1996 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

Last updated

1996 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship
I-AA National Championship Game
Montana Grizzlies Marshall Thundering Herd
(14–0)(14–0)
Big Sky SoCon
2949
Head coach: 
Mick Dennehy 		Head coach: 
Bob Pruett
TSN Seed
21
TSN Seed
12
1234Total
Montana0602329
Marshall149161049
DateDecember 21, 1996
Season 1996
Stadium Marshall University Stadium
Location Huntington, West Virginia
Favorite Marshall by 6.5 [1]
Referee Chuck Feevey [2]
Attendance30,052 [3]
United States TV coverage
Network ESPN
Announcers Brad Nessler (play-by-play) and Gary Danielson (analyst)
NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship
 < 1995 1997 > 

The 1996 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Montana Grizzlies. The game was played on December 21, 1996, and was the last I-AA title game contested at Marshall University Stadium, now known as Joan C. Edwards Stadium, in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was a rematch of the prior season's final, and was won by Marshall, 49–29. [4] It was also Marshall's final game in Division I-AA, now known as Division I FCS; the Herd would move to Division I-A (now Division I FBS) the following July, joining the Mid-American Conference.

Contents

Teams

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1996 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a 16-team bracket. [5] The location of the title game, Marshall University Stadium, was determined before the playoffs started. [6]

Montana Grizzlies

Montana finished their regular season with a 14–0 record (8–0 in conference). [7] Seeded first in the playoffs, the Grizzlies defeated 16-seed Nicholls State, sixth-seed East Tennessee State, and fourth-seed Troy State to reach the final. This was the second appearance for Montana in a Division I-AA championship game, as the team was the defending champion from 1995.

Marshall Thundering Herd

Marshall also finished their regular season with a 14–0 record (8–0 in conference). [8] The Thundering Herd, seeded second, defeated 15-seed Delaware, tenth-seed Furman, and third-seed Northern Iowa to reach the final. This was the sixth appearance for Marshall in a Division I-AA championship game, having one prior win (1992) and four prior losses (1987, 1991, 1993, and 1995).

Game summary

Scoring summary

Scoring summary
QuarterTime Drive TeamScoring informationScore
Plays Yards TOP MONTMAR
19:13MAR Randy Moss 19-yard touchdown reception from Eric Kresser, Tim Openlander kick good07
12:09MAR Doug Chapman 61-yard touchdown run, Openlander kick good014
214:08MARMoss 70-yard touchdown reception from Kresser, Openlander kick no good (blocked)020
28:14MAR20-yard field goal by Openlander023
25:05MONT40-yard field goal by Andy Larson323
20:15MONT27-yard field goal by Larson623
314:05MARMoss 54-yard touchdown reception from Kresser, Openlander kick good630
35:03MARChapman 9-yard touchdown run, Openlander kick good637
33:34MAR Safety: intentional grounding in the end zone by Montana QB Brian Ah Yat 639
414:51MARMoss 28-yard touchdown reception from Kresser, Openlander kick good646
410:52MONT Joe Douglass 28-yard touchdown reception from Ah Yat, 2-point pass good (Dallas Neil from Ah Yat)1446
47:09MONTJosh Branen 2-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass good (Douglass from Ah Yat)2246
44:18MAR37-yard field goal by Openlander2249
42:09MONTJosh Paffhausen 18-yard touchdown reception from Ah Yat, Larson kick good2949
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.2949

[9]

Game statistics

1234Total
No. 1 Grizzlies0602329
No. 2 Thundering Herd149161049
Marshall wide receiver Randy Moss Randy Moss with Vikings.jpg
Marshall wide receiver Randy Moss
StatisticsMONTMAR
First downs3121
Plays–yards90–43064–541
Rushes–yards35–9536–217
Passing yards335324
Passing: comp–att–int36–55–118–28–0
Time of possession31:1328:47
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
MontanaPassing Brian Ah Yat 36–55, 335 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
RushingJosh Branen19 car, 101 yds, 1 TD
Receiving Joe Douglass 13 rec, 117 yds, 1 TD
MarshallPassing Eric Kresser 18–28, 324 yds, 4 TD
RushingErik Thomas20 car, 114 yds
Receiving Randy Moss 9 rec, 220 yds, 4 TD

[3]

Related Research Articles

The 1996 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University as a member of Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Bob Pruett, the Thundering Herd compiled an overall record of 15–0 with mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning the SoCon title. Marshall advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship playoffs, where they beat Delaware in the first round, Furman in the quarterfinals, Northern Iowa in the semifinals, and Montana in the NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game to win the program's second NCAA Division I-AA title. 1996 was Marshall's final season competing at the NCAA Division I-AA level as they moved to NCAA Division I-A competition and joined the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 NCAA Division I-AA football season</span> American college football season

The 1993 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, began in August 1993, and concluded with the 1993 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 18, 1993, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The Youngstown State Penguins won their second I-AA championship, defeating the Marshall Thundering Herd by a score of 17−5. It was the third consecutive year that Marshall and Youngstown State faced off in the I-AA title game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 NCAA Division I-AA football season</span> American college football season

The 1995 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, began in August 1995, and concluded with the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 16, 1995, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The Montana Grizzlies won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Marshall Thundering Herd by a score of 22−20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season</span> American college football season

The 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, began in August 1996, and concluded with the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 21, 1996, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The Marshall Thundering Herd won their second I-AA championship, defeating the defending national champion Montana Grizzlies by a score of 49–29.

The 1995 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Jim Donnan, the Thundering Herd compiled an overall record of 12–3 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, placing second in the SoCon. Marshall advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Championship playoffs for the fifth straight season, where they defeated Jackson State in the first round, Northern Iowa in the quarterfinals, and McNeese State in the semifinals, before losing to Montana in the NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game. Marshall played home games at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia.

The 1994 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1994 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Jim Donnan, the Thundering Herd compiled an overall record of 12–2 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, winning the SoCon title. Marshall advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Championship playoffs for the fourth straight season, where they defeated Middle Tennessee in the first round and James Madison in the quarterfinals, before losing to Boise State in the semifinals. Marshall played home games at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game</span> Postseason college football game

The 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Richmond Spiders and the Montana Grizzlies. It was played on December 19, 2008, at Finley Stadium, home field of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The culminating game of the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season, it was won by Richmond, 24–7.

The 2004 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the James Madison Dukes and the Montana Grizzlies. The game was played on December 17, 2004, at Finley Stadium, home field of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The culminating game of the 2004 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by James Madison, 31–21.

The 2001 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Montana Grizzlies and the Furman Paladins. The game was played on December 21, 2001, at Finley Stadium, home field of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The culminating game of the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Montana, 13–6.

The 1995 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Montana Grizzlies. The game was played on December 16, 1995, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Montana, 22–20.

The 1994 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Youngstown State Penguins and the Boise State Broncos. The game was played on December 17, 1994, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1994 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Youngstown State, 28–14.

The 1993 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Youngstown State Penguins and the Marshall Thundering Herd. The game was played on December 18, 1993, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1993 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Youngstown State, 17–5. This was the third consecutive season that these two teams met in the championship game.

The 1992 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Youngstown State Penguins and the Marshall Thundering Herd. The game was played on December 19, 1992, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1992 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Marshall, 31–28. The game was a rematch of the prior season's championship game.

The 1991 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Youngstown State Penguins and the Marshall Thundering Herd. The game was played on December 21, 1991, at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. The culminating game of the 1991 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Youngstown State, 25–17.

The 1987 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Northeast Louisiana Indians and the Marshall Thundering Herd. The game was played on December 19, 1987, at the Minidome in Pocatello, Idaho. The culminating game of the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Northeast Louisiana, 43–42.

The 1986 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Arkansas State Indians and the Georgia Southern Eagles. The game was played on December 19, 1986, at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. The culminating game of the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Georgia Southern, 48–21. Georgia Southern, the defending champion from 1985, became the first program to win consecutive Division I-AA titles.

The 1985 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Furman Paladins and the Georgia Southern Eagles. The game was played on December 21, 1985, at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. The culminating game of the 1985 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Georgia Southern, 44–42.

The 1984 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Montana State Bobcats and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. The game was played on December 15, 1984, at Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina. The culminating game of the 1984 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Montana State, 19–6.

The 1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Idaho State Bengals. The game was played on December 19, 1981, at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The culminating game of the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Idaho State, 34–23.

The 1987 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by second-year head coach George Chaump, the Thundering Herd compiled an overall record of 10–5 with a mark of 4–2 in conference play, placing second in the SoCon. Marshall advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs for the first time in program history, beating James Madison in the first round, Weber State in the quarterfinals, and SoCon champion Appalachian State in the semifinals before losing to Northeast Louisiana in the NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game.

References

  1. ↑ "Latest Line". Sun-Sentinel . Fort Lauderdale, Florida. December 21, 1996. p. 9C. Retrieved April 13, 2019– via newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ Briggeman, Kim (December 22, 1996). "UM falls 49-29 to Marshall". Billings Gazette . p. 1B. Retrieved March 6, 2019– via newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "Football vs Marshall". gogriz.com. December 21, 1996. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  4. ↑ Rothschild, Richard (December 22, 1996). "Marshall Routs Montana to Capture NCAA I-AA Title". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Division I-AA tournament". The News Journal . Wilmington, Delaware. November 25, 1996. p. B7. Retrieved February 9, 2019– via newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Griz No. 2 in latest I-AA poll". Great Falls Tribune . Great Falls, Montana. November 12, 1996. p. 1C. Retrieved April 17, 2019– via newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Montana Grizzlies 1996 Schedule". cfbinfo.com. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Marshall Thundering Herd 1996 Schedule". cfbinfo.com. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Marshall 49, Montana 29 (box score)". Billings Gazette . December 22, 1996. p. 3B. Retrieved March 6, 2019– via newspapers.com.

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