MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Quarterback Jaylen Raynor, the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, is looking to cap off his first season of college football by leading Arkansas State to a Camellia Bowl victory over Northern Illinois today.

But he has already impressed his coach.

“His maturity is beyond his age,” ASU Coach Butch Jones said of Raynor. “He just has those leadership characteristics, those intangibles. We talk about being a ‘CEO’ quarterback. That is somebody that owns the team and runs the team. Playing quarterback, you have to be a problem-solver. He’s done all of that.”

Heading into today’s game, Northern Illinois Coach Thomas Hammock said he is keenly aware of the problems Raynor presents for a defense and how critical it is for the Huskies to contain him.

“Dynamic player,” Hammock said. “He really makes their offense go. His ability to get them in the right play. To be a plus-one runner with having the ability to run the ball. He has a great deep ball.

“He’s got some athletes on the perimeter that make plays for him, but he does a good job of directing those guys and creating opportunities for them to be an explosive offense.”

Jones said he couldn’t ask more from the freshman.

“What we ask of him from a scheme standpoint of checking protections and checking runs and getting us into the right plays that need to be run, is really remarkable,” Jones said. “I can’t say enough about him as a person. His character. His competitive character. He is a tremendous representative and ambassador for Arkansas State football.”

Dramatic changes

Arkansas State and Northern Illinois each finished last season with a 3-9 record.

They represent two of seven FBS programs that won three or fewer games last season and qualified for bowl games in 2023.

“At one point in the season, we were a 1-4 football team,” Northern Illinois Coach Thomas Hammock said. “We needed to make the transition in-season to have this opportunity.”

The Huskies won five of their last seven games to qualify for the bowl game, while the Red Wolves won six of their final 10.

Huskies’ history

Northern Illinois has dominated the series against Arkansas State, winning seven of the eight matchups.

Huskies Coach Thomas Hammock said he is aware of that history, but downplayed the significance heading into today’s game.

“I just read that the other day, but that has no bearing on the two teams that are playing [today],” he said. “It’s ironic more so than anything. You got two teams that are going to do whatever it takes to win and it should be an exciting matchup. Sounds like these games have been down to the wire, hopefully this game is no different.”

Warm conditions

With temperatures expected to be near 70 degrees at today’s game, it will be much warmer than the teams have been used to in practice leading up to the game.

While it has been chilly in Arkansas, the Huskies saw snow recently in DeKalb, Ill.

“It’s kind of worrisome,” Northern Illinois Coach Thomas Hammock said of the warmth. “You’re notused to playing in these type of conditions. We’ve really stressed the hydration piece. In the fourth quarter when you’re playing your 50th or 60th snap, that hydration piece is really going to be a factor in the game in my opinion.”

“It’s something that we stress every single game,” Arkansas State Coach Butch Jones said. “Fueling your body. Making sure you’re taking care of the hydration, the sleep, the nutrients that you need to put in your body. A lot of times it’s just your mental disposition. It’s a mindset.”

Camellia Bowl

ARKANSAS STATE VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS

WHEN 11 a.m. Central

WHERE Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.

RECORDS Arkansas State 6-6; Northern Illinois 6-6

COACHES Butch Jones (11-25 in third season at ASU, 95-79 in 14th season overall) ; Thomas Hammock (23-3 in fifth season at Northern Illinois and overall)

TV ESPN

RADIO KFIN-FM, 107.9, Jonesboro; KBZU-FM, 106.7, Little Rock

STREAMING ESPN-Plus

NOTEWORTHY Arkansas State and Northern Illinois are among seven teams that won three or fewer games in 2022 and earned a bowl game bid in 2023. … The Red Wolves are one of 10 teams in the FBS who have played five or more true freshmen in every game this season. … Northern Illinois has played in 14 bowl games, 13 appearances since 2004. The Huskies currently hold a bowl record of 4-10. The last bowl win for NIU came in 2012 GoDaddy.com Bowl, a 38-20 victory over Arkansas State.

ASU bowl history

YEAR BOWL, SITE OPPONENT RESULT

1951 Refrigerator, Evansville, Ind. Camp Brecknridge W, 46-12

1952 Tangerine, Orlando, Fla. Stetson L, 35-20

1952 Refrigerator, Evansville, Ind. Western Kentucky L, 34-19

1954 Tangerine, Orlando, Fla. East Texas State T, 7-7

1968 Pecan, Arlington, Texas North Dakota State L, 23-14

1969 Pecan, Arlington, Texas Drake W, 29-21

1970 Pecan, Arlington, Texas Central Missouri State W, 38-21

2005 New Orleans, Lafayette, La. Southern Miss L, 31-19

2012 GoDaddy.com, Mobile, Ala. Northern Illinois L, 38-20

2013 GoDaddy.com, Mobile, Ala. Kent State W, 17-13

2014 GoDaddy, Mobile, Ala. Ball State W, 23-20

2015 GoDaddy, Mobile, Ala. Toledo L, 63-44

2015 New Orleans, New Orleans Louisiana Tech L, 47-28

2016 Cure, Orlando, Fla. Central Florida W, 31-13

2017 Camellia, Montgomery, Ala. Middle Tennessee L, 35-30

2018 Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. Nevada L, 16-13, OT

2019 Camellia, Montgomery, Ala. Florida International W, 34-26