While the Orange Bowl match-up has been billed as David versus Goliath, as well as an explosive offensive versus a suffocating defense, there is more than meets the eye.

The offense of NIU is not the only aspect that has allowed it to become the first MAC team in a BCS Bowl game. The Huskies’ defense sits at number 35 in the total NCAA rankings, and the improvements made since last season have allowed the team to find newer heights than a very talented offensive group last year.

“As a team, we’re tighter,” said senior linebacker Tyrone Clark. “As the program keeps getting better, players get more together. We had a lot of players come back offensively and defensively and it just made everything flow.”

The Huskies’ defense was one of the top 20 in terms of fewest points allowed, sitting at number 18 with just 247 points allowed.

Florida State’s offense, on the flip side, was an overall top 25 team in the NCAA, sitting at 23. The Seminoles were in the top 25 in both rushing offense and scoring offense, but were down at 41 in the passing game.

With the backlash of media against the inclusion of NIU in the Orange Bowl, the Seminoles’ offense is not taking the bait and underestimating their opponents defensively.

“I don’t think we need to go out there and recreate the wheel or anything like that,” said Florida State senior quarterback EJ Manuel. “I’m not going to disrespect NIU and say these guys don’t belong. They won the games they needed to win, they won their conference. I guess the Big East didn’t do as well as they should have; if anything, people should be upset at the Big East. NIU’s done a great job this year.”

In Manuel’s mind, the unheralded aspects of both teams’ games will decide the outcome.

“I think that’s gonna kind of be the x-factor,” Manuel said. “Not just necessarily making it an offense, defense thing. Whichever team comes out and plays great for 60 minutes. These guys aren’t in our conference, they may not do as well in our conference, but they can play great for 60 minutes, and we understand that.”

The defensive front of NIU has been consistent all year and will look to stop the Manuel-led offense, with standout performances from senior defensive ends Alan Baxter and Sean Progar expected from both sides.

Progar believes that the type of offense NIU will see come game day is more similar to Iowa, its only loss of the season, than to its normal MAC opponents.

“Obviously they’re a dynamic offense, they’re in the ACC, we expect something big out of them,” Progar said. “It’s a completely different offense. The MAC’s a lot of spread. Florida State’s a lot of I, more pro offense. We’ve seen a lot of offenses throughout our time here as seniors. They’re a little more similar to Iowa, they’re going to come down hill and run the ball, and then their play-action and beat you deep.”

Junior safety Jimmie Ward expounded on the idea of running the ball, and how keying in on stopping the run will be a big aspect of NIU finding defensive success come game day.

“Stop the run, make them one dimensional and make them pass,” Ward said. “Once you stop the run, basically a lot of teams want to run the ball anyway, if you make them one-dimensional it’s very easy to do the game plan.”

While the Huskies do not have members of their defense receiving national media attention like their quarterback Jordan Lynch, FSU offensive coordinator James Coley is a believer in the defensive unit of the Huskies.

“As a group, they play extremely hard,” Coley said. “They’re a bunch of guys who believe in what they’re doing. So that’s our challenge. They’re gonna have conviction in what they do. You have certain players that are gonna play at the next level, number 90 at defensive end [Baxter], number 93 at defensive tackle [Ken Bishop]. They have the right eleven playing. We’re facing a team that’s gonna be willing to bloody their noses and get after you.”