2007 Poinsettia Bowl

Colleges and Universities A-Z Naval Academy - Annapolis
1

<p>Rematch Is A No-Brainer (Colorado Springs Gazette) </p>

<p>CALHOUN LIKES IDEA OF FACING NAVY AGAIN</p>

<p><a href="http://www2.gazette.com/usafa/display.php?id=1331901%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www2.gazette.com/usafa/display.php?id=1331901&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Air Force coach Troy Calhoun didn’t want to look too far ahead. </p>

<p>But the possibility seemed so intriguing: His Falcons getting a rematch with archrival Navy in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. </p>

<p>“We’ve still got plenty of work to do before we get to that point,” Calhoun said Sunday. “But if you do get to that point, it’s a no-brainer. Think about the soldiers, the troops stationed all over the world. That would take that bowl to a phenomenal level. . . . In a city (San Diego) where within 200 miles there are more military retirees than any part of the country? I think it’d be pretty special.”...

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2

<p><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_7244363%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_7244363&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Air Force coach Troy Calhoun jumped on the patriotic bandwagon Sunday in passionate support of a potential rematch with Navy in the Dec. 20 Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego. </p>

<p>Cautioning himself as he went along from going too far in endorsing something that still is speculation, Calhoun said the matchup would be "a no-brainer" in providing an emotional boost for the country's military stationed all over the world and retired military throughout the country....

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3

<p>Today, Qualcomm Stadium, home of the Poinsettia Bowl, is an evacuation center for San Diego County residents displaced by wildfires.</p>

4

<p><a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blog_bwagner.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blog_bwagner.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>No Rematch
By
Bill Wagner</p>

<p>Reports out of Colorado that Navy and Air Force could have a postseason rematch are unfounded, Poinsettia Bowl organizers said.</p>

<p>Bruce Binkowski, executive director of the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, told The Capital this afternoon that if Navy qualifies for the game as expected the opponent would not be Air Force.</p>

<p>"We will not schedule a bowl matchup with teams that played during the regular season. No bowl likes rematches," Binkowski said. "We are not interested in a Navy-Air Force rematch so you can close the book on that idea."</p>

<p>Speculation about a potential rematch between the two service academies began Saturday during the Air Force-Wyoming game. Weldon Donaldson, a Poinsettia Bowl representative, attended the game and told reporters an Air Force-Navy matchup would be attractive.</p>

<p>Binkowski threw water on that comment and said the Poinsettia Bowl would only have interest in Air Force if Navy did not qualify for the game.</p>

<p>"If Navy wasn't eligible, then we would take a look at Air Force," he said. Naval Academy athletic director Chet Gladchuk was surprised to read stories from both the Colorado Springs Gazette and Denver Post about the topic. Gladchuk said an Air Force-Navy rematch was never in the cards and was not interested in playing any service academy rival in a bowl game.</p>

<p>"Air Force and Navy play every season. It's a big game, a service academy game. Once in a season is enough," Gladchuk said.</p>

<p>Navy (4-3) needs two more wins to become bowl eligible. The Midshipmen host Delaware this Saturday and still have Notre Dame, North Texas, Northern Illinois and archrival Army on the schedule.</p>

<p>If Navy reaches six victories, it is guaranteed an invitation to the Poinsettia Bowl, being played Dec. 20 at Qualcomm Stadium. Binkowski said bowl officials are confident the Mids will make it to San Diego and are looking forward to having their high-scoring, triple-option offense on display.</p>

<p>"We have CSTV (College Sports Television) out here in San Diego now so I am able to watch every Navy game," Binkowski said. "That offense is for real, very explosive and very exciting. We are thrilled about the prospect of Navy putting on another big offensive show in the Poinsettia Bowl."</p>

<p>Navy piled up nearly 600 yards of total offense in beating Colorado State 51-30 in the inaugural San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, held in front of 35,842 fans in 2005.</p>

<p>This year's Poinsettia Bowl will once again pit Navy against a Mountain West Conference opponent. The Poinsettia Bowl has second selection from the MWC after the Las Vegas Bowl.</p>

<p>At present, Brigham Young University (5-2, 3-0) stands in first place in the Mountain West and has already beaten Air Force (6-2, 5-1) head-to-head. If BYU winds up winning the league, it would most likely make a second straight appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl.</p>

<p>Binkowski said the most likely opponents for Navy at this point are New Mexico (5-2), Utah (5-3) and Wyoming (4-3).</p>

5

<p><a href="http://www.examiner.com/a-1004424%7ENavy__Air_Force_will_not_meet_in_bowl.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.examiner.com/a-1004424~Navy__Air_Force_will_not_meet_in_bowl.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
It's not going to happen.</p>

<p>That’s what officials at the Naval Academy and the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl said on Monday regarding the possibility of a rematch between Navy and Air Force in the postseason....

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6

<p>Poinsettia Bowl executive director says academies won’t play</p>

<p><a href="http://www2.gazette.com/usafa/display.php?id=1331910%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www2.gazette.com/usafa/display.php?id=1331910&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Forget about an Air Force-Navy rematch in the Poinsettia Bowl. </p>

<p>It will not happen, according to Bruce Binkowski, the bowl’s executive director. </p>

<p>“We will not have a rematch of a regularseason game,” Binkowski said Monday morning, ending speculation that the rival service academies could meet in the game at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on Dec. 20. “I know some coaches like it, some coaches don’t. We decided early on, even in the Holiday Bowl (the sister bowl of the Poinsettia Bowl) that if you play during the regular season we will avoid that rematch.”...

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7

<p><a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_23-32/NAS%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_23-32/NAS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Reports out of Colorado that Navy and Air Force could have a postseason rematch are unfounded, Poinsettia Bowl organizers said.</p>

<p>Bruce Binkowski, executive director of the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, told The Capital yesterday afternoon that if Navy qualifies for the game as expected the opponent would not be Air Force....

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8

<p>What a shame would be a great game. All the Navy fans from San Diego. The AF fans from LA/Edwards/Nellis. Would have been the best rematch Bowl game you could wish for. Me thinks Dir Gladchuck just wants to take the footbal and go home......</p>

9

<p>We have already beaten AF. They don't deserve a second chance. No need to do a repeat in a bowl. What would it prove? CG and the Bowl organizers are right on the money. AF, wait til next year when we will beat you again.</p>

10

<p>I agree with ds52262, San Diego/Navy/Air Force/Winter Break, that game would sell out in a heartbeat! Southern California parents are VERY disappointed because most of us weren't in Annapolis for the NAVY/Air Force football game this year. I attended the year of the monsoon, 2005! But, it was okay because Navy beat Air Force in the last 45 seconds of the game and the sailboat show took place the same weekend! IMHO Poinsettia Bowl is better (for us) than the Meineke Bowl (who wants to go to North Carolina in December except the people who actually live there), but the Emerald Bowl would be the best because Saks Fifth Avenue is right across the street from the stadium in San Francisco, one of the most beautiful cities in the world! On the other hand, maybe that famous Air Force Academy grad, Reichen Lehmkuhl, would show up for the Emerald Bowl if Air Force played Navy. ;)</p>

11

<p>2009, in the history of the umpteen bowl matchups annually, list the ones that are rematches. What would Navy have to gain and what would Chair Force have to lose?</p>

<p>Apparently for the rest of the world, the proximity of Saks has very little to do with the draw for the game:
2003-Houston Bowl-attendance 51,068
2004-Emerald Bowl-attendance 30,563 (across the St from Sacks)
2005-Poinsettia Bowl-attendance 36,847
2006-Meineke Car Care Bowl-attendance 52,303</p>

<p>I love it when you mm's disagree with me just for the sake of disagreeing. Go back to your shopping. Leave the football to those who appreciate it. I have been to three of them. Meineke was best, even though we lost. Houston was second, where again we lost, and Emerald was a distant third. I will be in San Diego this year. How many have you been to?</p>

12

<p>2005 Poinsettia Bowl, did you see the hotel where the mids stayed in San Diego? It was one of the fancier Hyatts I've seen. However, Adm. Fowler will probably put them up at the Camp Pendleton BOQ this year. Hey, I was a cheerleader in high school (mid won't let me forget that) and I really enjoy college (NOT professional) football! Did you see the Stanford/USC game?</p>

13

<p>Naval Academy Accepts Bid To Poinsettia Bowl; Tickets On Sale Now at NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics</p>

<p>For: Immediate Release
Sent: November 11, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775</p>

<p>NAVAL ACADEMY ACCEPTS BID TO POINSETTIA BOWL
Tickets On Sale Now At NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md.-Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced today that the Naval Academy has accepted an invitation to play in the third annual San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Thursday, December 20, at 6 p.m. (PST) at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif. against a Mountain West opponent. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN.</p>

<p>"A beautiful setting in a Navy city at one of the finest football venues in the country has everyone excited," said Gladchuk. "Five bowl games in a row is historic for the Academy and our congratulations to Coach Johnson, his staff, our players and the Brigade of Midshipmen for reaffirming that Navy is one of the finest football programs in the nation."</p>

<p>"I'm excited the team has achieved one of its goals, to have a chance to go to a bowl game, and I'm excited to be going to San Diego," said Navy head coach Paul Johnson. "San Diego is a great city and I'm sure our players will have a great time. We still have two very important games remaining against Northern Illinois and Army, so we are going to put the bowl game on the back burner until the regular season is over. There's no question where our focus needs to be and will be."</p>

<p>"The Naval Academy kicked this bowl game off in grand style when they appeared in the inaugural game two years ago," said Poinsettia Bowl President Rudy Castruita. "We're so excited the rich tradition of Navy football is coming back to San Diego."</p>

<p>The bowl bid is a landmark achievement for the football program as it marks the first time in school history that Navy has gone to five-straight bowl games. Navy can achieve another first by winning the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for a school-record fifth-consecutive year on Dec. 1 when the Mids play Army.</p>

<p>Tickets for the Poinsettia Bowl are on sale now at <a href="http://www.navysports.com(%5B/url%5D.)"&gt;www.navysports.com(.)&lt;/a> Tickets can also be purchased on Tuesday morning starting at 9 a.m. by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY or at the Ricketts Hall Box Office. Tickets are $45 for club seats and $35 for field seats. Fans not able to attend the game can purchase tickets to sponsor a midshipman or enlisted personnel and their families for $35.</p>

<p>"We strongly encourage Navy fans to buy their bowl tickets from the Naval Academy Athletic Association," said Gladchuk. "Our goal is to bring more than 2,000 Midshipmen and sell more than 20,000 tickets. It is very important for this game and for future bowl games for our fans to purchase tickets through the NAAA. "If you can't make it to the game we ask that Navy fans buy tickets for our midshipmen, enlisted personnel and their families which will help create an electric Navy atmosphere. This donation is 100 percent tax deductible."</p>

14

<p>Ute notes: Prospects for a bowl game are flowery
By Jay Drew
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 11/11/2007 04:48:24 AM MST</p>

<p>Before the Utes crushed Wyoming 50-0 Saturday, the president-elect of the San Diego Bowl Association - which selects the teams that will play in the third annual Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 20 in San Diego - said he was at Rice-Eccles Stadium to look at a pair of the bowl's top two candidates.</p>

<p>Guess the Utes won that audition, too.</p>

<p>"I think one of these teams is going to be in San Diego," said Larry Baber, a longtime member of the bowl's selection committee. "I don't know if it will be the winner or not."</p>

<p>Maybe that convinced him.</p>

<p>Whichever Mountain West Conference team gets the invite - the Poinsettia Bowl gets the second choice, after the Las Vegas Bowl - will face Navy, which accepted an invitation Saturday after holding off North Texas 74-62 to pick up its sixth win.</p>

<p>"Clearly, [Utah] is right at the top of our list," Baber said.</p>

<p>The committee member said he believes the Las Vegas Bowl might take Utah (7-3) if it beats New Mexico (7-3) and BYU on Nov. 24 because then it would have eight straight wins.</p>

<p>Also, New Mexico is still in the picture for the Poinsettia Bowl.</p>

<p>"They're not out of it," Baber said. "If [Utah and Wyoming] just struggle and don't do much in the next few weeks, then yeah, [New Mexico] is still in the mix. "</p>

<p>Baber said the bowl would like to extend an early Advertisement invitation to give fans the chance to make travel plans, "but sometimes you don't have a choice."</p>

15

<p>High-scoring Navy accepts Dec. 20 bid to Poinsettia Bowl</p>

<p>Midshipmen</a> pin down 5th bowl game in row -- baltimoresun.com</p>

<p>
[quote]
Navy accepted a bid to the Poinsettia Bowl yesterday, which means the Midshipmen will play in a bowl for a school-record fifth straight season. It took a historic effort Saturday for Navy to become bowl-eligible.</p>

<p>The Mids needed almost every one of their 74 points as they gave up 62 at North Texas. Those were the most Navy had allowed since a 65-19 loss to North Carolina State on Sept. 7, 2002.</p>

<p>North Texas (1-8) went into Saturday's game averaging 20.4 points per game but gained 478 passing yards and 635 total yards, both season highs against the Mids....

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16

<p>Utes have favor of Poinsettia officials
By Mike Sorensen
Deseret Morning News</p>

<p>Right before Saturday's game, Poinsettia Bowl representative Larry Baber said the two Mountain West Conference teams his bowl was considering were Utah and Wyoming.</p>

<p>It didn't take long for Baber to put a big black line through Wyoming's name. In fact, at halftime, with Utah holding a 40-point lead, when Baber went to visit Wyoming officials in their press box booth, they said they wouldn't have to worry about seeing the guys in the bright red sports coats any more.</p>

<p>Utah's impressive victory puts the Utes at the top of the list for a berth in the annual bowl at Qualcomm Stadium on Dec. 20 in San Diego.</p>

<p>Baber, the president-elect of the San Diego Bowl Association, which oversees the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl as well as the San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, said Utah is likely headed to San Diego with a win this week against New Mexico.</p>

<p>"There's still some games to be played, but if (the Utes) win two of their next three, they will be right on top of our list," Baber said.</p>

<p>Then after Utah's huge win, as he headed down to the field, Baber was even more positive.</p>

<p>"I was very impressed," said Baber, who added that Utah was now his bowl's first choice.</p>

<p>Two scenarios could derail Utah's hopes of playing in San Diego.</p>

<p>One, as unlikely as it is, would be a strong finish by San Diego State. If the Aztecs won their final four games to finish 7-5, they would be selected because of the "great hometown story," according to Baber.</p>

<p>The other would be if Utah runs the table and knocks off BYU in the season finale. In that case, Baber believes the Las Vegas Bowl might pick the Utes ahead of his bowl.</p>

<p>Another bowl possibility for Utah would be the New Mexico Bowl, which has requested credentials to next week's Utah-New Mexico game.</p>

<p>However, unless the Utes lose to the Lobos, the Utes aren't likely to be headed to Albuquerque.</p>

17

<p>Bowl winning streak serves as motivation
By Dirk Facer
Deseret Morning News
-
Selection Sunday has finally arrived.</p>

<p>And barring a big surprise, Utah will likely be invited to the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl today. The Dec. 20 game at Qualcomm Stadium will pit the Utes against Navy.</p>

<p>"They're a good team," said Utah safety Steve Tate, who noted that the Midshipmen have an explosive offense; a good quarterback; fast, tough guys; and a talented offensive line.</p>

<p>The challenging task isn't being taken lightly. The Utes have won their past six bowl games and are determined to extend the nation's second-longest active streak.</p>

<p>"We've got one goal in mind, and that's to win seven bowl games in a row," Tate said. "That's the only thing on our mind right now."</p>

<p>The Utes practiced three times last week despite not knowing exactly who their bowl opponent would be. They did, however, watch some film on Navy and introduced some schematics for the probable meeting.</p>

<p>"We take it serious," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "It's all in the preparation of the players."</p>

<p>A look at Utah's 6-0 bowl roll:</p>

<p>ARMED FORCES BOWL (Dec. 23, 2006)</p>

<p>UTAH 25, TULSA 13: At Fort Worth, Louie Sakoda earned MVP accolades after accounting for 13 of the Utes' points. Eric Weddle capped his stellar career at Utah in impressive fashion by scoring a touchdown, intercepting a pass, recovering a fumble, assisting on a sack and rushing for 56 yards.</p>

<p>Story continues below
EMERALD BOWL (Dec. 29, 2005)</p>

<p>UTAH 38, GEORGIA TECH 10: At San Francisco, Travis LaTendresse and Weddle earned MVP honors as the Utes upset No. 24 Georgia Tech in the Emerald Bowl. LaTendresse made 16 catches and scored four touchdowns, while Weddle held Georgia Tech star Calvin Johnson to just two receptions.</p>

<p>FIESTA BOWL (Jan. 1, 2005)</p>

<p>UTAH 35, PITTSBURGH 7: At Tempe, Ariz., Alex Smith and Paris Warren shared offensive MVP honors, while Steve Fifita garnered defensive recognition as the Utes made their historic journey into the Bowl Championship Series a success. Utah's defense set a Fiesta Bowl record with nine sacks in the lopsided affair, witnessed by what is believed to be the largest gathering of Ute fans.</p>

<p>LIBERTY BOWL (Dec. 31, 2003)</p>

<p>UTAH 17, SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 0: At Memphis, Brandon Warfield and Lewis Powell were named offensive and defensive MVP, respectively, as the Utes overpowered the Golden Eagles. Utah's defense had a strong outing with five sacks and 10 tackles-for-loss. Morgan Scalley returned a fumble 74 yards for a touchdown.</p>

<p>LAS VEGAS BOWL (Dec. 25, 2001)</p>

<p>UTAH 10, SOUTHERN CAL 6: At Las Vegas, Dameon Hunter rushed for 94 yards and was named MVP as the Utes edged the Trojans on Christmas Day. Utah sacked USC quarterback Carson Palmer five times and made nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage. The Trojans wound up with just 1 yard rushing.</p>

<p>LAS VEGAS BOWL (Dec. 18, 1999)</p>

<p>UTAH 17, FRESNO STATE 16: At Las Vegas, Mike Anderson had 254 rushing yards and was named MVP of the one-point win over the Bulldogs. Cletus Truhe's 33-yard field goal with 5:07 left in the game proved to be the difference.</p>

18

<p>Utah to Face Navy in SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl</p>

<p>Utah The University of Utah Utes accepted an invitation to play the Navy Midshipmen in the third annual San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, 2007 President Rudy Castruita announced today. The football game will be played Thursday, December 20th at 6 p.m. (PST) at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The game kicks off the 2007-08 bowl season and will be televised nationally on ESPN.</p>

<p>"We are so excited the Utah Utes football program and their loyal fans will be making their way to San Diego for the third annual bowl game," said Castruita. "We look forward to rolling out the red carpet and hosting them in our great city. The Utes and Midshipmen are going to put on quite a show for football fans all around the country."</p>

<p>Utah finished the regular season 8-4, 5-3 in the Mountain West Conference.</p>

<p>"We¹re excited for the opportunity to play in the Poinsettia Bowl," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. "We have several players, as well as a large alumni base, from the Southern California area. It's also a great destination for our fans from Utah. We always have a large fan contingent at our regular season games in Qualcomm Stadium and we anticipate an even bigger turnout for the bowl game.</p>

<p>"We'll have a strong opponent in the U.S. Naval Academy. We've never played the Midshipmen before, but we expect the same type of discipline, toughness and level of execution that we face every year in Air Force.</p>

<p>"The players and coaches are excited about our opportunity to play another game. The date is ideal for the players, in that it allows them to spend the holidays with their families after the bowl game."</p>

<p>Utah has won its last six bowl games, dating back to 1999, which is the second-longest postseason win streak in the nation. San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl marks the fifth-straight bowl appearance for the Utes.
The Utes won seven of their last eight games to finish the season, including impressive wins against a ranked UCLA team, at Louisville and at home against New Mexico. Utah is led by junior running back Darrell Mack, who recently became the ninth Ute to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. He is ranked 31st in the nation in yards per game (102.5). Utah finished in the top five nationally in scoring defense this season, despite losing All-American Eric Weddle to the San Diego Chargers in the 2007 NFL draft.</p>

<p>The 2006 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl featured a 37-7 TCU Horned Frogs victory over Northern Illinois Huskies.</p>

<p>Tickets are on sale now at NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics, by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY or at the Navy Box Office in Ricketts Hall.</p>

19

<p>Utes familiar with Navy scheme after facing Air Force</p>

<p>Utah</a> looks at options -- baltimoresun.com</p>

<p>
[quote]
Navy's opponent in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 20 runs its own option offense, had an 8-4 record like the Midshipmen and has gone to a bowl game the past four years just like the Mids.</p>

<p>The University of Utah, which accepted a bid to play in the Poinsettia Bowl yesterday, is not exactly a mirror image, however.</p>

<p>The Utes play in the Mountain West Conference, where they went 5-3 this year and still run a version of former coach Urban Meyer's spread option offense....

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20

<p>By land or air</p>

<p>Salt</a> Lake Tribune - It's Utes vs. Navy in Poinsettia</p>

<p>
[quote]
Through all the upsets and last-minute juggling of the final polls, at least one outcome remained as expected Sunday: The Utah Utes will play Navy in the third annual San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 20. </p>

<p>Utah accepted a bowl invitation on Sunday to play the Midshipmen, who accepted their invitation to the bowl game in November when they became bowl eligible. </p>

<p>"We're elated to go to San Diego," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "As soon as the team heard it was a possibility, they were thrilled. Who would not want to spend the middle of December in San Diego?" ...

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