2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season

The 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season, the 2007 season of college football for teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), began on August 25, 2007, and concluded on December 14, 2007, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the 2007 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, where the Appalachian State Mountaineers defeated the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens to win the NCAA Division I Football Championship.[3]

2007 NCAA Division I FCS season
2007 FCS National Championship trophy (right).
Regular season
DurationAugust 25 – November 17
Payton AwardJayson Foster[1]
Buchanan AwardKroy Biermann[2]
Playoff
DurationNovember 23 – December 14
Championship dateDecember 14, 2007
Championship siteFinley Stadium
Chattanooga, Tennessee
ChampionAppalachian State
NCAA Division I FCS football seasons

Rule changes for 2007

The clock rules adopted in the 2006 season were reversed, after coaches in all divisions disapproved of them. The attempt to reduce the time of games sought by those rules was successful, reducing the average college football game from 3 hours and 21 minutes in 2005 to 3 hours and 7 seven minutes in 2006. The reduced game time also reduced the average number of plays in a game by 13, fewer offensive yards per game by 66, and average points per game by 5.

Rules changes for the 2007 season include:[4]

  • Moving the kick-off yard-line from 35 to 30, which matches the yard-line used in the National Football League, to reduce the number of touchbacks.
  • Paring the 25-second play clock to 15 seconds after TV timeouts.
  • Shortening teams' three allotted timeouts per half by 30 seconds each, from 1:25 to 55 seconds.
  • Allowing penalties against the kicking team on kickoffs to be assessed at the end of the runback, avoiding a re-kick, also matching the NFL rule.

Other notable changes

  • The Atlantic 10 Conference ceased football sponsorship after the 2006 season. The A10's football sponsorship was effectively taken over by the Colonial Athletic Association, with all of the A10 football members (Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Richmond, Towson, William & Mary) moving to the CAA.

Conference changes

School2006 Conference2007 Conference
Austin PeayFCS IndependentOhio Valley
Central ArkansasD-II IndependentSouthland
St. Peter'sMAACDropped Program
Stony BrookNortheastFCS Independent
Western KentuckyGatewayFCS Independent

FCS team wins over FBS teams

Conference standings

2007 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 10 Montana $^  8 0     11 1  
No. 8 East. Washington ^  6 2     9 4  
Northern Arizona  5 3     6 5  
Montana State  4 4     6 5  
Weber State  4 4     5 6  
Portland State  3 5     3 8  
Sacramento State  3 5     3 8  
Idaho State  2 6     3 8  
Northern Colorado  1 7     1 11  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ FCS playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2007 Big South Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
Liberty $  4 0     8 3  
Coastal Carolina  3 1     5 6  
Gardner–Webb  2 2     5 6  
Charleston Southern  1 3     5 6  
VMI  0 4     2 9  
  • $ Conference champion
2007 Colonial Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
North
No. 7 UMass x+^  7 1     10 3  
Hofstra  4 4     7 4  
No. 14 New Hampshire ^  4 4     7 5  
Maine  3 5     4 7  
Northeastern  2 6     3 8  
Rhode Island  2 6     3 8  
South
No. 5 Richmond x+^  7 1     11 3  
No. 12 James Madison ^  6 2     8 4  
No. 2 Delaware ^  5 3     11 4  
Villanova  5 3     7 4  
William & Mary  2 6     4 7  
Towson  1 7     3 8  
  • + Conference co-champions
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ FCS playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2007 Gateway Football Conference standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 4 Northern Iowa $^  6 0     12 1  
No. 3 Southern Illinois ^  5 1     12 2  
No. 16 Youngstown State  3 3     7 4  
Western Illinois  3 3     6 5  
Missouri State  2 4     6 5  
Illinois State  2 4     4 7  
Indiana State  0 6     0 11  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ FCS playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2007 Great West Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 19 South Dakota State $  4 0     7 4  
No. 9 North Dakota State  3 1     10 1  
No. 24 Cal Poly  2 2     7 4  
UC Davis  1 3     5 6  
Southern Utah  0 4     0 11  
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2007 Ivy League football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 21 Harvard $  7 0     8 2  
No. 22 Yale  6 1     9 1  
Brown  4 3     5 5  
Penn  3 4     4 6  
Princeton  3 4     4 6  
Dartmouth  3 4     3 7  
Cornell  2 5     5 5  
Columbia  0 7     1 9  
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2007 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
Iona +  2 1     7 4  
Duquesne +  2 1     6 4  
Marist +  2 1     3 8  
La Salle  0 3     0 10  
  • + Conference co-champions
2007 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 15 Delaware State $^  9 0     10 2  
Norfolk State  7 2     8 3  
South Carolina State  7 2     7 4  
Hampton  5 4     6 5  
Winston-Salem State  5 4     6 5  
Morgan State  4 5     5 6  
Bethune–Cookman  3 6     5 6  
Howard  3 6     4 7  
Florida A&M  2 7     3 8  
North Carolina A&T  0 9     0 11  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ FCS playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2007 Northeast Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
Albany $  6 0     8 4  
Central Connecticut State  4 2     6 5  
Wagner  3 3     7 4  
Monmouth  3 3     4 6  
Robert Morris  3 3     4 6  
Saint Francis (PA)  2 4     3 7  
Sacred Heart  0 6     3 8  
  • $ Conference champion
2007 Ohio Valley Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 13 Eastern Kentucky $^  8 0     9 3  
No. 18 Eastern Illinois ^  7 1     8 4  
Austin Peay  5 3     7 4  
Jacksonville State  5 3     6 5  
Tennessee State  4 3     5 6  
Tennessee–Martin  4 4     4 7  
Samford  2 6     4 7  
Tennessee Tech  2 6     4 7  
Southeast Missouri State  1 6     3 8  
Murray State  1 7     2 9  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ FCS playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2007 Patriot League football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 20 Fordham $^  5 1     8 4  
Colgate  4 2     7 4  
Holy Cross  4 2     7 4  
Lafayette  4 2     7 4  
Lehigh  2 4     5 6  
Bucknell  1 5     3 8  
Georgetown  1 5     1 10  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ FCS playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2007 Pioneer Football League standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
Dayton +  6 1     11 1  
San Diego +  6 1     9 2  
Morehead State  5 2     7 4  
Davidson  4 3     6 4  
Drake  3 4     6 5  
Valparaiso  2 5     5 6  
Jacksonville  2 5     3 8  
Butler  0 7     4 7  
  • + Conference co-champions
2007 Southern Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 1 Appalachian State +^  5 2     13 2  
No. 6 Wofford +^  5 2     9 4  
No. 17 Georgia Southern  4 3     7 4  
No. 23 Elon  4 3     7 4  
The Citadel  4 3     7 4  
Furman  4 3     6 5  
Chattanooga  2 5     2 9  
Western Carolina  0 7     1 10  
  • + Conference co-champions
  • ^ FCS playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network FCS Poll
2007 Southland Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 11 McNeese State $^  7 0     11 1  
Sam Houston State  5 2     7 4  
Central Arkansas  5 2     6 5  
Nicholls State  3 4     6 5  
Texas State  3 4     4 7  
Northwestern State  3 4     4 7  
Southeastern Louisiana  2 5     3 8  
Stephen F. Austin  0 7     0 11  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ FCS playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network FCS Poll
2007 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
East
Jackson State x$  7 2     8 4  
Alabama A&M  6 3     3 3  
Alabama State  4 5     5 6  
Mississippi Valley State  2 7     3 8  
Alcorn State  2 7     2 8  
West
No. 25 Grambling State x  8 1     8 4  
Southern  6 3     8 3  
Prairie View A&M  6 3     7 3  
Arkansas–Pine Bluff  4 5     4 7  
Texas Southern  0 9     0 11  
Championship: Jackson State 42, Grambling State 31
December 15, 2007
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
2007 NCAA Division I FCS independents football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
Western Kentucky       7 5  
North Carolina Central       6 4  
Stony Brook       6 5  
Presbyterian       6 5  
Winston–Salem State       6 5  
Savannah State       1 9  

Conference champions

Automatic berths

ConferenceChampion
Big Sky Conference Montana and Eastern Washington
Colonial Athletic Association Massachusetts and Richmond
Gateway Football Conference Northern Iowa
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Delaware State
Ohio Valley Conference Eastern Kentucky
Patriot League Fordham
Southern Conference Appalachian State and Wofford
Southland Conference McNeese State

Invitation

ConferenceChampion
Big South Conference Liberty
Great West Football Conference South Dakota State
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Duquesne, Iona, and Marist
Northeast Conference Albany
Pioneer Football League Dayton

Abstains

ConferenceChampion
Ivy League Harvard
Southwestern Athletic Conference Jackson State

Postseason

NCAA FCS Playoff bracket

First Round[5]
November 23 and 24
Quarterfinals
December 1
Semifinals
December 7 and 8
National Championship Game

December 14
Finley Stadium
Chattanooga, Tennessee

            
New Hampshire 35
1 Northern Iowa* 38
1 Northern Iowa* 27
Delaware 39
Delaware State 7
Delaware* 44
Delaware 20
4 Southern Illinois* 17
Eastern Illinois 11
4 Southern Illinois* 30
4 Southern Illinois* 34
UMass 27
Fordham 35
UMass* 49
Delaware 21
Appalachian State* 49
Eastern Washington 44
2 McNeese State* 15
Eastern Washington 35
Appalachian State* 38
James Madison 27
Appalachian State* 28
Appalachian State* 55
Richmond 35
Wofford 23
3 Montana* 22
Wofford* 10
Richmond 21
Eastern Kentucky 14
Richmond* 31

* Host institution

SWAC Championship Game

DateLocationVenueWest Div. ChampionEast Div. ChampionResult
December 15 Birmingham, Alabama Legion Field Grambling State Jackson State Jackson State, 42–31[6]

Gridiron Classic

The Gridiron Classic is an annual game between the champions of the Northeast Conference and the Pioneer Football League that has been held since December 2006.

DateLocationVenueNEC ChampionPFL ChampionResult
December 1 Dayton, Ohio Welcome Stadium Albany Dayton Dayton, 42–21[7]

Final poll standings

Standings are from The Sports Network final 2007 poll.

Rank[8]TeamRecord
1Appalachian State Mountaineers13–2
2Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens11–4
3Southern Illinois Salukis13–2
4Northern Iowa Panthers12–1
5Richmond Spiders11–3
6Wofford Terriers9–4
7Massachusetts Minutemen10–3
8Eastern Washington Eagles9–4
9North Dakota State Bison10–1
10Montana Grizzlies11–1
11McNeese State Cowboys11–1
12James Madison Dukes8–4
13Eastern Kentucky Colonels9–3
14New Hampshire Wildcats7–5
15Delaware State Hornets10–2
16Youngstown State Penguins7–4
17Georgia Southern Eagles7–4
18Eastern Illinois Panthers8–4
19South Dakota State Jackrabbits7–4
20Fordham Rams8–4
21Harvard Crimson8–2
22Yale Bulldogs9–1
23Elon Phoenix7–4
24Cal Poly Mustangs7–4
25Grambling State Tigers8–4

See also

Historic games

References

  1. "Jayson Foster wins 2007 Walter Payton Award". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  2. "Kroy Biermann captures 2007 Buck Buchanan Award". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  3. Associated Press (2007-12-14). "Months after Michigan upset, Appalachian State completes FCS 3-peat". ESPN. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  4. Steve Wieberg (2007-02-14). "NCAA rules committee proposes reworking football time-saving rules". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-02-15.
  5. "2007 Playoff Bracket". NCAA. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  6. Associated Press (2007-12-15). "Grambling State 31, Jackson State 42". ESPN. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  7. Associated Press (2007-12-01). "Dayton 42, Albany, N.Y. 21". ESPN. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  8. "Final Sports Network's 2007 FCS College Football Poll". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
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