Camellia Bowl set with Arkansas State, Northern Illinios
By BARRY ALLEN
MONTGOMERY – The matchup is set for the 10th -annual Camellia Bowl.
The Arkansas State Red Wolves and Northern Illinois Huskies will meet on Saturday, Dec. 23 at 11 a.m. CT at Cramton Bowl in downtown Montgomery. The game will be televised on ESPN, and simulcast on ESPN+.
Arkansas State (6-6, 4-4 Sun Belt) scored a Sun Belt Conference record 77 points in a win over Texas State on Nov. 18. The Red Wolves scored seven rushing touchdowns, three defensive touchdowns and added one kickoff return for the touchdown in the win. The 77 points were the third-most points scored by an FBS team in 2023. Overall, ASU topped the 30-point mark five times this season.
Head coach Butch Jones is in his third season with the Red Wolves. He has compiled a 92-70 record in 12 seasons at Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Tennessee and Arkansas State. Prior to taking the job at ASU, Jones spent three seasons on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama as an Offensive Analyst (2018-19) and Special Assistant to the Head Coach (2020).
Northern Illinois (6-6, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) brings the sixth-ranked passing defense (163.9 pass yards per game) to Montgomery and the 11th best in pass efficiency defense (114.4). NIU opened the season with a 27-24 overtime win at Boston College. It was their second straight year with a win over an ACC team. NIU opened the 2022 season with a 22-21 win at Georgia Tech.
Head coach Thomas Hammock has compiled a 23-33 record in five seasons at his alma mater. He guided the Huskies to a 9-5 record and a berth in the 2021 MAC Championship Game. Hammock played tailback for the Huskies from 1999-2002. He was the school’s running backs coach in 2005-06. He has also been an assistant coach at Minnesota and Wisconsin, and in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens.
Arkansas State Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Jeff Purinton and Northern Illinois Vice President/Athletics Director and Recreation Shawn T. Frazier both have ties to Alabama. Purinton spent 15 years at the UA Athletic Administration, including the school’s Deputy Athletics Director from 2019-21. Frazier played football for the Crimson Tide from 1987-91 and was a member of the 1989 SEC Championship team. He earned his bachelor’s degree in public relations from UA.
Arkansas State will be playing in its 18th all-time bowl game, dating back to its inaugural bowl appearance in the 1951 Refrigerator Bowl in Evansville, Ind. ASU is 8-9 all-time in post season bowl games. The Red Wolves are making their third appearance at the Camellia Bowl, splitting the previous two games. Middle Tennessee defeated Arkansas State 35-30 in the 2017 Camellia Bowl. Arkansas State defeated Florida International 34-26 in the 2019 Camellia Bowl. Arkansas State also played in four straight GoDaddy Bowls in Mobile from 2012-15.
Northern Illinois is making its 15th all-time bowl appearance, dating back to its 20-0 win over Cal State Fullerton in the 1983 California Bowl. NIU cracked the BCS rankings and faced Florida State in the 2013 Orange Bowl, falling to the Seminoles 31-10. NIU is 4-10 all-time in bowl play.
Northern Illinois posted a 19-16 win over No. 21 Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 20, 2003. Michel Turner, who played with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL, ran the ball 21 times for 157 yards to lead the upset over the Crimson Tide.
The 2023 Camellia Bowl will mark the second time Arkansas State and Northern Illinois have met in a bowl game. NIU defeated ASU 38-20 in the 2012 GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile. The Huskies erased a 13-0 deficit to post the 18-point comeback win. NIU wide receiver Martel Moore caught eight passes for 224 yards and one TD. Dechan Durante capped the scoring with a 36-yard “Pick 6” for the Huskies. ASU quarterback Ryan Alpin completed 30-of-58 passes for 353 yards and one TD. His favorite target was Taylor Stockemer, who set ASU bowl records with 11 catches for 185 yards and one TD.
CAMELLIA BOWL RESULTS
Date Result Attendance TV
Dec. 20, 2014 Bowling Green 33, South Alabama 28 20,256 ESPN
Dec. 19, 2015 Appalachian State 31, Ohio 29 21,395 ESPN
Dec. 17, 2016 Appalachian State 31, Toledo 28 20,300 ESPN
Dec. 16, 2017 Middle Tennessee 35, Arkansas St. 30 20,612 ESPN
Dec. 15, 2018 Georgia Southern 23, E. Michigan 21 17,710 ESPN
Dec. 21, 2019 Arkansas St. 34, FIU 26 16,209 ESPN
Dec. 25, 2020 Buffalo 17, Marshall 10 2,512 (Covid) ESPN
Dec. 25, 2021 Georgia State 51, Ball State 20 7,345 ESPN
Dec. 27, 2022 Buffalo 23, Georgia Southern 21 15,232 ESPN