Football Southern Conference

Montana Defeats Furman In National Championship Game

Montana 13, Furman 6

CHATTANOOGA -- Montana used a strong running game and a stout defense to throttle Southern Conference co-champion Furman in the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship game.

The Grizzlies rushed for 173 yards and limited Furman to 293 yards of total offense in winning their second national title. Montana also won the championship in 1995.
The Grizzlies took a 13-0 lead before Furman scored on the final play of the game.

Yo Humphery scored on a two-yard run with 6:27 to play in the second quarter. The score came on a 99-yard drive that started after Furman punter Lee Willis had pinned the Grizzlies at their own one-yard line with a 48-yard punt.

After the drive stalled at the Furman 11, Montana opted to kick a field goal but Furman was offsides on the play giving Montana a first down at the six. Two plays later, Humphery scored on a two-yard run.

Montana's Chris Snyder booted a 35-yard field goal with 53 seconds left in the half for a 10-0 lead at intermission. He added a 30-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter for a 13-0 advantage.

Furman's lone score came when quarterback Billy Napier tossed a 54-yard pass to James Thomas. The Hail Mary pass was batted away by a Montana defender and into the hands of Thomas who raced into the end zone as time expired. The extra point was not attempted as Montana fans rushed the field and tore down the South goal post.

Humphery finished with a game-high 142 yards rushing. Furman compiled 121 yards on the ground as a team.

Paladin tailback Louis Ivory, who had missed the quarterfinal and semifinal games with a sprained knee, started and rushed for 33 yards on 12 carries.

Montana had 297 yards of total offense including 173 on the ground and 124 through the air. Furman had 293 yards of offense, 121 rushing and 172 passing.

Furman finishes its season with a 12-3 record. The Paladins also lost the 1985 national championship game to Georgia Southern before winning a national title in 1988 with a win over Georgia Southern.

Montana finishes its season with a 15-1 record, becoming just the third I-AA team to finish a year with 15 wins.