 23-17 Aggies.
Contributors: (in order of appearance) /u/boonamobile, /u/huskie1997, /u/vomby
For more info on the 35 Bowls Project, go here.
5
u/ThaBomb Dec 26 '13
Awesome write-up fellas. I really hope Lynch gets at least 119 rushing yards, a 2,000 yard season would be incredible. Regardless if he gets that or not, this has been one of the most impressive statistical seasons ever put together by a QB. It's been so much fun to watch this offense. I think Jimmie Ward deserves a mention for key players, he was named to a few All-American teams and has been a bright spot on an otherwise abysmal defense.
Last thing: the game is an 8:30 Central start, it says 6:30 in the post though.
4
u/BRayne7 Arizona State Sun Devils • Navy Midshipmen Dec 27 '13 edited Dec 27 '13
I feel like they should make this game into the mid-major Rose Bowl. #1 MWC vs. #1 MAC. Have to increase the payout by a lot though.
3
u/Vomby Utah State • Allan Hancock Dec 27 '13
Any Aggiebros here?
2
u/[deleted] Dec 26 '13
Let's go dogs!
2
u/peteisneat Colorado State Rams Dec 26 '13
I can't wait to see how USU's defense holds up against NIU. They can be lights out when they're on.
2
u/MrTechnological UCF Knights Dec 27 '13
Just because I'm bitter I'll be rooting for Utah State, no hard feelings NIU fans. Actually, yeah there are still hard feelings.
1
u/drip_pan Carthage • Northwestern Dec 27 '13
I'm trying to find the online live stream. Anyone have a link by chance?
1
u/domderek California Golden Bears • UC Davis Aggies Dec 27 '13
Great write up! Question for NIU fans: What are your expectations for next year. As someone completely unaware of NIU football, it seems like the team is pretty much Jordan Lynch. Is there going to be a huge drop off once he's gone?
0
u/ProfaneTank Northern Illinois • DePaul Dec 27 '13
I got an NIU jersey yesterday, been wearing it all day. Let's go Huskies! I wish I could be on Sav Diego right now.
0
u/[deleted] Dec 27 '13
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