Northern Illinois ends their bowl game streak winning Camellia Bowl against Arkansas State 21-19

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – It was another Camellia Bowl that did not disappoint. Another game coming down to the wire decided by fewer than three points between Northern Illinois and Arkansas State.

Both teams came into the game 6-6.

Northern Illinois gets the ball to start off, landing inside the redzone with Rocky Lombardi tossing one up and a grab from Grayson Barnes for a Huskies Touchdown. They went for two and missed. 6-0 NIU.

Midway through the first, Freshman Jaylen Raynor makes a 42 yard spiral pass to Corey Rucker for a touchdown, Arkansas taking the lead 7-6.

Before the end of the quarter, Northern Illinois makes it back into the endzone. Rocky Lombardi with the QB read barreled into a redwolf defender and goes in for a touchdown. 13-7 Huskies going into the second quarter.

Possibly the play of the game, NIU lined up for a 47 yard field goal but pulls a fakeout. Kanon Woodill the kicker takes it 32 yards. Touchdown Huskies 21-7.

Arkansas State adds two field goals to make it a 21-13 game at the half.

Second half, Woodill seems to have had kicking issues. One bounces off the uprights from 27 yards away. His second miss of the game.

Fourth quarter under two minutes to play Raynor goes to Rucker again. 13 yards and the red wolves are down by 2 but can’t convert so it stayed 21-19. They went for the onside kick and it looked like Arkansas state had recovered! But there is an offsides call against Arkansas state, forcing them to rekick.

Northern Illinois recovered the onside kick and kneeled it out… Huskies are your 2023 Camellia Bowl champions.

“For these guys to win the game and walk off the field as champions is everything to our seniors. It’s everything to our guys coming back,” said Northern Illinois Head Coach Thomas Hammock. “Tough ball game, right? We played complimentary football in all three phases.”

“Football’s a game of accumulation of plays. And not one play wins or loses the game for you. Every play has a flow that dictates different outcomes in the game,” said Arkansas State Head Coach Butch Jones.

Northern Illinois has ended their bowl game streak, winning it’s first bowl since 2012. They end the season 7-6, Arkansas state 6-7.

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