2007 Poinsettia Bowl

Colleges and Universities A-Z Naval Academy - Annapolis
101

<p>ESPN</a> - Yellow Jackets, Wolverines, Midshipmen earn high marks - College Football</p>

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With Rich Rodriguez's leaving West Virginia for Michigan, college football's coaching carousel is finally beginning to slow down.</p>

<p>Arkansas and Michigan made the biggest splashes with their hires, but the Razorbacks and Wolverines didn't look so good in the process. Most college football fans have probably never heard of Paul Wulff, but why might he end up making Washington State look so good?...

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102

<p>North</a> County Times - Jay Paris' Chargers Insider column - Poinsettia Bowl still young, but growing up</p>

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When it was first announced that the Holiday Bowl was getting a little brother bowl, most locals shrugged. But the Poinsettia Bowl is carving its niche in the San Diego sports scene, one that grows deeper with every game.</p>

<p>On Thursday night, the college football orgy known as the bowl season kicks off with the Poinsettia Bowl. Navy will play Utah at Qualcomm Stadium.</p>

<p>The onslaught of bowls forces anyone who's apathetic about college football to run away screaming. According to the Football Bowl Association, there are 32 games featuring 64 teams and some 6,400 athletes. About 1.7 million fans attend the games, with 134 million TV viewers. The bowls supply a $1.3 billion economic boost, with $215 million going to the competing schools....

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103

<p>SignOnSanDiego.com</a> > Sports -- 5-6 Navy back flying below pursuit radar</p>

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At 5 feet, 6 inches tall, Reggie Campbell wants the myth to be shattered, once and for all. </p>

<p>Contrary to conventional belief, a person's height does not and should not matter in football at any level, Campbell says. </p>

<p>To prove his point, he suggests looking at the situation from his vantage point: The opposing defense sometimes can't see where he is behind all of those bigger blockers and would-be tacklers. ...

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104

<p>Deseret</a> Morning News | Navy's Pehrson playing a familiar foe</p>

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A former Ute will be on the other side of the field on the sidelines trying to beat the Utes when Utah and Navy face each other Thursday night in the Poinsettia Bowl. Dale Pehrson is the longest-tenured coach at the Naval Academy, currently in his 12th year on the staff. He coaches the defensive line and is also the recruiting coordinator.</p>

<p>"I'm excited, I've been waiting for this day," Pehrson said. "It will be fun. A lot of guys that I played with are coming, and I know coach (Kyle) Whittingham and coach (Gary) Andersen. I'm hoping to see some old friends."</p>

<p>While Pehrson was excited when Utah was announced as a bowl opponent, he said, "I'd rather not play them personnel-wise."...

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105

<p>Coach Niumatalolo takes over a team he is quite familiar with in the Midshipmen, who play Utah in Thursday's Poinsettia Bowl.</p>

<p>Sign</a> Up</p>

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On the football field, Navy is known for its triple-option offense, giving the quarterback a variety of alternatives to run, pass or give the ball to his backs.</p>

<p>But when Navy coach Paul Johnson announced two weeks ago that he was leaving for Georgia Tech after one of the most successful tenures in academy history, Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk didn't need any options. </p>

<p>Gladchuk knew who he wanted to succeed Johnson, who was 45-29 in six seasons, including 11-1 against Army and Air Force. Within hours, he had phoned Navy assistant coach Ken Niumatalolo, who was on a recruiting trip to Washington....

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106

<p>[url=<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/19/AR2007121902306.html?hpid=sec-sports%5Dwashingtonpost.com%5B/url"&gt;http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/19/AR2007121902306.html?hpid=sec-sports]washingtonpost.com[/url&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p>

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In the first bowl game of the 2007 college football season, Navy faces a Utah team known for its aggressive but disciplined defense. </p>

<p>Sounds like a perfect challenge for the imagination of Paul Johnson, the coach who presided over a five-year run of unprecedented success for the Midshipmen.</p>

<p>But Johnson no longer is the coach at Navy, having departed earlier this month for Georgia Tech. In his place is Ken Niumatalolo, formerly Johnson's top assistant, and Thursday night's Poinsettia Bowl will be the first demonstration of how much Johnson will be missed....

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107

<p>Niumatalolo</a> is already looking to the future - Navy Sports - (HometownAnnapolis.com)</p>

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Head coach Ken Niumatalolo doesn't have much time to reflect on a long, hard and somewhat crazy season.
Niumatalolo will probably take off this weekend, but he'll be back in the office on Monday finalizing his coaching staff and organizing for the big recruiting push in January.</p>

<p>"Recruiting," was Niumatalolo's one-word answer when asked what he would turn his attention to next. "You can begin contact recruits again after the bowl games, so we'll get the entire coaching staff out on the road to see the kids we're interested in."...

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108

<p>Replay Ruling
By
Bill Wagner
Annapolis Capital Blog</p>

<p>The Capital has learned that Naval Academy athletic director Chet Gladchuk has sent a letter to Mid-American Conference commissioner Rick Chryst seeking a full and complete explanation for Thursday night's monumental mistake in the Poinsettia Bowl.</p>

<p>The Mid-American Conference officiating crew admitted in a statement after the game that the replay ruling with regard to a fumbled football hitting the pylon was wrong. Various sources have revealed that the replay official who upheld the call on the field did not know the pylon was part of the end zone.</p>

<p>Naval Academy officials were not satisfied with the post-game statement and want to know exactly how an official charged with reviewing controversial plays could not know such a basic rule of football.</p>

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<p>Officials acknowledge late play should have been touchback</p>

<p>ESPN.com news services</p>

<p>Updated: December 22, 2007, 1:24 PM ET</p>

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<p>The officiating crew from the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl has acknowledged an error in a fourth-quarter call that affected Navy's chances to beat Utah.</p>

<p>The crew and replay official, all from the Mid-American Conference, issued a statement after the game that a fourth-quarter play at the goal line should have been ruled a touchback and Navy ball at the 20-yard-line, rather than Utah ball at the 1-yard-line.</p>

<p>After turning the ball over on downs, Utah scored on its next possession to go ahead 35-25 and held off Navy's late comeback to defeat the Midshipmen, 35-32, on Thursday night.</p>

<p>On third and goal from the 4-yard line, 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. The ball fell forward and hit the pylon.</p>

<p>Initially, the referee ruled that the ball belonged to Utah at the 1-yard line. Navy called for a review, but the review official confirmed the call on the field.</p>

<p>After the game, the crew admitted it was the wrong call.</p>

<p>"The ball was fumbled forward and hit the pylon. The pylon is out of bounds and also in the end zone," read an official statement from the officiating crew, citing Rule 8, Section 6, Article 1, Item 1 in the NCAA college football rule book. "There was a mistake made. It should have been ruled a touchback and the ball should have been placed at the 20-yard line."</p>

<p>Navy took over on downs, but then gave the ball back to Utah on downs, and the Utes scored on a one-yard run by Darrell Mack on for a 35-25 lead with 1:27 to play.</p>

<p>Navy scored on the ensuing possession and recovered an onside kick, but the Middies' drive for a tying or winning score was ended by an interception.</p>

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<p>S.D. tourism slows down during the holidays, but restaurants, hotelscash in
when fans come to town for Poinsettia and Holiday games</p>

<p>By Keith Darc</p>

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<p>By
Bill Wagner
Annapolis Capital Blog</p>

<p>The Capital just got off the phone with Naval Academy athletic director Chet Gladchuk to find out if there was any news with regard to the egregious officiating error that was made in the Poinsettia Bowl.</p>

<p>Gladchuk sent a letter to Mid-American Conference commissioner Rick Chryst on Friday morning seeking an explanation for the incorrect replay ruling that occurred in the fourth quarter of Navy's narrow 35-32 loss to Utah. Gladchuk has not heard back from Chryst yet, but hoped to by the end of the day.</p>

<p>Six days after the fact, Gladchuk was still fuming about the fact the replay official did not know the rule that a fumbled ball that hits the pylon is a touchback, calling the mistake "totally inexcusable."</p>

<p>Gladchuk said there is nothing that can be done now, terming the situation a "fait accompli." However, Gladchuk would like to know how such a mistake could occur and to express to Chryst that he did not feel proper procedure was followed.</p>

<p>"In my opinion, the replay official should have requested a conference with the field officials to discuss what he was seeing on videotape. If that had happened, I am certain one of the members of the crew would have pointed out that the pylon is part of the end zone and therefore the ruling should be a touchback."</p>

<p>The Capital will provide another update once Chryst replies to Gladchuk.</p>

112

<p>By Steve Wieberg, USA TODAY
There's a new eye on college football officials.</p>

<p>The NCAA and the nation's 11 major conferences will announce Friday they are setting up a supervisory body ‹ and appointing the Big Ten's Dave Parry as the sport's first national coordinator ‹ in an effort to improve consistency in areas ranging from on-field game management to the use of replay to officials' training.</p>

<p>"Our goal," Parry said, "is to get the best possible officiating product we can get regardless of conference, regardless of geographic region."</p>

<p>The College Football Officiating program also could sharpen the sport's response to gambling and other issues, officials said. Friday's announcement comes a week after Yahoo! Sports reported one Big Ten game official regularly gambled in casinos and incurred losses that contributed to his and his wife's bankruptcy in 2002.</p>

<p>The timing is unrelated to the report, officials said. The new program has been discussed since spring 2006 and was officially organized four months ago. Its 15-member governing board has met twice. However, the possible tightening of background checks of game officials ‹ one issue raised in connection with the Big Ten referee ‹ is among its early initiatives.</p>

<p>"That would be something we think the CFO could help facilitate, just as an overall response system when situations present themselves ‹ fights, incorrect calls and what-not," said NCAA Executive Vice President Tom Jernstedt, the board chairman.</p>

<p>Another area of interest: the 2-year-old replay system. Concerns about consistency and reliability "stimulated" sentiment for the program, officials said.</p>

<p>Though more structured, the new initiative parallels the oversight of officiating in college basketball. Parry, the Big Ten's officiating coordinator for 19 years, will move full time into his new position in February.</p>

<p>"If it works as well in football as it has in basketball, I certainly think it has merit," said Rick Wulkow, a former official who is executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association and a member of the board of the National Association of Sports Officials.</p>

<p>"If you come at it from a national perspective rather than conference by conference, it can't do anything but help."</p>

<p>The cost is projected at $1 million over five years.</p>