2001_NCAA_Division_I-AA_Football_Championship_Game

2001 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

2001 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

Postseason college football game between the Montana Grizzlies and the Furman Paladins

This article is about the Division I-AA (now FCS) championship game. For the Division I-A (now FBS) championship game, see 2001 Orange Bowl.

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.[4]

Quick Facts NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship, Total ...

Teams

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 2001 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a 16-team bracket. In a change from recent postseasons, the NCAA seeded only the top four seeds, while placing other teams in the bracket based on geographical considerations in order to minimize travel.[5]

Montana Grizzlies

Main article: 2001 Montana Grizzlies football team

Montana finished their regular season with an 11–1 record (7–0 in conference); their only loss was to Hawaii of Division I-A. Seeded first in the playoffs, the Grizzlies defeated Northwestern State, Sam Houston State, and Northern Iowa to reach the final. This was the fourth appearance for Montana in a Division I-AA championship game, having won in 1995, and having lost in 1996 and 2000.

Furman Paladins

Main article: 2001 Furman Paladins football team

Furman finished their regular season with a 9–2 record (7–1 in conference); one of their losses was to Wyoming of Division I-A. The Paladins, seeded third, defeated Western Kentucky, Lehigh, and second-seed Georgia Southern to reach the final. This was the third appearance for Furman in a Division I-AA championship game, having won in 1988 and having lost in 1985.

Game summary

Scoring summary

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[2][6]
† When there is no time left on the clock at the end of the fourth quarter, NCAA rules only allow for a conversion attempt if it could affect the outcome of the game.

Game statistics

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Furman quarterback Billy Napier, seen here in 2018
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[2]

References

  1. [1]
    "#23 - Montana Wins the 2001 National Championship—Big Sky 50 Greatest Moments". Big Sky Conference. Retrieved February 5, 2019 – via YouTube.
  2. [2]
    "Grizzlies 13, Furman 6 (box score)". Great Falls Tribune. Great Falls, Montana. December 22, 2001. p. 4S. Retrieved February 5, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  3. [3]
    "In The Spotlight". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 21, 2001. p. B-5. Retrieved February 5, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  4. [4]
    "I-AA Championship: Montana 13, Furman 6". upi.com. UPI. December 21, 2001. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  5. [5]
    Kasper, Jon (November 12, 2001). "NCAA changes format for playoff pairings". Missoulian. Missoula, Montana. p. D1. Retrieved February 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  6. [6]
    Geise, George (December 22, 2001). "Defense: Frustrates Furman". Great Falls Tribune. Great Falls, Montana. p. 5S. Retrieved February 5, 2019 – via newspapers.com.

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