Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch said he’s not scared of Florida State. But maybe the Seminoles, who face the Huskies in Tuesday night’s Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium, should be a little afraid of Lynch.
A dual-threat quarterback like few others, Lynch is enjoying one of the finest seasons in college football history.
But the 6-foot-1, 220-pound junior from Chicago might have been all but unknown to Florida State fans until he made some inflammatory comments last week that have surely found their way onto the Seminoles’ bulletin board.
Referring to an FSU defense that ranks second nationally in yards allowed, Lynch told The Sporting News: “We plan on wearing them down. In the fourth quarter, we plan to have them on their knees — and then just keep pounding away.”
Lynch didn’t stop there. He praised the Seminoles’ defense for being fast and physical but warned the ACC champions that they “haven’t seen anything like our offense.”
Whether Lynch’s remarks end up being viewed as prophetic or idiotic depends on the result of Tuesday night’s game, which Northern Illinois, the Mid-American Conference champion, enters as a 13.5-point underdog.
But there’s plenty of reason for Lynch to feel confident.
Directing an offense that ranks eighth nationally in scoring average (40.8 points), Lynch has put up numbers that no quarterback, including Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M, can match. Lynch enters Tuesday’s game with 1,771 rushing yards, the most ever by an FBS quarterback, and 11 consecutive 100-yard rushing games, also a record for quarterbacks.
But Lynch, third nationally in total offense, isn’t all run and no throw. He has completed 62.9 percent of his attempts with 24 touchdown passes and only five interceptions, and his 2,962 passing yards make him and Michigan’s Denard Robinson the only two players ever to rush for 1,500 yards and throw for 2,500 yards in a single season.
In the Heisman voting, Lynch finished seventh overall and received three first-place votes.
“Going 12-1 and being in the Orange Bowl, it’s a dream come true,” Lynch said. “It’s kind of surreal at first and starting to kick in now.”
The fact that Lynch is in this position is surreal itself. A triple-option quarterback at Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, Lynch’s only scholarship offer was extended by former Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill, who is now at Minnesota.
After spending two years as a backup, Lynch lost his first game as a starter in the 2012 season opener to Iowa before leading the Huskies to 12 consecutive wins. That streak is tied with Notre Dame and Ohio State as the nation’s longest.
“The problem with him is that he’s running the ball so effectively in the read-option, everyone’s trying to load up the box against him, which opens up opportunities for big chunks in the passing game,” Kansas coach Charlie Weis said earlier this season after Lynch carved up the Jayhawks in a 30-23 win. “You really have to pick your poison.”
Lynch, who has rushed for 19 touchdowns, does most of his damage as a ball carrier. He’s fast enough to run by opponents but is more than willing to put his shoulder down and run over defenders.
“He’s going to make you regret trying to tackle him,” left guard Jared Volk said.
The quarterback has 271 rushing attempts this season and admits he has taken some big shots, but he has yet to miss a down because of injury.
“Probably the toughest player I’ve ever seen,” Northern Illinois quarterbacks coach Bob Cole said. “I’ve been coaching for quite some time now, 25 years, and I’ve never seen a player that takes the pounding he takes. Just a tough kid from the south side of Chicago who loves playing football.”
That toughness has brought admiration and complete trust from his teammates and coaches, which might be why Lynch received zero negative feedback from them after his comments regarding FSU were published last week.
“Is that brash?” Northern Illinois coach Rod Carey said. “What’s he supposed to say? ‘We’re just hoping to get a first down, or a yard or two?’ ”
About the Author
