# 1989 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

The 1989 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Georgia Southern Eagles and the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. The game was played on December 16, 1989, at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. The culminating game of the 1989 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Georgia Southern, 37–34.

## Teams

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1989 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 11–0 record. Ranked first in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll and seeded first in the tournament, the Eagles defeated Villanova, Middle Tennessee State, and Montana to reach the final. This was the fourth appearance for Georgia Southern in a Division I-AA championship game, having two prior wins (1985 and 1986) and one prior loss (1988).

### Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

Stephen F. Austin finished their regular season with a 9–1–1 record (5–0–1 in conference); their only loss was an away game against Boise State. Ranked third in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll and seeded third in the tournament, the Lumberjacks defeated Grambling State, Southwest Missouri State, and second-seed Furman to reach the final. This was the first appearance for Stephen F. Austin 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 | SFA | GSC |
| 1 | 10:41 | 6 | 66 | 2:42 | GSC | Raymond Gross 34-yard touchdown run, Mike Dowis kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | 7:58 | 6 | 45 | 2:20 | GSC | Gross fumble into end zone recovered by Terrance Sorrell for a touchdown, Dowis kick good | 0 | 14 |
| 1 | 0:19 | 6 | 20 | 2:51 | SFA | Todd Hammel 1-yard touchdown run, Chuck Rawlinson kick good | 7 | 14 |
| 2 | 8:50 | 8 | 83 | 2:56 | SFA | Larry Centers 12-yard touchdown reception from Hammel, Rawlinson kick good | 14 | 14 |
| 2 | 4:27 | 8 | 52 | 4:23 | GSC | 30-yard field goal by Dowis | 14 | 17 |
| 2 | 0:21 | 6 | 7 | 2:38 | GSC | 37-yard field goal by Dowis | 14 | 20 |
| 2 | 0:00 | 1 | 29 | 0:21 | SFA | 53-yard field goal by Rawlinson | 17 | 20 |
| 3 | 11:19 | 5 | 11 | 2:06 | SFA | 53-yard field goal by Rawlinson | 20 | 20 |
| 3 | 5:27 | 11 | 79 | 4:34 | SFA | Joe Bradford 7-yard touchdown reception from Hammel, Rawlinson kick good | 27 | 20 |
| 4 | 14:57 | 16 | 86 | 5:30 | GSC | Joe Ross 2-yard touchdown run, Dowis kick good | 27 | 27 |
| 4 | 12:32 | 5 | 67 | 2:25 | SFA | Centers 46-yard touchdown reception from Hammel, Rawlinson kick good | 34 | 27 |
| 4 | 5:58 | 6 | 51 | 1::32 | GSC | Ernest Thompson 1-yard touchdown run, Dowis kick good | 34 | 34 |
| 4 | 1:41 | 9 | 27 | 3:17 | GSC | 20-yard field goal by Dowis | 34 | 37 |
| "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. | 34 | 37 |

### Game statistics

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lumberjacks | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
| Eagles | 14 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 37 |
| Statistics | SFA | GSC |
| First downs | 18 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 73–377 | 81–387 |
| Rushes–yards | 32–74 | 66–274 |
| Passing yards | 303 | 113 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 15–41–5 | 7–15–0 |
| Time of possession | 26:50 | 33:10 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Stephen F. Austin | Passing | Todd Hammel | 15–40, 303 yds, 3 TD, 5 INT |
| Stephen F. Austin | Rushing | Larry Centers | 22 car, 63 yds |
| Stephen F. Austin | Receiving | Joe Bradford | 4 rec, 102 yds, 1 TD |
| Georgia Southern | Passing | Raymond Gross | 7–15, 113 yds |
| Georgia Southern | Rushing | Joe Ross | 31 car, 152 yds, 1 TD |
| Georgia Southern | Receiving | Karl Miller | 2 rec, 53 yds |