2007 Navy vs. North Texas football game
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Navy vs. North Texas football game featured the most points scored in a college football
game involving D-IA/FBS opponents during the regulation four quarters of play since the NCAA
began keeping records in 1937. On November 10, 2007, the Navy
Midshipmen
defeated the North Texas
Mean Green
74–62 at North Texas' home Fouts Field
in Denton, Texas
. With the win, Navy improved to 6–4 and became eligible for a bowl game
. North Texas fell to 1–8 on the season.
to Notre Dame
—the longest such streak
between annual opponents in college football history. Navy won that game in triple overtime
.
With three games remaining in the season, Navy needed to win at least one 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.
Both teams play NCAA Division I FBS football, which is the highest division of play. Navy competes as an independent team, unaffiliated with any conference; the Mean Green play in the Sun Belt Conference
.
The loss dropped the 2007 North Texas Mean Green football team
to 1–8 on the season.
After a North Texas three-and-out to start the second quarter, and Navy fumbling on their second play from scrimmage in that quarter with the Mean Green recovering, the teams proceeded to light up the scoreboard. The next eight possessions—four from each team—ended in touchdowns; four of the drives took less than a minute to reach the end zone, and a fifth took barely over a minute. The Midshipmen were finally able to force a three-and-out in the last two minutes. After they got the ball at midfield after a punt, the pairing that was responsible for the winning points in Navy's historic win over Notre Dame struck, with Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada connecting with Reggie Campbell on a 47-yard pass play. The Midshipmen ran for a TD on the next play. North Texas got the ball back with 7 seconds left, but chose not to go for the end zone, ending the half up 49-45.
Navy got the ball to start the third quarter, and went on a drive of 9 plays, all runs, for 60 yards, ending in a TD. This gave them their first lead of the game at 51-49 (the extra point was missed). North Texas responded with a drive of their own, but then another hero of the Notre Dame win stepped up with a big play. Ram Vela, who leaped over an Irish blocker to assist in a spectacular fourth-down sack of Evan Sharpley near the end of regulation in the Notre Dame game, intercepted Giovanni Vizza at the Midshipmen 20. Three plays later, Zerbin Singleton ran for 65 yards and a TD, giving the Midshipmen breathing room at 58-49. This breathing room did not last, as the Mean Green responded with a 7-play, 59-yard drive ending in another Vizza TD pass to Fitzgerald. Navy struck back on their next play from scrimmage, with Eric Kettani running for 49 yards; two more Kettani runs saw Navy in the end zone again and ahead 65-56. The quarter ended with that score and North Texas driving.
The Mean Green drive would end in another interception, this time by Matt Wimsatt. The ensuing Navy drive stalled at midfield, but they were able to down the ensuing punt at the North Texas 2-yard line. Two plays later, the Mean Green were called for holding in the end zone, giving Navy a safety. Campbell returned the ensuing free kick for a TD and a 74-56 lead. North Texas then went on a long drive ending in a Micah Mosley TD run; their two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving them down 74-62. They attempted an onside kick, but Navy recovered; one first down was enough to enable them to run out the clock for the win.
Four other record-high games occurred during the 2007–2008 season. On October 14, Boise State
beat Nevada
69–67 in four overtimes, setting a Division I FBS record for total points and equaling the all-division record. That game was tied at 44 after regulation play. Less than two weeks later on October 27, Weber State
defeated Portland State
73–68 in a regulation-length Division I FCS game. The Weber State-Portland game set a record for most points scored at any level of college football since the NCAA began keeping official records in 1937. That record lasted only two weeks, as on the same day as the Navy-North Texas game, Hartwick
defeated Utica
72-70 in a four-overtime Division III game. Then, in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs on November 24, Chadron State
defeated Abilene Christian
76-73 in three overtimes after coming back from a 49-20 fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game at 56 at the end of regulation.
Many of these records, most notably those for most points in regulation and in a completed game, would fall on November 22, 2008, when Abilene Christian defeated West Texas A&M
93-68 in the second round of that year's Division II playoffs. This game saw a record 161 points scored, and also saw the teams combine for a Division II record of 1,531 yards total offense.
In addition to the Division I FBS total points record set by Navy vs. North Texas, the 94 first-half points and the 63 combined points in the second quarter, both set college records. The previous record for points in a half was 76, set by Houston and Tulsa in 1968. The former record for total points in quarter was 61, achieved by San Jose State and Hawaii in the fourth quarter of a November 1999 game.
Navy came into the game with the best rushing offense, statistically, of any team in the nation. They set a school record by running for 572 yards with eight rushing touchdowns in the game. The Midshipmen tied another school record by scoring at least 30 points for the eighth consecutive game.
Mean Green coach Todd Dodge said, "I have never been a part of a game quite like this. I knew that we would have to score on nearly every possession and maybe steal a possession or two with turnovers."
The win guaranteed the Midshipmen a spot in the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl
, which was held in San Diego, California
on December 20, 2007 with Navy losing to Utah
35-32. It was the fifth straight bowl game for Navy.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game involving D-IA/FBS opponents during the regulation four quarters of play since the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
began keeping records in 1937. On November 10, 2007, the Navy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
Midshipmen
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
defeated the North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
Mean Green
North Texas Mean Green
North Texas Mean Green is the team name used for both men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas....
74–62 at North Texas' home Fouts Field
Fouts Field
Fouts Field is the former stadium of the University of North Texas, located in Denton, Texas, United States. It was primarily used for football, and was the home field of the University of North Texas Eagles, also known as the Mean Green from 1952-2010...
in Denton, Texas
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
. With the win, Navy improved to 6–4 and became eligible for a bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
. North Texas fell to 1–8 on the season.
Leading into the game
The 2007 Navy Midshipmen football team came into the game 5–4 on the season. In their first 8 games they achieved victories against Temple, Duke, Air Force, Pittsburgh. Losses against Rutgers, Ball State, Wake Forest, and Delaware put them 4–4 on the season. In their ninth game, they ended a 43 year losing streak2007 Navy vs. Notre Dame football game
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...
to Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
—the longest such streak
Most consecutive wins over one opponent (NCAA football)
The following is a list of the all-time leading NCAA Division I FBS college football single-opponent winning streaks. Teams are ranked by the number of consecutive wins they've posted against a specific opponent. All streaks of at least 20 games are in the list.† Active Streak...
between annual opponents in college football history. Navy won that game in triple overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
.
With three games remaining in the season, Navy needed to win at least one in order to be invited to a bowl game. The Poinsettia Bowl
Poinsettia Bowl
The Poinsettia Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that was created in 2005. The game was created 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...
and Navy had arranged for Navy to play in that bowl if they reached six wins.
Both teams play NCAA Division I FBS football, which is the highest division of play. Navy competes as an independent team, unaffiliated with any conference; the Mean Green play in the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
.
The loss dropped the 2007 North Texas Mean Green football team
2007 North Texas Mean Green football team
The 2007 North Texas Mean Green football team represented the University of North Texas in the 2007 college football season. The team was led by its new head Coach Todd Dodge, replacing former coach Darrell Dickey, who was fired after going 3–9 in 2006...
to 1–8 on the season.
Game summary
Although Navy won the game, they gave up 14 points before they took their first offensive snap. North Texas' Casey Fitzgerald caught a 9-yard touchdown pass to conclude the opening drive, then North Texas recovered an onside kick and scored again on the resulting drive. After a Navy field goal, North Texas added another TD, giving them a 21-3 lead. The first quarter ended with the Mean Green up 21-10 after Navy had scored a TD with 7 seconds remaining.After a North Texas three-and-out to start the second quarter, and Navy fumbling on their second play from scrimmage in that quarter with the Mean Green recovering, the teams proceeded to light up the scoreboard. The next eight possessions—four from each team—ended in touchdowns; four of the drives took less than a minute to reach the end zone, and a fifth took barely over a minute. The Midshipmen were finally able to force a three-and-out in the last two minutes. After they got the ball at midfield after a punt, the pairing that was responsible for the winning points in Navy's historic win over Notre Dame struck, with Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada connecting with Reggie Campbell on a 47-yard pass play. The Midshipmen ran for a TD on the next play. North Texas got the ball back with 7 seconds left, but chose not to go for the end zone, ending the half up 49-45.
The Mean Green drive would end in another interception, this time by Matt Wimsatt. The ensuing Navy drive stalled at midfield, but they were able to down the ensuing punt at the North Texas 2-yard line. Two plays later, the Mean Green were called for holding in the end zone, giving Navy a safety. Campbell returned the ensuing free kick for a TD and a 74-56 lead. North Texas then went on a long drive ending in a Micah Mosley TD run; their two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving them down 74-62. They attempted an onside kick, but Navy recovered; one first down was enough to enable them to run out the clock for the win.
Analysis
With 136 total points, the game set the NCAA Division I FBS record for most total points scored in a regulation-length game. The previous record for college football's top division (previously called Division I-A) was 133 points during San Jose State's 70-63 win over Rice in 2004. That game also featured the highest score by a losing team.Four other record-high games occurred during the 2007–2008 season. On October 14, Boise State
2007 Boise State Broncos football team
The 2007 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2007 college football season. The Broncos, led by second year head coach Chris Petersen, play their home games at Bronco Stadium, most famous for its blue artificial turf surface, often referred to as the...
beat Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
69–67 in four overtimes, setting a Division I FBS record for total points and equaling the all-division record. That game was tied at 44 after regulation play. Less than two weeks later on October 27, Weber State
Weber State University
Weber State University is a public university located in the city of Ogden in Weber County, Utah, USA. It was founded in 1889 and is a coeducational, publicly supported university offering professional, liberal arts and technical certificates, as well as associate, bachelor's and master's degrees...
defeated Portland State
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
73–68 in a regulation-length Division I FCS game. The Weber State-Portland game set a record for most points scored at any level of college football since the NCAA began keeping official records in 1937. That record lasted only two weeks, as on the same day as the Navy-North Texas game, Hartwick
Hartwick College
Hartwick College is a non-denominational, private, four-year liberal arts and sciences college located in Oneonta, New York, in the United States. The institution was founded as Hartwick Seminary in 1797 through the will of John Christopher Hartwick, and is now known as Hartwick College...
defeated Utica
Utica College
Utica College is a private university located in Utica, New York. The history of the college dates back to the 1930s when Syracuse University began offering extension courses in the Utica area. Syracuse University established Utica College as a four-year institution in 1946, and in 1995, UC ...
72-70 in a four-overtime Division III game. Then, in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs on November 24, Chadron State
Chadron State College
Chadron State College is a four-year public college in the Nebraska State College System in Chadron, Nebraska. The college is located in the northern part of the Nebraska Panhandle, in the Pine Ridge area....
defeated Abilene Christian
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University is a private university located in Abilene, Texas, affiliated with Churches of Christ. ACU was founded in 1906, as Childers Classical Institute...
76-73 in three overtimes after coming back from a 49-20 fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game at 56 at the end of regulation.
Many of these records, most notably those for most points in regulation and in a completed game, would fall on November 22, 2008, when Abilene Christian defeated West Texas A&M
West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University , part of the Texas A&M University System, is a public university located in Canyon, Texas, a small city south of Amarillo. West Texas A&M opened on September 20, 1910...
93-68 in the second round of that year's Division II playoffs. This game saw a record 161 points scored, and also saw the teams combine for a Division II record of 1,531 yards total offense.
In addition to the Division I FBS total points record set by Navy vs. North Texas, the 94 first-half points and the 63 combined points in the second quarter, both set college records. The previous record for points in a half was 76, set by Houston and Tulsa in 1968. The former record for total points in quarter was 61, achieved by San Jose State and Hawaii in the fourth quarter of a November 1999 game.
Navy came into the game with the best rushing offense, statistically, of any team in the nation. They set a school record by running for 572 yards with eight rushing touchdowns in the game. The Midshipmen tied another school record by scoring at least 30 points for the eighth consecutive game.
Mean Green coach Todd Dodge said, "I have never been a part of a game quite like this. I knew that we would have to score on nearly every possession and maybe steal a possession or two with turnovers."
The win guaranteed the Midshipmen a spot in the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl
2007 Poinsettia Bowl
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...
, which was held in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
on December 20, 2007 with Navy losing to Utah
Utah Utes
The Utah Utes are the athletics teams of the University of Utah. They are named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. The men's basketball team is known as the "Runnin' Utes"; the women's basketball team, formerly known as the "Lady Utes," now prefers to be referred to as the "Utes"; and the...
35-32. It was the fifth straight bowl game for Navy.
See also
- College football rules
- American football strategyAmerican football strategyAmerican football strategy concerns the deployment of offensive, defensive, and special teams players in American football.-Offensive strategy:The goal of offensive strategy is to score points...
- Glossary of American footballGlossary of American footballThe following terms are used in American football and Canadian football, but see also the glossary of Canadian football.-0-9: A formation of the 4-3 defense featuring several dramatic shifts of personnel...
- 1916 Cumberland vs. Georgia Tech football game — Georgia Tech 222, Cumberland 0 in a game played before the NCAA began keeping records, and against a team that had dropped football
- 2001 GMAC Bowl2001 GMAC BowlThe 2001 GMAC Bowl, a college football bowl game held on December 19 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, pitted the Marshall Thundering Herd, then of the Mid-American Conference, against the East Carolina Pirates from Conference USA...
— the highest-scoring bowl gameBowl gameIn North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
in history, both at the end of regulation and the end of the game - 2007 Weber State vs. Portland State football game2007 Weber State vs. Portland State football gameThe 2007 Weber State-Portland State football game was a college football game held on October 23 at PGE Park in Portland, Oregon. It pitted the Portland State Vikings against the Weber State Wildcats. The Wildcats defeated the Vikings 73-68...
— The highest-scoring game in Division I college footballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
history (since the NCAA started keeping records) - List of historically significant college football games