2007 Poinsettia Bowl

NCAAFootballSingleGameHeader
Name=2007 Poinsettia Bowl
Date=December 20, 2007
Year=2007
Visitor School=University of Utah
Visitor Name Short=Utah
Visitor Nickname=Utes
Visitor Record=8-4
Visitor

Visitor Coaches=
Visitor BCS=
Visitor Coach=Kyle Whittingham
Visitor1=0
Visitor2=7
Visitor3=14
Visitor4=14
Visitor Total=35
Home School=United States Naval Academy
Home Name Short=Navy
Home Nickname=Midshipmen
Home Record=8-4
Home

Home Coaches=
Home BCS=
Home Coach=Ken Niumatalolo
Home1=0
Home2=10
Home3=7
Home4=15
Home Total=32
Type=bg
Stadium=Qualcomm Stadium
City=San Diego, California


MVP=Brian Johnson (Utah)
Odds=Utah by 9 cite web |url=http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=750671 |title=Rivals.com Bowl Viewer's Guide |author=Fox, David |accessdate=2007-12-17 |date=2007-12-13 |work=Rivals.com]
anthem=
referee=
halftime=Navy marching band, Utah marching band
attendance=
US Network=ESPN
US Announcers=Rece Davis, Lou Holtz and Mark May cite web |url=http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=750671 |title=Rivals.com Bowl Viewer's Guide |author=Fox, David |accessdate=2007-12-17 |date=2007-12-13 |work=Rivals.com]

The 2007 Poinsettia Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Navy Midshipmen and the Utah Utes on December 20,2007 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. Utah defeated Navy 35-32 in a game that came down to the final seconds. It was one of 32 games in the 2007-2008 bowl season and was just the third Poinsettia Bowl ever played. The Navy Midshipmen won the inaugural game in 2005, and after a season that saw Navy invited to the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl, were invited back for 2007. In exchange for their participation in the 2007 game, Navy and Utah each received $750,000. [ [http://www.poinsettiabowl.net/images/stories/media/07_Media%20Guide.pdf 2007 Poinsettia Bowl Media Guide] (PDF) 2007 Poinsettia Bowl. Accessed December 20, 2007.]

The Poinsettia Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that was created in 2005. The game is operated by the organizers of the Holiday Bowl and is played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The game is currently sponsored by the San Diego County Credit Union and the current official name of the game San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. The 2006 game matched Texas Christian University from the Mountain West Conference against Northern Illinois from the Mid-American Conference. TCU defeated Northern Illinois by the score of 37-7.

The 2007 game was characterized by Navy dominance in the first half, a Utah recovery in the second half, and a last-second finish that gave Navy a chance to win or tie in the final moments.

Team Selection

Prior to the beginning of the 2007 college football season, the Poinsettia Bowl and Navy reached a single-season agreement for Navy to play in the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl if the Midshipmen 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] They reached that mark with a win over North Texas that set a new NCAA record for most points scored in a college football game.cite news | title=Navy, N. Texas score most combined points in regulation FBS game | | work=ESPN.com | publisher=The Disney Company | date=November 102007|accessdate=2007-11-10]

Utah's selection as the other half of the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl matchup came by virtue of its second-place finish in the Mountain West Conference, with which the Poinsettia Bowl had an exclusive agreement.

Pre-game buildup

The 2007 Poinsettia Bowl was the first of 32 bowl games scheduled for 2007 college football bowl season, and because of that unique status, received greater attention from national media than other games of similar stature.

Prior to the game, Navy's head coach during the 2007 season, Paul Johnson, announced he would be leaving Navy to take over the head coaching position at Georgia Tech. Navy's offensive line coach, Ken Niumatalolo, was initially named interim head coach, but was confirmed as Navy's permanent head coach before the game.cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=ncf&id=3146681 |title=Navy promotes assistant Niumatalolo to replace Johnson as coach |author=Associated Press |publisher="ESPN.com" |date=2007-12-08 |accessdate=2007-12-13] The 2007 Poinsettia Bowl was Niumatalolo's first game as head coach at any school.

Game Summary

The 2007 Poinsettia Bowl kicked off on 9:12 p.m. EST on December 20, 2007 in San Diego, California. The game was televised in the United States on ESPN except for the first few minutes (see below). The game began in fair weather, but by the second half, it had begun to rain.

First Quarter

Navy received the ball to begin the game. After earning good field position on the opening kickoff, Navy earned the first first down of the game and advanced the ball into Utah territory, but were prevented from gaining another first down by the Utah defense. On the ensuing punt, Navy's punter mishandled the snap, which was fumbled and recovered by Utah inside Navy territory. Utah was able to run only three plays, however, before Navy linebacker Ross Pospisil intercepted a pass by Utah's quarterback and returned it across the 50-yard line and into Utah territory. A facemask penalty against Utah, several effective rushes by Navy running back Reggie Campbell and a 29-yard reception by Campbell set up Navy with a first-and-goal situation. Utah's defense stiffened, however, and Navy failed to score a touchdown on its first two attempts inside the Utah 10-yard line. On the third try, Campbell ran up the middle but lost control of the ball, which was fumbled. Utah recovered the fumble and prevented Navy from scoring a touchdown or field goal.

After recovering the fumble, Utah mounted a 13-play, 49-yard drive that penetrated into Navy territory. As with Navy's attack previously, however, the drive stalled. Utah was forced to punt the ball away, which rolled into the end zone for a touchback. Taking possession of the ball with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, Navy running back Reggie Campbell earned the biggest offensive play in the game so far as he ran for 44 yards and a big Navy first down. Two subsequent rushing plays ran out the first quarter clock and set up Navy for a third down to begin the second quarter.

At the end of the first quarter, the score remained scoreless, 0-0. Navy had dominated statistically, but three total turnovers prevented both teams from putting points on the scoreboard. [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/playbyplay?gameId=273542426&period=1 1st Qtr Play-by-Play] ESPN.com, December 20, 2007. Accessed December 22, 2007.]

Second Quarter

The second quarter began with Navy facing a third down in Utah territory. A false start penalty and a Utah defensive stand prevented Navy from earning a first down. Instead of punting the ball away, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo elected to attempt a 50-yard field goal. Kicker Matt Harmon missed the goalposts to the left and the game remained scoreless. Thanks to the missed field goal, Utah began its drive at its own 33-yard line. Several successful rushes were turned into first downs, and Utah running back Darrell Mack managed a 20-yard run to drive the Utes deep into Navy territory for the first time in the game. A 14-yard pass to wide receiver Braden Godfrey put Utah inside the Navy red zone for the first time in the game, allowing Utah to score the first touchdown of the game on a five-yard Darrell Mack run three plays later. The extra point was good, and with 8:42 remaining in the second quarter, Utah led 7-0.

After receiving the kickoff, Navy answered the Utah score with one of their own. Reggie Campbell returned the post-touchdown kickoff for 25 yards to start Navy at their own 30-yard line. Long runs, including a 19-yard effort by Shun White, advanced the ball down the field. A 15-yard pass interference call against Utah only helped Navy's efforts. The Midshipmen, via an eight-play, 70-yard drive, crossed the goal line and equalized the score at 7-7 with 5:14 remaining in the first half.

Receiving Navy's kickoff, Utah was unable to move the ball effectively. A first-down rush was negated by an illegal block by a Utah offensive lineman, and Utah was forced to punt the ball away with 2:51 remaining. The punt, by All-American kicker Louie Sakoda, was a poor one and only traveled 29 yards, thus setting up the Navy offense in excellent position for a score before halftime. On the subsequent drive, Navy advanced deep into Utah territory, successfully converting a fourth down during the drive. Following the conversion, Navy was stopped for little gain on consecutive plays and committed a false start, which resulted in negative yardage. Unwilling to attempt a second attempt at converting a fourth down, Navy instead sent in kicker Matt Harmon for his second field goal attempt of the game. Harmon, who missed a 50-yard kick early in the second quarter, nailed the 39-yard kick with 28 seconds remaining in the first half to give Navy a 10-7 lead.

With less than half a minute remaining, Utah received the kickoff and ran a single running play to run out the clock. At halftime, Navy led Utah 10-7. [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/playbyplay?gameId=273542426&period=2 2nd Qtr Play-by-Play] ESPN.com, December 20, 2007. Accessed December 22, 2007.]

Third Quarter

Because Navy received the opening kickoff, Utah began the second half on offense. After a six-yard pass on the first play, Utah failed to gain the additional four yards needed for a first down and were forced to punt the ball away. Beginning at their own 31-yard line thanks to the punt, Navy moved the ball quickly. Two consecutive rushing plays earned Navy a first down, and a 15-yard Shun White run on the third play of the drive earned a second first down and drove Navy into Utah territory. On Navy's fourth play of the second half, fullback Eric Kettani broke through the Utah defensive line and ran 43 yards for the first points of the second half. The extra point gave Navy a 17-7 lead with 11:52 remaining in the third quarter.

Utah received the post-touchdown kickoff needing a score to stay within striking distance of Navy's top-ranked rushing offense. On the first play of Utah's drive, the Utes' offense completed a 22-yard pass to wide receiver Brian Hernandez, giving Utah a first down in Navy territory. Utah's offense faltered after three plays, however, and was forced to punt. An excellent kick by Louie Sakoda pinned Navy behind their 10-yard line, and Navy's offense was forced into a three plays-and-out possession. Beginning at their own 41-yard line, Utah's offense came out passing. A 13-yard completion drove Utah into Navy territory, and Utah continued to advance the ball and earn first downs through the air. Just outside the Navy red zone, the Midshipmen defense stiffened and forced a fourth down for Utah. Utah elected to attempt to convert the fourth down instead of trying a long field goal. The conversion was successful, and on the first down following the conversion, Utah executed an end-around that went for 23 yards and a touchdown. The score cut Navy's lead to just three points, and put the score at 17-14 with 4:47 remaining in the third quarter.

After receiving Utah's kickoff, Navy hoped to halt Utah's newfound offensive momentum with a successful drive of its own. Though the midshipmen picked up one first down, they were unable to earn another and punted the ball away with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter. The punt was a good one, and put Utah back at their own 16-yard line. Utah had gained the game's momentum, however, and continued to move the ball through the air effectively. Utah connected on passes of 10, 18, and 11 yards before Utah quarterback Brian Johnson connected on a 40-yard strike to Derrek Richards for another Utah touchdown. The drive took just five plays and 1:24, but covered 84 yards. With 1:17 remaining in the third quarter, Utah quarterback Brian Johnson was 9 for 9 for 120 yards passing. The touchdown also gave Utah a 21-17 lead, its first of the game.

Navy had a chance to equalize the score on the kickoff following Utah's touchdown, but running back Reggie Campbell, who was returning the kick, was stopped just before breaking into the open field. Despite failing to return the kick for a touchdown, Campbell gave Navy decent field position at its own 32-yard line. Navy struggled on the next two plays, fumbling the ball each time. Fortunately for the Midshipmen, the ball was recovered by a Navy player each time. The two failed plays allowed time to run out in the third quarter.

At the end of the third quarter, Utah managed to take a 21-17 lead and seize the game's momentum courtesy of two quick touchdown strikes. [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/playbyplay?gameId=273542426&period=3 3rd Qtr Play-by-Play] ESPN.com, December 20, 2007. Accessed December 22, 2007.]

Fourth quarter

Navy faced a long third down play to begin the fourth quarter, and Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada was sacked to force a punt. The punt marked the third straight three-and-out possession for Navy, which had scored the first 17 points of the game. Utah took advantage of the opportunity and continued its second-half offensive domination. In just five plays and 1:16, Utah drove 61 yards for its first touchdown of the fourth quarter and its third of the second half. Brian Johnson, who proved remarkably effective through the air in the second half, scored the touchdown on a 19-yard scramble. The touchdown, which came with 12:47 remaining in the game, gave Utah a 28-17 lead.

Navy began its drive desperately needing a score to reverse Utah's momentum and narrow the 11-point Ute lead. Good special teams coverage by Utah pinned Navy at their own 19-yard line, and it seemed as though Navy's second-half offensive difficulties would continue. Gradually, and with several short rushes, Navy began to build a drive. A 14-yard pass by Navy crossed the 50-yard line and set up the Midshipmen offense on the Utah side of the field. On the next play, fullback Eric Kettani broke free for his second big run of the day, a 35-yard sprint that put Navy inside the Utah red zone. Two plays later, Shun White rushed 10 yards into the end zone for a touchdown. Instead of settling for an extra point after the touchdown, Navy elected to try a two-point conversion in hopes of narrowing Utah's lead to a field goal. Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada kept the ball and rushed forward across the goal line for two points. The touchdown and two-point conversion cut Utah's lead to 28-25 with 8:52 remaining.

Utah began its next possession needing points, but even more importantly, needing to run down the clock. Even a three-point lead would be enough to win if Navy wasn't given enough time to score the tying or go-ahead play. Two quick completions of 11 yards each gained Utah two first downs and drove the ball into Navy territory. Utah Quarterback Brian Johnson continued to be the cornerstone of Utah's second-half offense, picking up yardage and first downs both through the air and on the ground via quarterback scrambles. As Utah penetrated deep into Navy territory, however, the Midshipmen's defense stiffened. Inside the 10-yard line, Utah had three tries to cross the goal line and earn a potentially game-deciding touchdown. With the clock winding down, a touchdown and extra point would give Utah a ten-point lead and probably put the game out of reach.

On the third play inside the ten, Utah wide receiver Jereme Brooks caught a pass from Brian Johnson. As he extended the ball toward the goal line, he was hit by Navy cornerback Ketric Buffin. Brooks lost control of the ball, which came out of his hands, hitting the pylon at the corner of the end zone. According to NCAA rules, the pylon is both out of bounds and in the end zone. [ [http://www.ncaa.org/library/rules/2006/2006_football_rules.pdf 2006 NCAA football rules and regulations] (PDF) The NCAA, page FR-80. Accessed December 22, 2007.] Therefore, the fumble should have been considered a touchback, with Navy awarded possession at its own 20-yard line. Instead, officials ruled that Brooks had been out of bounds before fumbling and Utah maintained possession. After the game, officials acknowledged the mistake. [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls07/news/story?id=3165857 Officials acknowledge late play should have been touchback] ESPN.com News Services, ESPN.com, December 22, 2007. Accessed December 22, 2007.] During the game, however, Utah had one more chance to score, but turned the ball over on downs after failing to cross the goal line on a run from inside the one-yard line.

Deep in its own territory, with 3:40 remaining int the game, Navy faced a critical possession. Any scoring drive would win or tie the game and likely leave no time left for Utah to answer. Three plays after taking over inside its own one-yard line, however, Navy failed to gain a first down. Facing a fourth-and-two inside its own nine-yard line, head coach Ken Niumatalolo elected to try to convert the fourth down rather than punting the ball and gambling on a defensive stop. Quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada attempted to rush the ball for the first down, but was stopped by the Utah defense. Navy turned the ball over on downs inside its own 10-yard line, putting Utah in position to put the game away with less than two minutes remaining.

Three rushing plays later, Utah's Darrell Mack ran the ball into the end zone for the Utes' fourth touchdown of the second half, giving Utah a seemingly insurmountable 35-25 lead with just 1:27 remaining in the game. Navy refused to surrender, however, and mounted a quick four-play, 69-yard touchdown drive that left 57 seconds on the clock and moved the score to 35-32. The touchdown closed Navy within a successful onside kick and field goal of tying the game. Navy successfully converted the onside kick, giving the Midshipmen one final shot to eke out a victory. A short rush gained Navy nine yards, but kept the clock moving. On the next play, Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada hurled the ball downfield in hopes of earning a first down, stopping the clock, and moving Navy within field goal range. The ball was intercepted by a Utah defender, however and Utah subsequently ran out the clock to end the game.

Utah, thanks to the interception, denied Navy a chance to kick a potential game-tying field goal and earned the win, 35-32. [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/playbyplay?gameId=273542426&period=4 4th Qtr Play-by-Play] ESPN.com, December 20, 2007. Accessed December 22, 2007.]

AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
Quarter=2
Time=08:42
Team=UTAH
DriveLength=67
DriveTime=5:33
Type=RushTD
Runner=Darrell Mack
yards=6
kickresult=good
Kicker="Louie Sakoda"
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Type=RushTD
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yards=1
kickresult=good
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Type=FG
yards=39
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Home=10AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
Quarter=3
Time=11:52
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Type=RushTD
Runner=Eric Kettani
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kickresult=good
Kicker="Joey Bullen"
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kickresult=good
Kicker="Joey Bullen"
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Home=32

Final statistics

[ [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=273542426 ESPN] ] [ [http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/boxscore?gid=200712200102 Yahoo Sports] ]

^*Completions/Attempts^aCarries^bLong play^cReceptions

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^*Completions/Attempts^aCarries^bLong play^cReceptions

Post-game effects

Utah's win was the seventh-straight bowl win for the Utes, a record that tied it with Boston College for the most consecutive bowl-game wins in NCAA history. Two weeks later, Boston College won the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, its eighth consecutive bowl game win.

The 2007 Poinsettia Bowl was the last time the bowl would feature a matchup between an at-large team and the second-place Mountain West Conference team. Prior to the game, Poinsettia Bowl officials announced that the at-large half of the matchup would be replaced by the Pacific-10 Conference's seventh-place team in 2008. In 2009, the Pac-10's sixth-place team would be granted a bid to the Poinsettia Bowl. [ [http://www.poinsettiabowl.net/news/pac-10-commits-to-play-in-sdccu-poinsettia-bowl.html Pac-10 Commits to Play in SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl] The Poinsettia Bowl, July 22, 2007. Accessed December 20, 2007.]

Additional note

The first six minutes of game time was seen on ESPN Classic rather than ESPN. This is because the previous program on ESPN, the Aeropostale Classic basketball game between Duke and Pittsburgh, ended in overtime. The Panthers won the game. From 9:32 to 9:40 p.m. (approximate times), both networks simulcast the Poinsettia Bowl; ESPN then showed the game exclusively as scheduled.

ee also

List of college bowl games

References

External links

* [http://www.poinsettiabowl.net Official home of the SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl]