Youngstown-McNeese postseason game
This article is about the Division I-AA (now FCS) championship game. For the Division I-A (now FBS) championship game, see
1997 Sugar Bowl .
College football game
The 1997 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Youngstown State Penguins and the McNeese State Cowboys . The game was played on December 20, 1997, and was the first I-AA title game contested at Finley Stadium , home field of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga . The culminating game of the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season , it was won by Youngstown State, 10–9.[3]
The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1997 I-AA Playoffs , which began with a 16-team bracket .[4]
Youngstown State Penguins [ edit ] Youngstown State finished their regular season with a 9–2 record (4–2 in conference).[5] Seeded eighth in the playoffs, the Penguins defeated ninth-seed Hampton , first-seed Villanova , and third-seed Eastern Washington to reach the final. This was the fifth appearance for Youngstown State in a Division I-AA championship game, having won three titles (1991, 1993, and 1994) against one loss (1992).
McNeese State Cowboys [ edit ] McNeese State finished their regular season with a 10–1 record (6–1 in conference).[6] The Cowboys, seeded sixth, defeated 11-seed Montana , second-seed Western Illinois , and fourth-seed Delaware to reach the final. This was the first appearance for McNeese State in a Division I-AA championship game.
Game summary [ edit ] Scoring summary [ edit ] Scoring summary Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP YSU MSU 1 5:30 10 54 4:01 MSU 22-yard field goal by Shonz LaFrenz 0 3 2 2:19 14 52 6:22 YSU 21-yard field goal by Mark Griffith 3 3 3 8:08 5 28 2:51 MSU 37-yard field goal by LaFrenz 3 6 3 0:51 9 38 4:45 MSU 46-yard field goal by LaFrenz 3 9 4 8:08 9 66 3:54 YSU Renauld Ray 9-yard touchdown reception from Demond Tidwell, Griffith kick good 10 9 "TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football . 10 9
[1] [7]
Game statistics [ edit ] 1 2 3 4 Total No. 8 Penguins 0 3 0 7 10 No. 6 Cowboys 3 0 6 0 9
Youngstown State head coach Jim Tressel Statistics YSU MSU First downs 12 11 Plays–yards 60–200 57–201 Rushes–yards 39–73 29–58 Passing yards 127 143 Passing: comp–att–int 12–21–0 14–28–1 Time of possession 31:37 28:23
Team Category Player Statistics Youngstown State Passing Demond Tidwell 11–20, 110 yds, 1 TD Rushing Jake Andreadis 16 car, 47 yds Receiving Tim Tyrrell 4 rec, 54 yds McNeese State Passing Blake Prejean 14–28, 143 yds, 1 INT Rushing William Davis 19 car, 59 yds Receiving Donnie Ashley 4 rec, 45 yds
[1] [3]
References [ edit ] ^ a b c d "Youngstown State vs McNeese State" . ysusports.com . December 20, 1997. Retrieved February 21, 2019 . ^ "Recipients Named For Seventh Annual Golden Whistle Merit Awards" (PDF) . NCHSAA Bulletin . Vol. 65, no. 4. Summer 2013. p. 4. Retrieved February 21, 2019 . ^ a b "Youngstown Wins 4th Championship Penguins Use Improvised Play To Squeeze By Mcneese State" . The Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . AP . December 21, 1997. Retrieved February 21, 2019 . ^ "I-AA football playoffs" . Missoulian . Missoula, Montana . November 24, 1997. p. D4. Retrieved February 8, 2019 – via newspapers.com. ^ "Youngstown State Penguins 1997 Schedule" . cfbinfo.com . Retrieved February 21, 2019 . ^ "McNeese State Cowboys 1997 Schedule" . cfbinfo.com . Retrieved February 21, 2019 . ^ "NCAA I-AA Championship" . The Advocate . Newark, Ohio . December 21, 1997. p. 2B. Retrieved February 21, 2019 – via newspapers.com. Further reading [ edit ] External links [ edit ]
Games through 2009 were played in December. Subsequent games have been played in January (*) or May (†).
Venues Killen Field (1951–1953) Wildcat Stadium (1954–1964) Cowboy Stadium (1965–present) Bowls & rivalries People Seasons
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons National championship seasons in bold
1997–98 NCAA Division I championships
† Not an officially sanctioned NCAA championship