Navy Accepts Invitation To Play In The Meineke Car Care Bowl

[GreatAmerican]

<p>If it becomes bowl-eligible for the fifth consecutive season in 2007, the Navy football team will likely take another Christmas holiday trip to San Diego. Sources at Navy have confirmed that the school is close to signing an agreement to play in next year’s Poinsettia Bowl, which would mark the Midshipmen’s second appearance at the event in three seasons. Last Dec. 22, Navy won the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium by blowing out Colorado State, 51-30.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Published in today’s Annapolis Capital:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2006/12_24-81/SPO[/url]”>http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2006/12_24-81/SPO&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

Frank Spaziani has fond memories of his days in Annapolis.</p>

<p>Spaziani’s first collegiate coaching job came at the Naval Academy under George Welsh. He was the head coach at Raritan High in New Jersey when Welsh called and offered a position…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Published in today’s Cincinnati Enquirer:</p>

<p><a href=“http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061224/SPT01/612240415/-1/all[/url]”>http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061224/SPT01/612240415/-1/all&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

Just in case a college football player can’t summon enough motivation from wanting to end the season on a high note or getting to spend part of the winter in a place like Southern California or Florida, bowl game organizers sweeten the pot.</p>

<p>This year, there are 32 bowl games, an all-time high. And win or lose, players from those 64 teams will tote home a “gift bag” to commemorate their postseason berth…

</p>

[Whistle_Pig]

<p>Man, not too shabby. Anyone need a waterboy?</p>

<p>This is bettern NASS. Couldn’t believe all the USNA gear that came home with my wannabeplebe last summer. Sweats, tee’s, hats, notebooks, H2O bottle, pens, etc. One of the best summer camping deals on the planet.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Published in today’s Boston Herald:</p>

<p><a href=“http://sports.bostonherald.com/college/football/view.bg?articleid=173798&format=&page=1[/url]”>http://sports.bostonherald.com/college/football/view.bg?articleid=173798&format=&page=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

Boston College wide receiver Tony Gonzalez can protect quarterback Matt Ryan from blitzing linebackers with a hard look at the defensive formation.</p>

<p>Gonzalez has learned to read, analyze and react to defensive pressure and that acumen has helped save Ryan’s hide throughout the season. That component of Gonzalez’ game will certainly come into play when the Eagles (9-3) face the blitz-crazed Midshipmen of Navy (9-3) in the Meineke Car Care Bowl Saturday in Charlotte, N.C…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Posted on GoMids.com:</p>

<p><a href=“http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=240&p=2&c=603333[/url]”>http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=240&p=2&c=603333&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

For the first time in NCAA Division 1-A history, every team that posted a winning record received a bowl invitation. The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders were the last at-large team with a winning record, and the Motor City Bowl invited them out of necessity. The only other at-large team with a winning record was Northern Illinois. The Poinsettia Bowl chose them ahead of MTSU…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Published in today’s Boston Herald:</p>

<p><a href=“http://sports.bostonherald.com/college/football/view.bg?articleid=173853[/url]”>http://sports.bostonherald.com/college/football/view.bg?articleid=173853&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

It’s fair to say that David Wright’s been a late bloomer in his football career. </p>

<p>Twice. </p>

<p>When Boston College goes up against Navy in the Meineke Car Care Bowl on Saturday, the Eagles will have to contend with Wright, the Midshipmen’s 275-pound nose tackle from Millis. BC won’t be able to rely on any film on Wright from past seasons. There really isn’t much. He saw no varsity action his first two years at the Naval Academy. Last year he made two tackles. You’d have to run a lot of film to find them…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Transcript of Navy head football coach Paul Johnson’s comments following practice on Tuesday, Dec. 26</p>

<p>Q. Coach, can you talk about how great it is to be in Charlotte and playing in this bowl game.</p>

<p>A. It’s tremendous. I think any time you get a chance to play in a postseason game its great. Everybody has been very hospitable here and we are looking forward to the game.</p>

<p>Q. Does it feel good to get your future out of the way, you know that you will be at Navy for a while, and you don’t have to answer all the questions about coaching at another school?</p>

<p>A. I don’t ever worry about that anyway. People are going to say what they say. I just worry about trying to keep the job I have. </p>

<p>Q. What do you know about Boston College?</p>

<p>A. They are big and physical. They are a very talented team. I’m not so sure they aren’t the best team in the ACC. Their quarterback is very experienced and very efficient. Defensively, they are top 30 in the country with some really huge guys. It will be a big challenge for us. </p>

<p>Q. How is your team looking? How do you feel? What are your thoughts on today’s practice?</p>

<p>A. We were a little rusty today, but you can expect that. We took some time off so the guys could go home for Christmas. Our guys will play hard and if we do that you always have a chance.</p>

<p>Q. Is going to a bowl game something that Navy is getting used to? What has been the player’s reaction to going to four-straight bowl games?</p>

<p>A. It’s fun. Hopefully they understand what it takes to get here and the effort it takes to be competitive. I know that Boston College has won a bunch of bowl games in a row so it’s going to be a huge challenge.</p>

<p>Q. You have some local guys on the team and Coach Green is from this area and coached and played at NC State, can you talk about how the defense has done and how that connection has worked out for you? I guess you guys met when he was at Chattanooga.</p>

<p>A. Right. When I was the head coach at Georgia Southern he was the head coach at Chattanooga in the same league so I’ve known Buddy through the years and we have several guys on the team from North Carolina. Rashawn King and Keenan Little are both starters in the secondary, Troy Goss is from Shelby, we have a bunch of guys from North Carolina on the team. I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina in Newland so we have a pretty good North Carolina influence. </p>

<p>Q. What is it about Coach Green’s defense that has helped make you guys so successful?</p>

<p>A. Like the rest of the team they play aggressive and play hard. We are the type of football team that doesn’t have a lot of big play guys. It’s definitely a team type deal and at different times everybody has had to do their part and certainly we have gotten good production out of our defense at times.</p>

<p>Q. Boston College has had more time than normal to study game films of your offense. Are you worried that they will have figured out how to stop your offense by game time?</p>

<p>A. Not really. It all comes down to execution. It doesn’t matter how much time you have or how much you figure it out. I’m more worried that they are big and physical and they run fast than they are going to figure it out. They will have a good plan. They have good players and good coaches and they are very good on defense. We will go out and give it our best shot and see what we can do. </p>

<p>Q. Coach can you talk about how you’ve lost a lot of guys this year to injury but you’ve had guys step up and fill those roles?</p>

<p>A. We’ve had a lot of guys get hurt and guys have come in and stepped up and I think that speaks volumes of the young men we have in the program. Hopefully if you build a program you have some depth and we have had guys step in and keep the thing going. When you get as many guys hurt as we’ve had it’s important that you don’t just fall off the table when somebody goes down.</p>

<p>Q. Do you spend much time in North Carolina these days?</p>

<p>A. I haven’t been home since last Christmas.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Navy’s attack usually peaks in late season</p>

<p>Published in teh Annapolis Capital:</p>

<p><a href=“Real Estate – Capital Gazette”>Real Estate – Capital Gazette;

<p>

Navy’s offensive performance in its last bowl game was phenomenal. The Midshipmen clicked on all cylinders in rolling up 51 points and 611 total yards against Colorado State in the Poinsettia Bowl. Navy vs. Boston College </p>

<p>However, Navy’s offensive performance in its last game was disappointing. The Midshipmen were out of sync in being held to 17 offensive points and 275 total yards against Army…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Quarterback, safety among key starters who didn’t last the season</p>

<p>Published in the Charlotte Observer:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/colleges/16325274.htm[/url]”>http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/colleges/16325274.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

Navy’s ability to reach its fourth consecutive bowl this season is due in large part to its adaptability.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen (9-3), who will play Boston College (9-3) at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Meineke Car Care Bowl at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, were hit by a rash of injuries this year…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Former Crest star will follow dream after final game with Midshipmen</p>

<p>Published in the Charlotte Observer:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/colleges/16325314.htm[/url]”>http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/colleges/16325314.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

When Keenan Little was in kindergarten, he had to make trips from Boiling Springs, N.C., to Duke University Medical Center to be treated for rheumatoid arthritis.</p>

<p>Little always was thrilled to see the hospital’s helicopter, and was fascinated one day when he saw it land…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Posted on the Charlotte Observer:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/special_packages/bowl_game/16300205.htm[/url]”>http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/special_packages/bowl_game/16300205.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

Boston College suspended kicker Ryan Ohliger for the Eagles bowl game against Navy, the second time the junior has been suspended this season.</p>

<p>The Eagles (9-3) play Navy (9-3) in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, N.C… on Dec. 30.</p>

<p>“He’s not traveling with us and he’s not participating in this game for a violation of team rules,” interim coach Frank Spaziani said Thursday without specifying what rule was broken…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Johnson Has a History Of Success in Bowl Games</p>

<p>Published in today’s Washington Compost:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/26/AR2006122601107.html[/url]”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/26/AR2006122601107.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

The Navy football team arrived in Charlotte yesterday afternoon and went to work preparing for the Meineke Car Care Bowl against Boston College on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium.</p>

<p>The team stopped briefly at its hotel to pick up the players who had traveled directly to Charlotte rather than taking the charter flight from Annapolis. After that, the Midshipmen (9-3) headed straight for practice…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p><a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/26/AR2006122600461.html[/url]”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/26/AR2006122600461.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Johnson’s success gives academy financial windfall</p>

<p>Published in today’s BS:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/football/bal-sp.navyfoot27dec27,0,5628409.story?coll=bal-college-football[/url]”>http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/football/bal-sp.navyfoot27dec27,0,5628409.story?coll=bal-college-football&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

When Navy makes its fourth consecutive postseason appearance Saturday in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against Boston College, the school in one sense cannot lose.</p>

<p>The academy expects to reap a seven-figure payday, due in part to its ability to sell more than 20,000 tickets to the event and to its status as an independent school that is not required to share the wealth with members of a conference…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Drawing power has bowls leery</p>

<p>Published in today’s Boston Globe:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/football/articles/2006/12/27/bc_left_feeling_a_bit_empty/[/url]”>http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/football/articles/2006/12/27/bc_left_feeling_a_bit_empty/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

The Boston College football team yesterday traveled to Charlotte, N.C., for its appearance opposite Navy in Saturday’s Meineke Car Care Bowl. It’s not likely, though, that the Eagles, who will be making their second bowl trip to Charlotte in three years, will have as many fans in attendance as, say, BC’s 1984 Cotton Bowl team, which according to former sports information director Reid Oslin drew 25,000 fans to Dallas.</p>

<p>“At the time, it was the largest airlift out of Logan International Airport to any single destination since World War II,” Oslin recalled. “There were charter flights to Dallas leaving Logan for days and days.”…

</p>

[Ritcheyrich]

<p>I certainly hope all this news article research isn’t being done on the government’s dime, like at the pentagon or something.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>^^^^
Don’t worry. I own my own business. It’s on my dime.</p>

[Zaphod]

<p>

I certainly hope all this news article research isn’t being done on the government’s dime, like at the pentagon or something.

</p>

<p>So why should you care if it is? It’s good information; a hell of a lot better than government normally gives out.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Published in today’s Baltimore Examiner:</p>

<p><a href=“Examiner is back - Examiner.com”>Examiner is back - Examiner.com;

<p>

When local residents heard that both Maryland and Navy received invitations to play in bowl games, many automatically assumed it meant a sunny vacation for spoiled football players and mounds of cash for the schools. </p>

<p>As college football announcer Lee Corso would say, “not so fast, my friend.”…

</p>