Orange Bowl Bowl Player Profile & More

2007 FedEx Orange Bowl Bowl Player Profile, History & More

Wake Forest (11-2) vs. Louisville (11-1)

January 2nd, 8:00 p.m. ET, Fox

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Orange Bowl History
2006	Penn St 26, Florida St 23 (3OT)
2005	USC 55, Oklahoma 19
2004	Miami 16, Florida State 14
2003	USC 38, Iowa 17
2002	Florida 56, Maryland 23
2001	Oklahoma 13, Florida State 2
2000	Michigan 35, Alabama 34 (OT)
1999	Florida 31, Syracuse 10
1998	Nebraska 42, Tennessee 17
1997	Nebraska 41, Virginia Tech 21
1996	Florida St 31, Notre Dame 26
1995	Nebraska 24, Miami 17
1994	Florida State 18, Nebraska 16
1993	Florida State 27, Nebraska 14
1992	Miami 22, Nebraska 0
1991	Colorado 10, Notre Dame 9
1990	Notre Dame 21, Colorado 6
1989	Miami 23, Nebraska 3
1988	Miami 20, Oklahoma 14
1987	Oklahoma 42, Arkansas 8
1986	Oklahoma 25, Penn State 10
1985	Washington 28, Oklahoma 17
1984	Miami 31, Nebraska 30
1983	Nebraska 21, LSU 20
1982	Clemson 22, Nebraska 15
1981	Oklahoma 18, Florida State 17
1980	Oklahoma 24, Florida State 7
1979	Oklahoma 31, Nebraska 24
1978	Arkansas 31, Oklahoma 0
1977	Ohio State 27, Colorado 10
1976	Oklahoma 14, Michigan 6
1975	Notre Dame 13, Alabama 11
1974	Penn State 16, LSU 9
1973	Nebraska 40, Notre Dame 6
1972	Nebraska 38, Alabama 6
1971	Nebraska 17, LSU 12
1970	Penn State 10, Missouri 3
1969	Penn State 15, Kansas 14
1968	Oklahoma 26, Tennessee 24
1967	Florida 27, Georgia Tech 12
1966	Alabama 39, Nebraska 28
1965	Texas 21, Alabama 17
1964	Nebraska 13, Auburn 7
1963	Alabama 17, Oklahoma 0
1962	LSU 25, Colorado 7
1961	Missouri 21, Navy 14
1960	Georgia 14, Missouri 0
1959	Oklahoma 21, Syracuse 6
1958	Oklahoma 48, Duke 21
1957	Colorado 27, Clemson 21
1956	Oklahoma 20, Maryland 6
1955	Duke 34, Nebraska 7
1954	Oklahoma 7, Maryland 0
1953	Alabama 61, Syracuse 6
1952	Georgia Tech 17, Baylor 14
1951	Clemson 15, Miami  14
1950	Santa Clara 21, Kentucky 13
1949	Texas 41, Georgia 28
1948	Georgia Tech 20, Kansas 14
1947	Rice 8, Tennessee 0
1946	Miami 13, Holy Cross 6
1945	Tulsa 26, Georgia Tech 12
1944	LSU 19, Texas A&M 14
1943	Alabama 37, Boston College 21
1942	Georgia 40, TCU 26
1941	Mississippi State 14, Georgetown 7
1940	Georgia Tech 21, Missouri 7
1939	Tennessee 17, Oklahoma 0
1938	Auburn 6, Michigan State 0
1937	Duquesne 13, Mississippi State 12
1936	Catholic 20, Mississippi 19
1935	Bucknell 26, Miami  0

By Richard Cirminiello

Orange Bowl Player Profile
DT Amobi Okoye, Louisville – Never before in the history of intercollegiate sports has the term “man-child” been more apropos than when describing Okoye.  The native of Nigeria, who moved to Huntsville, Ala. with his family, tested into ninth grade at the age of 12, setting in motion one of the strangest stories in college football over the past few years.  Knowing next to nothing about the sport, Okoye tried his hand at football as a high school sophomore, quickly developing into one of the state’s top defensive lineman and attracting attention from Division I programs.  He signed with Louisville at the age of 15, played his first college game at 16 and at 19, when most athletes are just beginning their careers, Okoye is putting a bow on his as an All-American with a very bright future in the NFL.  In a sport that covets athletic run-stuffers, he’s an ideal blend of size, strength and quickness wrapped in an explosive upfield burst that collapses pockets and requires the attention of more than one blocker.  Blessed with an inordinate amount of confidence and maturity, he’s also tackled the books at Louisville like they were undersized kickers.  While many students take five years or longer to obtain a degree, Okoye needed just 3½ years to graduate this month with a degree in psychology no less.  He’s gotten better and better each season with the Cardinals, but still has plenty of room for growth, an exciting concept for whichever team drafts him next April.  Just seven years after leaving Africa for a new life, the child has grown into a man and one heck of a force in the middle of the Louisville defensive line.                  

Best Demon Deacon Bowl Moment – Wake Forest’s last bowl game was also its most impressive postseason effort.  Given little chance for victory in the 2002 Seattle Bowl, the Demon Deacons routed favored Oregon 38-17 behind a balanced offensive attack that featured 256 yards on the ground and 241 yards through the air.  Game MVP James MacPherson ran for a score and passed for two touchdowns and 241 yards on just 9-of-16 passing.  

Best Cardinal Bowl Moment – Behind a record-setting day from Browning Nagle, Howard Schnellenberger’s 1990 team ended a 13-year bowl dry spell by pounding Alabama in the Fiesta Bowl.  Nagle threw for 451 yards and three touchdown passes in a shockingly easy 34-7 win that garnered Louisville a heavy dose of national respect and notoriety.

Louisville's best win ... Louisville 44 ... West Virginia 34
In a shootout with the two teams combining for 1,008 yards, Louisville turned the game around early in the second half with a 13-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Malik Jackson and a 40-yard punt return for a score from Trent Guy. Each offense was unstoppable as West Virginia, even without a banged up Steve Slaton in the third quarter, ran for 318 yards with Pat White scoring four times. Louisville got two Anthony Allen touchdown runs and kept the pressure up in the second half with a seven-yard Mario Urrutia touchdown catch. Slaton tore off a 42-yard run for an early 7-3 lead, but suffered an arm injury that kept him out for two drives.

Louisville's worst loss ... Rutgers 28 ... Louisville 25
With the game tied at 25, Rutgers PK Jeremy Ito missed a 28-yard field goal attempt with :13 to play. Louisville was flagged for an offsides penalty, Ito got another chance, and hit it right down the middle to complete an 18-point comeback. The Cardinals got up 25-7 in the first half on a two-yard Anthony Allen run and a five-yard Jimmy Riley touchdown run, and answered a 26-yard Tiquan Underwood touchdown that tied it at seven with a 100-yard kickoff return for a score from JaJuan Spillman. Ray Rice ran for an 18-yard score late in the first half to start off Rutgers' run, and then ran for a four-yard score in the third quarter to pull within three. A 46-yard Ito field goal tied it, but it was the 11-play, 80-yard drive with a key 26-yard catch-and-run on third and six from Brian Leonard to get in Louisville territory, and then Rice ripped off 20 yards to get into field goal range.  

Wake Forest's best win ... Wake Forest 30 ... Florida State 0
Wake Forest held Florida State to 139 yards of total offense and won easily with Sam Swank field goals from 20, 25 and 51 yards out, a 18-yard touchdown catch from John Tereshinski on the first play after an interception, and a 33-yard touchdown run from Richard Belton to turn it into a laugher. Kevin Patterson ended any and all Seminole hope with a 48-yard interception return for a score. The Seminole quarterbacks combined to complete nine of 28 pass with both Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee throwing two picks.

Wake Forest's worst loss ... Virginia Tech 27 ... Wake Forest 6
Virginia Tech lost star RB Branden Ore early to an ankle injury, but got an efficient game from Sean Glennon with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Josh Morgan and a 49-yard scoring pass to Eddie Royal for a 14-3 lead. The Tech defense got into the act with a 35-yard fumble return for a score from Xavier Adibi, while Brandon Pace hit field goals from 42 and 35 yards out. Wake Forest only managed 257 yards of offense and two Sam Swank field goals.

2006 Orange Bowl
Penn State 26 ... Florida State 23 3OT
After three overtimes and several missed kicks from both sides, Penn State's Kevin Kelly finally hit one sneaking a 29-yarder inside the upright to end the marathon. FSU PK Gary Cismesia, who missed an extra point in the second quarter after a 57-yard Lorenzo Booker touchdown run, forced overtime with a 48-yard shot with 4:08 to play. In the first overtime, both Cismesia and Kelly missed field goal attempts. In the second overtime, Florida State answered a one-yard touchdown run from PSU's Austin Scott with a one-yard B.J. Dean touchdown. In the third OT, Cismesia's field goal attempt nailed the right upright before Kelly connected. Scott had started the scoring on a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but FSU got back in the game in the second on a 87-yard punt return for a touchdown from Willie Reid.
Player of the game: Penn State RB Austin Scott ran 26 times for 110 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Penn State - Passing: Michael Robinson, 21-39, 253 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Austin Scott, 26-110, 2 TD. Receiving: Jordan Norwood, 6-110
Florida State - Passing: Drew Weatherford, 24-43, 258 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Leon Washington, 6-30, Receiving: Leon Washington 6-24

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Louisville Bowl History (5-7-1)

2005	Gator	Virginia Tech 35, Louisville 24
2004	Liberty	Louisville 44, Boise State 40
2003	GMAC	Miami Univ. 49, Louisville 28
2002	GMAC	Marshall 38, Louisville 15
2001	Liberty	Louisville 28, BYU 10
2000	Liberty	Southern Miss 22, Louisville 17
1999	Humanitarian	Boise State 34, Louisville 31
1998	Motor City	Marshall 48, Louisville 29
1993	Liberty	Louisville 18, Michigan State 7
1990	Fiesta	Louisville 34, Alabama 7
1977	Independence	Louisiana Tech 24, Louisville 14
1970	Pasadena	Louisville 24, Long Beach 24 (tie)
1957	Sun	Louisville 34, Drake 20

Wake Forest Bowl History (4-2)

2002	Seattle	Wake Forest 38, Oregon 17
1999	Aloha Classic	Wake Forest 23, Arizona State 3
1992	Independence	Wake Forest 39, Oregon 35
1979	Tangerine	LSU 34, Wake Forest 10
1948	Dixie	Baylor 20, Wake Forest 7
1945	Gator	Wake Forest 26, South Carolina 14