# 1990 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

The 1990 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Georgia Southern Eagles and the Nevada Wolf Pack. The game was played on December 15, 1990, at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. The culminating game of the 1990 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Georgia Southern, 36–13. It was the second consecutive Division I-AA title, and fourth overall, for Georgia Southern.

## Teams

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1990 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a 16-team bracket. 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.

### Georgia Southern Eagles

Georgia Southern finished their regular season with an 8–3 record, with one of their losses coming against Florida State of Division I-A. Ranked third in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll and seeded third in the tournament, the Eagles defeated The Citadel, Idaho, and UCF to reach the final. This was the fifth appearance for Georgia Southern in a Division I-AA championship game, having three prior wins (1985, 1986, and 1989) and one prior loss (1988).

### Nevada Wolf Pack

Nevada finished their regular season with a 10–1 record (7–1 in conference); their only loss was an away game against Boise State. Ranked fourth in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll and seeded fourth in the tournament, the Wolf Pack defeated Northeast Louisiana, Furman, and Boise State to reach the final. Both the Furman and Boise State games went to triple overtime. This was the first appearance for Nevada in a Division I-AA championship game.

## Game summary
### Scoring summary

Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NEV | GSU |
| 1 | 11:34 | 7 | 43 | 3:26 | GSU | Joe Ross 14-yard touchdown run, Mike Dowis kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | 5:05 | 7 | 24 | 3:34 | NEV | 37-yard field goal by Kevin McKelvie | 3 | 7 |
| 2 | 2:38 | 3 | 57 | 0:41 | GSU | Raymond Gross 8-yard touchdown run, Dowis kick good | 3 | 14 |
| 2 | 0:03 | 10 | 47 | 2:35 | NEV | 44-yard field goal by McKelvie | 6 | 14 |
| 3 | 2:23 | 8 | 70 | 2:47 | GSU | Darryl Hopkins 3-yard touchdown run, Dowis kick no good (wide right) | 6 | 20 |
| 4 | 14:52 | 5 | 35 | 1:23 | GSU | Hopkins 18-yard touchdown run, Dowis kick good | 6 | 27 |
| 4 | 6:22 | 14 | 85 | 4:11 | NEV | Russ Ortega 3-yard touchdown reception from Chris Vargas, McKelvie kick good | 13 | 27 |
| 4 | 1:06 | 11 | 48 | 5:16 | GSU | 41-yard field goal by Dowis | 13 | 30 |
| 4 | 0:44 | | | | GSU | Interception returned 15 yards for touchdown by Alex Mash, Dowis kick no good (blocked) | 13 | 36 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 13 | 36 |

### Game statistics

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wolf Pack | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Eagles | 7 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 36 |
| Statistics | NEV | GSU |
| First downs | 21 | 20 |
| Plays–yards | 86–321 | 63–392 |
| Rushes–yards | 33–56 | 58–323 |
| Passing yards | 265 | 69 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 27–53–2 | 2–5–0 |
| Time of possession | 34:30 | 25:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Nevada | Passing | Fred Gatlin | 17–32, 156 yds |
| Nevada | Rushing | Ray Whalen | 24 car, 71 yds |
| Nevada | Receiving | Russ Ortega | 10 rec, 82 yds, 1 TD |
| Georgia Southern | Passing | Raymond Gross | 2–5, 69 yds |
| Georgia Southern | Rushing | Raymond Gross | 31 car, 145 yds, 1 TD |
| Georgia Southern | Receiving | Terrance Sorrell | 1 rec, 49 yds |