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
