2007 Navy vs. Notre Dame football game

NCAAFootballSingleGameHeader
Name=Navy snaps 43-year losing streak
Date=November 3, 2007
Year=2007
Visitor School=United States Naval Academy
Visitor Name Short=Navy
Visitor Nickname=Midshipmen
Visitor Record=4-4
Visitor

Visitor Coaches=
Visitor BCS=
Visitor Coach=Paul Johnson
Visitor1=0
Visitor2=14
Visitor3=6
Visitor4=8
Visitor5=7
Visitor6=3
Visitor7=8
Visitor Total=46
Home School=University of Notre Dame
Home Name Short=Notre Dame
Home Nickname=Fighting Irish
Home Record=1-7
Home

Home Coaches=
Home BCS=
Home Coach=Charlie Weis
Home1=7
Home2=14
Home3=0
Home4=7
Home5=7
Home6=3
Home7=6
Home Total=44
Type=Regular season game
Stadium=Notre Dame Stadium
City=South Bend, Indiana
US Network=NBC
US Announcers=
Anthem=Band of the Fighting Irish
Halftime=Band of the Fighting Irish
Attendance=80,795

The 2007 Navy vs. Notre Dame football game ended the longest all-time college football consecutive wins streak by one team over another. On November 3 2007, the Navy Midshipmen defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 46–44 in triple-overtime at Notre Dame's home field, Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame came into the game with 43 consecutive wins against Navy since the last loss in 1963.cite web | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=273070087 | title=Notre Dame's NCAA-record 43-game win streak over Navy ends | publisher="ESPN.com" | date=2007-11-03 | accessdate=2007-11-03] With the win, Navy improved to 5–4 and Notre Dame fell to 1–8 on the season.

Leading into the game

The 2007 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team began the season with a 33–3 loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. It was the most lopsided loss Notre Dame had ever suffered in a season-opening game. [cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=272440087|title=Yellow Jackets shut down, nearly shut out Irish|publisher=ESPN|date=September 1, 2007|accessdate=2007-09-03] Notre Dame then lost to Penn State, [cite news|url=http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=272510213|title=Nittany Lions' defense punishes Clausen in Notre Dame debut|publisher="ESPN.com"|date=September 8, 2007|accessdate=2007-09-11] Michigan (tying Notre Dame's worst-ever loss at 38–0), [cite news | url=http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=272580130 | title=Michigan has Hart, much more in rout of winless ND | publisher="ESPN.com" | date=September 15 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-15] Michigan State, [cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=272650087|title=Notre Dame goes 0-4 for the first time in school history|publisher="ESPN.com" |date=September 22, 2007|accessdate=2007-09-30] and Purdue [cite news|url=http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=272722509&confId=80|title=Notre Dame scores first passing TD but remains winless|publisher=ESPN|date=September 29, 2007|accessdate=2007-09-30] It was the first time in school history for Notre Dame to open the season with five losses. Notre Dame's worst opening prior to 2007 was 0–3. [cite news|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21049290/|title=Irish drop to 0-5 after defeat to Purdue| work=MSNBC.com | publisher="MSNBC"|date=September 292007|accessdate=2007-09-30]

The Fighting Irish snapped their losing streak with a win at UCLA but then lost to Boston College and USC to fall to 1–7. With only four regular season games remaining, Notre Dame was assured of a losing season and they were out of contention for a bowl game.

The 2007 Navy Midshipmen football team was off to a better start. They had achieved victories against Temple, Duke, Air Force, and Pittsburgh. Losses against Rutgers, Ball State, Wake Forest, and Delaware put them 4–4 on the season. With four games remaining in the season, Navy needed to win at least two in order to be invited to a bowl game. The Poinsettia Bowl and Navy had arranged for Navy to play in that bowl if they reached six wins. [cite news | url=http://www.poinsettiabowl.net/2007/bowl-eligible-navy-to-play-in-2007-sdccu-poinsettia-bowl.html | title=Bowl Eligible Navy to Play in 2007 SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl | work=PoinsettiaBowl.net | publisher=San Diego County Credit Union | date=March 42007|accessdate=2007-11-04]

Both teams play NCAA Division I FBS football as independent teams, unaffiliated with any conference. The game was televised nationally by NBC, which has the exclusive TV broadcast rights to Notre Dame home games.

Game summary

Notre Dame made the first score of the game, a 3 yard touchdown run by Robert Hughes. It was the only score of the first quarter. Each team scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, to give the Irish a 21–14 at halftime.cite news | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/playbyplay?gameId=273070087&period=0 | title=Navy 46, Notre Dame 44 - Play by Play | publisher="ESPN.com" | date=November 32007|accessdate=2007-11-03]

Navy scored a touchdown in the third quarter but they failed to make the extra point. It was the only score of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Navy's Chris Kuhar-Pitters collected a fumble at the Notre Dame 16 yard line and ran it in for a touchdown. Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada rushed for the two-point conversion to take a 28–21 lead - their first of the game. Notre Dame tied the score with a touchdown. The game eventually went to overtime, with the aid of a questionable decision from Irish head coach Charlie Weis.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3096758 |title=Forde-Yard Dash: Pac-10 vs. SEC debate continues to shape 2007 season |first=Pat |last=Forde |authorlink=Pat Forde |publisher="ESPN.com" |date=2007-11-06 |accessdate=2007-11-07]

With 45 seconds left in regulation, Notre Dame faced a fourth-and-8 on the Navy 24. Instead of attempting a 41 yard field goal that could have won the game, Weis opted to go for the first down. The gamble backfired when Navy sacked quarterback Evan Sharpley in spectacular fashion, with Midshipmen linebacker Ram Vela literally leaping over a blocker to assist in the sack.

In the first overtime, Notre Dame won the coin toss and elected to go on defense. Navy scored a touchdown and their extra point was good. The Irish replied with a touchdown and extra point to bring up the second overtime. This time, each team scored a field goal, necessitating a third overtime.

NCAA rules stipulate that, beginning with the third overtime, teams may not kick an extra point after making a touchdown; instead, they must go for a two-point conversion. Navy went to the air; Reggie Campbell caught a 25 yard pass from Kaheaku-Enhada on their first play from scrimmage. Kaheaku-Enhada threw again to Campbell for the successful two-point conversion. Notre Dame also scored a touchdown on their possession. Their first attempt at the conversion ended in an incomplete pass, but Navy was called for pass interference on the play. The Irish got a second chance at the conversion, this time from the 1½-yard line instead of the 3. They opted for a running play, but Navy stuffed the attempt at the line of scrimmage. That gave Navy the 46–44 win.cite news | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=273070087&confId=18| title=Navy 46, Notre Dame 44 - Play by Play | publisher="ESPN.com" | date=November 32007|accessdate=2007-11-03]

Analysis

The game ended the longest streak for most consecutive wins by one team over another in college football. Prior to the game, Notre Dame had achieved 43 consecutive wins against Navy since the last loss in 1963.cite news | url=http://www.ncaa.org/library/records/football/football_records_book/2007/2007_d1_football_records_book.pdf | work=Official 2007 NCAA Division I Football Records Book | title=Streaks and Rivalries| page=112 | format=PDF | publisher=NCAA | date=2007 | accessdate=2007-11-07] The game was the fifth straight home loss for the Irish, establishing a new school record.

After the game, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis was asked whether the game, following Notre Dame's 38-0 loss to USC, was a low point for the Fighting Irish. He said, "A low point is when you get beat 38-0. That's a low point. A low point is when the game is going OK and one team is pulling away from you and making plays when you're not making plays. The low point for me is we didn't win the game."

Navy coach Paul Johnson said, "It's a big win for our program. It's a big win for the academy. I'm happy I don't have to answer anything else about the streak every time we play." Weis, on the other-hand, was not bothered by being the coach of the team that allowed Navy to end the streak. He said the 43-year winning streak had no meaning to him or his team.

ESPN reported, "For Notre Dame, it was its school-record fifth straight home loss, another low point in a season of lows."

With this streak broken, the Kentucky Wildcats hold the two longest active losing streaks to an annual opponent in Division I FBS. As of the end of the 2006 season, they had lost 22 consecutive games to Tennessee, and 20 to Florida. [cite news | url=http://www.ncaa.org/library/records/football/football_records_book/2007/2007_d1_football_records_book.pdf | work=Official 2007 NCAA Division I Football Records Book | title=Most Consecutive Wins Over a Major Opponent in an Uninterrupted Series | page=112 | format=PDF | publisher=NCAA | date=2007 | accessdate=2007-11-07] Florida won their 2007 game over Kentucky, making the streak 21 games.cite web|url=http://gatorzone.com/football/history/opponents.pdf|title=History of Opponents|publisher=GatorZone.com|date=2007-08-10|accessdate=2007-08-10] The Volunteers traveled to Lexington to play the Wildcats on November 24 2007 and won 52-50 in four overtimes, extending that streak to 23. [cite web|url=http://www.utsports.com/football/page.aspx?id=918 |title=2007 Tennessee Football Schedule |publisher=University of Tennessee |accessdate=2007-11-07] [cite web|url=http://ukathletics.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=39&change_well_id=9996 |title=2007 Football Schedule |publisher=University of Kentucky |accessdate=2007-11-07] Temple also has a 24 game losing streak to Penn State, with their last win being in 1941. However, this series is not played every year.

ee also

*College football rules
*American football strategy
*Glossary of American football
*Most consecutive wins over one opponent (NCAA football)

Notes and references

External links

* [http://navysports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/navy-m-footbl-body.html Official Navy Football website]
* [http://www.und.com Official Notre Dame Athletic Site]