_Here’s a preview of some photos of the happenings around the stadium. Journal-World photographer Nick Krug will have more (and much better) photos as the game moves along, but here’s some to give you an idea of what’s happening._MIAMI – It’s still three hours until kickoff, the seats are still empty, but fans have been at Dolphin Stadium for the Orange Bowl for hours.One group of Kansas fans – from Newark, Del., – decorated their car with oranges on the antenna as well as along the roof. Justin Baynes, the car’s owner, said he had family in Kansas and consequently was a Jayhawk fan.”A couple of Virginia Tech fans flipped us off on our way down,” he said. “And people in Miami have been giving us a lot of weird looks. But whenever we see Jayhawk fans, they cheer.”

Erica Heiden, a KU senior from Des Moines, Iowa, drove down to the Orange Bowl with some friends.The drive was OK, she said, until one of her friends had a little accident at the gas pump.”Our friend spilled gas all over himself,” she said. “So we got to smell gas the whole way from Tennessee on.”That’s about 13 hours for those who’ve never made the drive.

At the official Orange Bowl tailgate before the game, fans had the opportunity to check out the Orange Bowl championship trophy that is given to tonight’s game winner.Glenn and Yvonne Cover, originally of Topeka but now of Miami, snapped a family photo with the trophy.”We want to take it home with us,” they said. “We never expected we’d be following the Jayhawk football team to a bowl game.”

The official KU tailgate, held at Calder horse track near Dolphin Stadium, attracted thousands of Jayhawk fans, including several university leaders.In addition to Chancellor Robert Hemenway, Provost Richard Lariviere, Medical Center Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara Atkinson, Endowment Association President Dale Seuferling Regents Chairwoman Christine Downey-Schmidt, Regents CEO Reggie Robinson and others were also at the rally.”You can really see from all the planning and quality of the people associated with it that this is a BCS bowl game,” Hemenway said. “It’s a great honor to be here, buy you can see how tough it is to stay at this level.”Tickets to the $45 event were sold out several weeks ago, though in addition to the wealthy alumni, it looked like a number of students and more typical fans managed to snag a ticket or too.Among the two most popular fans were John and Kyle Swenson, brothers originally from Beloit. John now lives in Homestead, Fla., just south of Dolphin Stadium.The Swenson brothers painted themselves bright blue for the game, despite the occasional sprinkles and downright chilly temperatures. Both said they intended to be bare chested for the game.”It’s the Orange Bowl, man,” John said. “We’re so proud of these guys.”