2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl, one of 27 non-BCS
bowl games played after the 2007 NCAA football regular season, took place on Saturday, December 29, 2007 with a 1:00PM EST kickoff at Bank of America Stadium
in Charlotte, North Carolina
. Wake Forest won the game, 24-10.
The Connecticut Huskies
, making just their second bowl appearance in four seasons since joining the Big East entered the game as co-Big East champions after securing a 9-3 overall record. They faced the Wake Forest Demon Deacons
, representing the Atlantic Coast Conference
, a school located just 80 miles from Charlotte in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
.
received the opening kickoff from Wake Forest at Connecticut's four-yard line and advanced the ball 18 yards to the 22. After three plays UConn only gained five yards, well-short of a first down; they punted the ball back to the Demon Deacons. A penalty on the punt return gave Wake Forest the ball on their own 38-yard line. Wake earned a first down, moving as far as the Connecticut 42-yard line, but a sack by Husky defensive end Dan Davis drove them back to midfield, eventually forcing a punt. On their next possession UConn failed to gain a single yard, and once again punted. The Demon Deacons earned another first down on their next possession but again were unable to drive far beyond midfield and punted back to the Huskies.
On their next possession, the Huskies earned their first first down of the game, on a pass from quarterback Tyler Lorenzen
to wide receiver Ellis Gaulden. UConn was unable to move the ball further than their own 38-yard line, however, and once again punted. The punt pinned Wake deep in their own territory, forcing them to start from their own six-yard line. The Demon Deacons after three plays were one yard short of a first down, necessitating another punt. The punt traveled 53 yards before being caught by Connecticut's Larry Taylor
on the UConn 32-yard line and run back 68 yards for the touchdown. With this return and his earlier return in the 2004 Motor City Bowl
, Taylor had now returned punts for touchdowns in both bowl games Connecticut had played in. After the extra point, the score was 7–0 in favor of the Huskies.
Wake Forest received the kickoff following the touchdown and returned the ball to their own 26-yard line. They began driving down the field, earning first downs on passes from quarterback Riley Skinner
to receivers Kenneth Moore
and Alphonso Smith
. After two rushes that gained a net of three yards, the first quarter clock expired. At the end of one quarter played, Connecticut held a 7–0 lead.
After a touchback on the kickoff, Wake Forest began their next drive from their own 20-yard line. On first down Skinner promptly completed a 34-yard pass to wide receiver Kenneth Moore, moving the Demon Deacons into the UConn side of the field. Wake was unable to move the ball any further, however, and once again punted. Taking over at their own 13-yard line, Connecticut went three-and-out, and punted the ball back to the Demon Deacons with 1:35 left in the half. Skinner earned a first down off a eight-yard pass to wide receiver Chip Brinkman and a quarterback running play, but after a sack by Alex Polito Wake Forest was content to let the halftime clock expire. The score after two quarters was 10–0 in favor of the Huskies.
On the ensuing kickoff, UConn's Tyvon Branch responded with a 62-yard return to the Wake Forest 33-yard line. Two plays later, however, Connecticut's hopes of scoring were dashed when Stanley Arnoux intercepted Tyler Lorenzen's pass attempt. Behind the legs of Josh Adams and the arm of Riley Skinner, the Demon Deacons promptly moved back down the field. On 1st-and-10 from the UConn 13-yard line, Skinner completed a pass to Adams that he fumbled at the four-yard line. Connecticut linebacker Danny Lansanah recovered as the Huskies dodged a bullet. After two runs by UConn running back Andre Dixon
gained a net of four yards, the Huskies were set back when Jeremy Thopson sacked Lorenzen, putting the ball back on the Connecticut one-yard line and forcing the Huskies to punt from deep within their own end zone. The Demon Deacons gained possession of the ball at the UConn 30-yard line and this time would not be denied; on 3rd-and-14 from the Connecticut 21-yard line, Riley Skinner completed a pass to tight end John Tereshinski for the go-ahead touchdown. After the extra point, Wake Forest now held their first lead of the game, at 14–10 with 3:20 left in the quarter.
UConn got the ball back on their own 37-yard line after a 26-yard kickoff return by Darius Butler
. After Donald Brown rushed for one yard on first down, Tyler Lorenzen completed three straight passes, moving the Huskies into Demon Deacon territory. Facing a 2nd-and-5 from the Wake 45-yard line, Connecticut handed the ball twice to Donald Brown. He only managed to gain four yards on the two plays, putting the Huskies in a critical fourth-and-short situation as the quarter expired. After three quarters of play, Connecticut trailed Wake Forest 14–10.
Gaining possession of the ball at the Wake Forest 33-yard line, Tyler Lorenzen elected to take matters into his own hands. He ran the ball three straight times for six, five, and twelve yards, earning two first downs and moving into Demon Deacon territory. On 1st-and-10 from the Wake 44-yard line, Lorenzen completed a five-yard pass to wide receiver Terence Jeffers. He then threw three straight incompletions, with the last pass attempt being broken up by the player who had intercepted him earlier: Stanley Arnoux. Connecticut once again turned the ball over on downs. Riley Skinner and Wake Forest took over; after two incomplete passes, Skinner found Kenneth Moore for a gain of 18 yards and a first down. Wake however was able to advance no further, and punted the ball back to UConn. After Andre Dixon lost five yards on a first down run, Lorenzen completed three straight passes. The last, however, to Donald Brown, lost seven yards and set up a 2nd-and-17. After two incomplete passes, Connecticut was forced to punt yet again, with just over four minutes left in the game. This time, Wake was determined not to give Connecticut another chance. After an incomplete pass and a three-yard run, the Demon Deacons faced a 3rd-and-7 situation. Riley Skinner took off, gaining 19 yards and a first down and forcing UConn to use their final timeout after the ensuing first down play. On 2nd-and-14, Micah Andrews ran for 30 yards to the Connecticut 15. Instead of allowing the clock to expire giving themselves the win, Wake elected to call two timeouts over the next three plays. Micah Andrews ran for a touchdown with under one minute left to play in the game
. The Huskies would get the ball back with 23 seconds left in the game, but after three incomplete passes by backup quarterback Dennis Brown, the clock expired. Wake Forest won the game, 24–10.
was named player of the game. He led all receivers in yardage with 112 yards on 11 receptions. He set a new ACC single-second reception record with 98 on the season; the previous record, 88, was held by Torry Holt
of North Carolina State.
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
bowl games played after the 2007 NCAA football regular season, took place on Saturday, December 29, 2007 with a 1:00PM EST kickoff at Bank of America Stadium
Bank of America Stadium
Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. Wake Forest won the game, 24-10.
The Connecticut Huskies
Connecticut Huskies
The Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut in the United States. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Ice...
, making just their second bowl appearance in four seasons since joining the Big East entered the game as co-Big East champions after securing a 9-3 overall record. They faced the Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Originally, Wake Forest's athletic teams were known as the Fighting Baptists, due to its association with the Baptist Convention...
, representing the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
, a school located just 80 miles from Charlotte in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
.
First quarter
Connecticut's Tyvon BranchTyvon Branch
Tyvon A. Branch is an American football safety for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Connecticut.-Oakland Raiders:Branch was selected by the Raiders in the 4th round...
received the opening kickoff from Wake Forest at Connecticut's four-yard line and advanced the ball 18 yards to the 22. After three plays UConn only gained five yards, well-short of a first down; they punted the ball back to the Demon Deacons. A penalty on the punt return gave Wake Forest the ball on their own 38-yard line. Wake earned a first down, moving as far as the Connecticut 42-yard line, but a sack by Husky defensive end Dan Davis drove them back to midfield, eventually forcing a punt. On their next possession UConn failed to gain a single yard, and once again punted. The Demon Deacons earned another first down on their next possession but again were unable to drive far beyond midfield and punted back to the Huskies.
On their next possession, the Huskies earned their first first down of the game, on a pass from quarterback Tyler Lorenzen
Tyler Lorenzen
Tyler John Lorenzen is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
to wide receiver Ellis Gaulden. UConn was unable to move the ball further than their own 38-yard line, however, and once again punted. The punt pinned Wake deep in their own territory, forcing them to start from their own six-yard line. The Demon Deacons after three plays were one yard short of a first down, necessitating another punt. The punt traveled 53 yards before being caught by Connecticut's Larry Taylor
Larry Taylor
Larry Taylor is an American bass guitarist, best known for his work as a member of Canned Heat from 1967. Before joining Canned Heat he had been a session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee Lewis...
on the UConn 32-yard line and run back 68 yards for the touchdown. With this return and his earlier return in the 2004 Motor City Bowl
2004 Motor City Bowl
The 2004 Motor City Bowl, part of the 2004–05 NCAA football bowl games season, occurred on December 27, 2004 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.- Team selection :...
, Taylor had now returned punts for touchdowns in both bowl games Connecticut had played in. After the extra point, the score was 7–0 in favor of the Huskies.
Wake Forest received the kickoff following the touchdown and returned the ball to their own 26-yard line. They began driving down the field, earning first downs on passes from quarterback Riley Skinner
Riley Skinner
Riley Skinner is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Wake Forest.-College career:...
to receivers Kenneth Moore
Kenneth Moore (American football)
Kenneth Moore, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
and Alphonso Smith
Alphonso Smith
Alphonso Smith, Jr. is a professional football cornerback for the Detroit Lions. Smith played college football at Wake Forest...
. After two rushes that gained a net of three yards, the first quarter clock expired. At the end of one quarter played, Connecticut held a 7–0 lead.
Second quarter
The Demon Deacons faced a 3rd-and-7 situation at midfield as the second quarter began; after an incomplete pass, they were forced to punt. Connecticut got the ball back on their own 12-yard line and proceeded to drive toward midfield, but were stalled after Lorenzen was sacked jointly by John Russell and Stanley Arnoux on third down, forcing UConn to once again punt. Wake drove down the field all the way to the Connecticut 21-yard line, but failed to score as UConn safety Robert Vaughn intercepted a pass from Riley Skinner. The Huskies took over on their own nine-yard line and promptly gained 58 yards on a run by running back Donald Brown, moving into Wake Forest territory. Connecticut gained another first down on a pass from Lorenzen to wide receiver Brad Kanuch, but were unable to progress beyond the Demon Deacon 11-yard line. Kicker Tony Ciaravino kicked a 28-yard field goal to give UConn a 10-0 lead with five minutes left in the half.After a touchback on the kickoff, Wake Forest began their next drive from their own 20-yard line. On first down Skinner promptly completed a 34-yard pass to wide receiver Kenneth Moore, moving the Demon Deacons into the UConn side of the field. Wake was unable to move the ball any further, however, and once again punted. Taking over at their own 13-yard line, Connecticut went three-and-out, and punted the ball back to the Demon Deacons with 1:35 left in the half. Skinner earned a first down off a eight-yard pass to wide receiver Chip Brinkman and a quarterback running play, but after a sack by Alex Polito Wake Forest was content to let the halftime clock expire. The score after two quarters was 10–0 in favor of the Huskies.
Third quarter
Wake Forest responded in the second half. Receiving the kickoff, Kenneth Moore returned the ball to the Wake 34-yard line. After a rush for no gain by Josh Adams, Riley Skinner completed four straight passes, earning two first downs and moving the Demon Deacons to the UConn 38-yard line. On the next play, running back Josh Adams took the ball all the way to the end zone, scoring on a 38-yard touchdown run. After the extra point, Wake Forest had trimmed Connecticut's lead to 10–7, with 12:30 left in the third quarter.On the ensuing kickoff, UConn's Tyvon Branch responded with a 62-yard return to the Wake Forest 33-yard line. Two plays later, however, Connecticut's hopes of scoring were dashed when Stanley Arnoux intercepted Tyler Lorenzen's pass attempt. Behind the legs of Josh Adams and the arm of Riley Skinner, the Demon Deacons promptly moved back down the field. On 1st-and-10 from the UConn 13-yard line, Skinner completed a pass to Adams that he fumbled at the four-yard line. Connecticut linebacker Danny Lansanah recovered as the Huskies dodged a bullet. After two runs by UConn running back Andre Dixon
Andre Dixon
Andre Jamar Dixon is an American football running back who currently plays for the Sacramento Mountain Lions. He was signed by the Hartford Colonials as a first round draft pick in 2010. He played college football at Connecticut....
gained a net of four yards, the Huskies were set back when Jeremy Thopson sacked Lorenzen, putting the ball back on the Connecticut one-yard line and forcing the Huskies to punt from deep within their own end zone. The Demon Deacons gained possession of the ball at the UConn 30-yard line and this time would not be denied; on 3rd-and-14 from the Connecticut 21-yard line, Riley Skinner completed a pass to tight end John Tereshinski for the go-ahead touchdown. After the extra point, Wake Forest now held their first lead of the game, at 14–10 with 3:20 left in the quarter.
UConn got the ball back on their own 37-yard line after a 26-yard kickoff return by Darius Butler
Darius Butler
-New England Patriots:Butler was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 10, 2009, he signed a four-year contract with the Patriots that included a total of about $2.1 million in guaranteed money....
. After Donald Brown rushed for one yard on first down, Tyler Lorenzen completed three straight passes, moving the Huskies into Demon Deacon territory. Facing a 2nd-and-5 from the Wake 45-yard line, Connecticut handed the ball twice to Donald Brown. He only managed to gain four yards on the two plays, putting the Huskies in a critical fourth-and-short situation as the quarter expired. After three quarters of play, Connecticut trailed Wake Forest 14–10.
Fourth quarter
Facing 4th-and-1 from the Wake Forest 41-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter, Connecticut elected to hand the ball to Donald Brown. He was stopped for no gain, and the Huskies turned the ball over on downs to the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest promptly earned two first downs, on a pass from Riley Skinner to Kenneth Moore for 14 yards and a 11-yard run by running back Micah Andrews. The Demon Deacons were stopped at the Connecticut 26-yard line; kicker Sam Swank connected on a 43-yard field goal, expanding the Wake Forest lead to 17–10 with 11:44 left in the fourth quarter.Gaining possession of the ball at the Wake Forest 33-yard line, Tyler Lorenzen elected to take matters into his own hands. He ran the ball three straight times for six, five, and twelve yards, earning two first downs and moving into Demon Deacon territory. On 1st-and-10 from the Wake 44-yard line, Lorenzen completed a five-yard pass to wide receiver Terence Jeffers. He then threw three straight incompletions, with the last pass attempt being broken up by the player who had intercepted him earlier: Stanley Arnoux. Connecticut once again turned the ball over on downs. Riley Skinner and Wake Forest took over; after two incomplete passes, Skinner found Kenneth Moore for a gain of 18 yards and a first down. Wake however was able to advance no further, and punted the ball back to UConn. After Andre Dixon lost five yards on a first down run, Lorenzen completed three straight passes. The last, however, to Donald Brown, lost seven yards and set up a 2nd-and-17. After two incomplete passes, Connecticut was forced to punt yet again, with just over four minutes left in the game. This time, Wake was determined not to give Connecticut another chance. After an incomplete pass and a three-yard run, the Demon Deacons faced a 3rd-and-7 situation. Riley Skinner took off, gaining 19 yards and a first down and forcing UConn to use their final timeout after the ensuing first down play. On 2nd-and-14, Micah Andrews ran for 30 yards to the Connecticut 15. Instead of allowing the clock to expire giving themselves the win, Wake elected to call two timeouts over the next three plays. Micah Andrews ran for a touchdown with under one minute left to play in the game
Running up the score
In North American sports, "running up the score" occurs when a team continues to play in such a way as to score additional points after the outcome of the game is no longer in question and the team is assured of winning...
. The Huskies would get the ball back with 23 seconds left in the game, but after three incomplete passes by backup quarterback Dennis Brown, the clock expired. Wake Forest won the game, 24–10.
Scoring summary
Final statistics
For his performance in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl, Wake Forest wide receiver Kenneth MooreKenneth Moore (American football)
Kenneth Moore, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
was named player of the game. He led all receivers in yardage with 112 yards on 11 receptions. He set a new ACC single-second reception record with 98 on the season; the previous record, 88, was held by Torry Holt
Torry Holt
After injuring his knee at the Senior Bowl, Holt, at 192 pounds, ran a 4.44 second 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 37 inches at the 1999 NFL Combine-St. Louis Rams:...
of North Carolina State.
External links
- 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl highlights from ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.com (requires Adobe FlashAdobe FlashAdobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
) - Official Meineke Car Care Bowl Website