2007 Hawaii Bowl

2007 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
1234 Total
Boise State 771014 38
East Carolina 102173 41
DateDecember 23, 2007
Season2007
StadiumAloha Stadium
LocationHonolulu, Hawaii
MVPRB Chris Johnson (East Carolina)[1]
RB Jeremy Avery (Boise State)[1]
FavoriteBoise State by 10½[2]
RefereeTerry Leyden (Mtn. West)
Halftime showAmy Hanaialiʻi Gilliom and Hula Show[3]
Attendance30,467
PayoutUS$750,000 per team[4]
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN
AnnouncersTerry Gannon (play-by-play)
David Norrie (analyst)
Jeannie Edwards (sideline)
Hawaii Bowl
 < 2006  2008

The 2007 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Boise State University Broncos from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and the East Carolina University Pirates from Conference USA (C-USA). This sixth edition of the Hawaii Bowl, sponsored by Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu on December 23, 2007. The game was the final competition of the 2007 football season for each team and resulted in a 41–38 East Carolina victory, even though sportsbooks favored Boise State to win by 10+12 points.[2] Many experts believed East Carolina to be big underdogs to Boise State,[5][6] which had defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.[7] The 2007 Hawaiʻi Bowl paid $750,000 to each team's conference in exchange for their participation.[8]

The game was expected to be an offensive shootout. Boise State averaged 42.4 points during the 2007 season, while East Carolina averaged 31.[9] That expectation turned out to be justified as East Carolina took a 31–14 lead in the first half. The Broncos fought back in the second half, however, tying the score at 38 late in the fourth quarter after East Carolina's Chris Johnson fumbled the ball, allowing Bronco defender Marty Tadman to recover the ball and return it 47 yards for a touchdown. The game remained tied until the final moments as East Carolina's Ben Hartman made a 34–yard game-winning field goal as time expired. The attendance of 30,467 was the largest crowd to attend a Hawaiʻi Bowl game that did not feature the host school. Boise State's loss dropped them to a final 2007 record of 10–3, while East Carolina's final-game win earned them a record of 8–5.

  1. ^ a b "East Carolina holds on to win Hawaii Bowl". Associated Press. 24 December 2007. Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  2. ^ a b White, Lonnie (23 December 2007). "Dolphins get best of Ravens against spread". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  3. ^ Yim, Liane (24 December 2007). "Broncos now educated about ECU". Bonesville.net. Archived from the original on 28 December 2007. Retrieved 26 December 2007.
  4. ^ "NCAA.com – The Official Website of NCAA Championships | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2007. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  5. ^ Sakamoto, Kyle (23 December 2007). "Boise State's winning not lost on East Carolina". The Honolulu Advertiser. Archived from the original on 1 January 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2008.
  6. ^ "Strategy and Personnel". East Carolina. USA Today. Archived from the original on 30 April 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2008.
  7. ^ "Instant classic: Boise State's trick plays repel OU's miraculous rally". ESPN.com news services. 1 January 2007. Archived from the original on 15 March 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
  8. ^ Senor, John (5 January 2008). "Golden Hurricane look to unleash offensive storm". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 26 November 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
  9. ^ "NCAA Division I-A Team Leaders: 2007". ESPN.com. 2007. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2007.