College football game
College football game
1991 NCAA Division I-AA Football ChampionshipI-AA National Championship Game 1 2 3 4 Total Youngstown State 0 3 3 19 25 Marshall 0 0 17 0 17
Date December 21, 1991 Season 1991 Stadium Paulson Stadium Location Statesboro, Georgia Attendance 12,667[ 1] United States TV coverage Network CBS Sports Announcers Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Dan Jiggetts (color)[ 2]
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.[ 3]
Teams The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1991 I-AA Playoffs , which began with a 16-team bracket.[ 4] The location of the final, the Georgia Southern Eagles ' Paulson Stadium , had been predetermined via a three-year agreement the university reached with the NCAA in February 1989.[ 5]
Youngstown State Penguins Youngstown State finished their regular season with an 8–3 record.[ 6] Unseeded in the tournament and ranked 13th in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll,[ 7] the Penguins defeated Villanova , top-seed Nevada , and Samford to reach the final. This was the first appearance for Youngstown State in a Division I-AA championship game.
Marshall Thundering Herd Marshall also finished their regular season with an 8–3 record (5–2 in conference).[ 8] Unseeded and ranked eighth in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll,[ 7] the Thundering Herd defeated Western Illinois , third-seed Northern Iowa , and second-seed Eastern Kentucky to reach the final. This was the second appearance for Marshall in a Division I-AA championship game, having lost in 1987.
Game summary After a low-scoring first half, Youngstown State held a 3–0 lead at halftime. Marshall then scored all of their points in the third quarter, taking a 17–6 lead. Youngstown State rallied for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and a 25–17 win.[ 9]
Scoring summary Scoring summary Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP YSU MU 2 YSU 23-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins 3 0 3 10:14 MU Troy Brown 13-yard touchdown reception from Michael Payton , Dewey Klein kick good 3 7 3 MU Ricardo Clark 13-yard touchdown reception from Payton, Klein kick good 3 14 3 YSU 37-yard field goal by Wilkins 6 14 3 0:00 MU 42-yard field goal by Klein 6 17 4 YSU Herb Williams 33-yard touchdown reception from Ray Isaac, 2-point pass failed 12 17 4 7:09 8 80 YSU Ryan Wood 3-yard touchdown run, 2-point run failed 18 17 4 3 14 YSU Tamron Smith 5-yard touchdown run, Wilkins kick good 25 17 "TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football . 25 17
[ 1] [ 9]
Game statistics 1 2 3 4 Total Penguins 0 3 3 19 25 Thundering Herd 0 0 17 0 17
Youngstown State kicker Jeff Wilkins Statistics YSU MU First downs 16 22 Plays–yards 65–319 85–412 Rushes–yards 50–121 42–49 Passing yards 198 363 Passing: comp –att –int 9–15–0 30–43–2 Time of possession 32:35 27:25
Team Category Player Statistics Youngstown State Passing Ray Isaac 9–15, 198 yds, 1 TD Rushing Tamron Smith 30 car, 88 yds, 1 TD Receiving Andre Ballinger 4 rec, 89 yds Marshall Passing Michael Payton 30–43, 363 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Glenn Pedro 13 car, 50 yds Receiving Ricardo Clark 8 rec, 154 yds, 1 TD
[ 1]
References ^ a b c "Youngstown 25, Marshall 17". Pittsburgh Press . December 22, 1991. p. D12. Retrieved April 19, 2019 – via newspapers.com. ^ Williams, Jennifer (December 20, 1991). "TV/Radio". Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . p. B5. Retrieved April 19, 2019 – via newspapers.com. ^ "Youngstown State wins I-AA". Chicago Tribune . December 22, 1991. p. 43. Retrieved April 19, 2019 – via newspapers.com. ^ "Division I-AA Playoffs". Montgomery Advertiser . Montgomery, Alabama . December 21, 1991. p. 2B. Retrieved April 19, 2019 – via newspapers.com. ^ "Georgia Southern to host NCAA title". Rocky Mount Telegram . Rocky Mount, North Carolina . AP . February 24, 1989. p. 11. Retrieved April 21, 2019 – via newspapers.com. ^ "Youngstown State Penguins 1991 Schedule". cfbinfo.com . Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2019 . ^ a b "Final NCAA Div. I-AA Poll". The Anniston Star . Anniston, Alabama . November 25, 1991. p. 2B. Retrieved April 19, 2019 – via newspapers.com. ^ "Marshall Thundering Herd 1991 Schedule". cfbinfo.com . Retrieved April 19, 2019 . [permanent dead link ] ^ a b "Youngstown State claims I-AA title, handles Marshall". Dayton Daily News . Dayton, Ohio . AP . December 21, 1991. p. 4D. Retrieved April 19, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
Further reading "The 1991 National Champions". ysusports.com . Retrieved April 19, 2019 . "1991 Season Recap". ysusports.com . October 6, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2019 . Landon, Chuck (June 4, 2011). "Tressel, YSU cheat MU out of 1991 title". The Herald-Dispatch . Huntington, West Virginia . Retrieved April 19, 2019 .
External links Youngstown State 1991 National Championship Season via YouTube Part 1 -- 25 years later: Tressel, YSU remembers 1991 championship via YouTube Part 2 -- 25 years later: Tressel, YSU remembers 1991 championship via YouTube Games through 2009 were played in December. Subsequent games have been played in January (*) or May (†).
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons National championship seasons in bold
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons National championship seasons in bold
1991–92 NCAA Division I championships