# 1996 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

The 1996 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Montana Grizzlies. The game was played on December 21, 1996, and was the last I-AA title game contested at Marshall University Stadium, now known as Joan C. Edwards Stadium, in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was a rematch of the prior season's final, and was won by Marshall, 49–29. It was also Marshall's final game in Division I-AA, now known as Division I FCS; the Herd would move to Division I-A (now Division I FBS) the following July, joining the Mid-American Conference.

## Teams

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1996 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a 16-team bracket. The location of the title game, Marshall University Stadium, was determined before the playoffs started.

### Montana Grizzlies

Montana finished their regular season with a 14–0 record (8–0 in conference). Seeded first in the playoffs, the Grizzlies defeated 16-seed Nicholls State, sixth-seed East Tennessee State, and fourth-seed Troy State to reach the final. This was the second appearance for Montana in a Division I-AA championship game, as the team was the defending champion from 1995.

### Marshall Thundering Herd

Marshall also finished their regular season with a 14–0 record (8–0 in conference). The Thundering Herd, seeded second, defeated 15-seed Delaware, tenth-seed Furman, and third-seed Northern Iowa to reach the final. This was the sixth appearance for Marshall in a Division I-AA championship game, having one prior win (1992) and four prior losses (1987, 1991, 1993, and 1995).

## Game summary
### Scoring summary

Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | MONT | MAR |
| 1 | 9:13 | | | | MAR | Randy Moss 19-yard touchdown reception from Eric Kresser, Tim Openlander kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | 2:09 | | | | MAR | Doug Chapman 61-yard touchdown run, Openlander kick good | 0 | 14 |
| 2 | 14:08 | | | | MAR | Moss 70-yard touchdown reception from Kresser, Openlander kick no good (blocked) | 0 | 20 |
| 2 | 8:14 | | | | MAR | 20-yard field goal by Openlander | 0 | 23 |
| 2 | 5:05 | | | | MONT | 40-yard field goal by Andy Larson | 3 | 23 |
| 2 | 0:15 | | | | MONT | 27-yard field goal by Larson | 6 | 23 |
| 3 | 14:05 | | | | MAR | Moss 54-yard touchdown reception from Kresser, Openlander kick good | 6 | 30 |
| 3 | 5:03 | | | | MAR | Chapman 9-yard touchdown run, Openlander kick good | 6 | 37 |
| 3 | 3:34 | | | | MAR | Safety: intentional grounding in the end zone by Montana QB Brian Ah Yat | 6 | 39 |
| 4 | 14:51 | | | | MAR | Moss 28-yard touchdown reception from Kresser, Openlander kick good | 6 | 46 |
| 4 | 10:52 | | | | MONT | Joe Douglass 28-yard touchdown reception from Ah Yat, 2-point pass good (Dallas Neil from Ah Yat) | 14 | 46 |
| 4 | 7:09 | | | | MONT | Josh Branen 2-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass good (Douglass from Ah Yat) | 22 | 46 |
| 4 | 4:18 | | | | MAR | 37-yard field goal by Openlander | 22 | 49 |
| 4 | 2:09 | | | | MONT | Josh Paffhausen 18-yard touchdown reception from Ah Yat, Larson kick good | 29 | 49 |
| "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. | 29 | 49 |

### Game statistics

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 1 Grizzlies | 0 | 6 | 0 | 23 | 29 |
| No. 2 Thundering Herd | 14 | 9 | 16 | 10 | 49 |
| Statistics | MONT | MAR |
| First downs | 31 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 90–430 | 64–541 |
| Rushes–yards | 35–95 | 36–217 |
| Passing yards | 335 | 324 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 36–55–1 | 18–28–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:13 | 28:47 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Montana | Passing | Brian Ah Yat | 36–55, 335 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Montana | Rushing | Josh Branen | 19 car, 101 yds, 1 TD |
| Montana | Receiving | Joe Douglass | 13 rec, 117 yds, 1 TD |
| Marshall | Passing | Eric Kresser | 18–28, 324 yds, 4 TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | Erik Thomas | 20 car, 114 yds |
| Marshall | Receiving | Randy Moss | 9 rec, 220 yds, 4 TD |