
Bjoern Werner didn’t help his stock in the Orange Bowl, but he didn’t hurt it either. (USA Today Sports Images)
NEPD Staff Writer: Dan Hope
The Orange Bowl didn’t turn out to be among the better games of New Year’s Day, but truthfully, it lived up to the expectations of many. The Northern Illinois Huskies earned a BCS berth as the result of a 12-win season in the Mid-American Conference, but against their toughest opponent of the year in the Florida State Seminoles, they were overmatched athletically on both sides of the ball.
There were some NFL prospects worth watching in this game, and as it turned out, it was a couple of late-round picks who stole the slow: Florida State running back/fullback Lonnie Pryor, who was named the game’s MVP after a 134-yard, two-touchdown performance, and linebacker Vince Williams, who made plays throughout the game and all over the field.