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2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season

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2007 NCAA Division I FCS season
2007 FCS National Championship trophy (right).
Regular season
Number of teams122
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

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]

Rule changes for 2007

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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.

Conference changes and new programs

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  • 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 (today's Coastal Athletic Association), with all twelve of the A10 football members (Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Rhode Island, Richmond, Towson, Villanova, and William & Mary) moving to the CAA for the 2007 season.
School 2006 Conference 2007 Conference
Austin Peay FCS Independent Ohio Valley
Central Arkansas FCS Independent Southland
Presbyterian South Atlantic (D-II) FCS Independent
St. Peter's MAAC Dropped Program
Stony Brook Northeast FCS Independent
Western Kentucky Gateway FBS Independent
Winston-Salem State FCS Independent MEAC

FCS team wins over FBS teams

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Conference standings

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2007 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 10 Montana $^   8 0     11 1  
No. 8 Eastern 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 Division
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 Division
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
  • * – Ineligible for postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2007 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Jackson State xy$   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 Division
No. 25 Grambling State xy   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
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from The Sports Network Poll
2007 NCAA Division I FCS independents football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Western Kentucky       7 5  
Stony Brook       6 5  
Presbyterian       6 5  
Savannah State       1 9  

Conference champions

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Automatic berths

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Conference Champion
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

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Conference Champion
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

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Conference Champion
Ivy League Harvard
Southwestern Athletic Conference Jackson State

Postseason

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NCAA Division I playoff bracket

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First Round[5]
November 23 and 24
Campus sites
Quarterfinals
December 1
Campus sites
Semifinals
December 7 and 8
Campus sites
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
12 Delaware 21
5 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

Date Location Venue West Div. Champion East Div. Champion Result
December 15 Birmingham, Alabama Legion Field Grambling State Jackson State Jackson State, 42–31[6]

Gridiron Classic

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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.

Date Location Venue NEC Champion PFL Champion Result
December 1 Dayton, Ohio Welcome Stadium Albany Dayton Dayton, 42–21[7]

Final poll standings

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Standings are from The Sports Network final 2007 poll.

Rank[8] Team Record
1 Appalachian State Mountaineers 13–2
2 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens 11–4
3 Southern Illinois Salukis 13–2
4 Northern Iowa Panthers 12–1
5 Richmond Spiders 11–3
6 Wofford Terriers 9–4
7 Massachusetts Minutemen 10–3
8 Eastern Washington Eagles 9–4
9 North Dakota State Bison 10–1
10 Montana Grizzlies 11–1
11 McNeese State Cowboys 11–1
12 James Madison Dukes 8–4
13 Eastern Kentucky Colonels 9–3
14 New Hampshire Wildcats 7–5
15 Delaware State Hornets 10–2
16 Youngstown State Penguins 7–4
17 Georgia Southern Eagles 7–4
18 Eastern Illinois Panthers 8–4
19 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 7–4
20 Fordham Rams 8–4
21 Harvard Crimson 8–2
22 Yale Bulldogs 9–1
23 Elon Phoenix 7–4
24 Cal Poly Mustangs 7–4
25 Grambling State Tigers 8–4

See also

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Historic games

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References

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  1. ^ "Jayson Foster wins 2007 Walter Payton Award". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on April 4, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  2. ^ "Kroy Biermann captures 2007 Buck Buchanan Award". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on April 4, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  3. ^ Associated Press (December 14, 2007). "Months after Michigan upset, Appalachian State completes FCS 3-peat". ESPN. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  4. ^ Steve Wieberg (February 14, 2007). "NCAA rules committee proposes reworking football time-saving rules". USA Today. Retrieved February 15, 2007.
  5. ^ "2007 Playoff Bracket". NCAA. Retrieved December 20, 2008.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ Associated Press (December 15, 2007). "Grambling State 31, Jackson State 42". ESPN. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  7. ^ Associated Press (December 1, 2007). "Dayton 42, Albany, N.Y. 21". ESPN. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  8. ^ "Final Sports Network's 2007 FCS College Football Poll". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
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