# 1995 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

The 1995 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 16, 1995, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Montana, 22–20.

## Teams

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1995 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a 16-team bracket. The site of the title game, Marshall University Stadium, had been determined in March 1994.

### Montana Grizzlies

Montana finished their regular season with a 9–2 record (6–1 in conference). One of their wins was over Eastern New Mexico of Division II, while one of their losses was to Washington State of Division I-A. Seeded sixth in the playoffs, the Grizzlies defeated 10-seed Eastern Kentucky, 14-seed Georgia Southern, and seventh-seed Stephen F. Austin to reach the final. This was the first appearance for Montana in a Division I-AA championship game.

### Marshall Thundering Herd

Marshall also finished their regular season with a 9–2 record (7–1 in conference). One of their losses was to NC State of Division I-A. The Thundering Herd, seeded fifth, defeated 12-seed Jackson State, 16-seed Northern Iowa, and top-seed McNeese State to reach the final. This was the fifth appearance for Marshall in a Division I-AA championship game, having one prior win (1992) and three prior losses (1987, 1991, and 1993).

## 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 | 6:09 | 6 | 13 | | MONT | 48-yard field goal by Andy Larson | 3 | 0 |
| 2 | 12:54 | 11 | 51 | | MAR | 39-yard field goal by Tim Openlander | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | 0:59 | 5 | 77 | | MONT | Matt Wells 24-yard touchdown reception from Dave Dickenson, Larson kick good | 10 | 3 |
| 3 | 9:46 | 11 | 48 | | MAR | Chris Parker 10-yard touchdown run, Openlander kick good | 10 | 10 |
| 3 | 6:54 | | | | MONT | Safety: intentional grounding in the end zone by Marshall QB Chad Pennington | 12 | 10 |
| 4 | 12:30 | 4 | 20 | | MONT | Wells 1-yard touchdown reception from Dickenson, Larson kick good | 19 | 10 |
| 4 | 10:05 | 7 | 51 | | MAR | 21-yard field goal by Tim Openlander | 19 | 13 |
| 4 | 4:45 | 8 | 76 | | MAR | Parker 26-yard touchdown run, Openlander kick good | 19 | 20 |
| 4 | 0:39 | 12 | 72 | | MONT | 25-yard field goal by Andy Larson | 22 | 20 |
| "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. | 22 | 20 |

### Game statistics

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 Grizzlies | 3 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 22 |
| No. 5 Thundering Herd | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 20 |
| Statistics | MONT | MAR |
| First downs | 21 | 17 |
| Plays–yards | 77–333 | 73–358 |
| Rushes–yards | 29–49 | 32–112 |
| Passing yards | 281 | 246 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 29–48–1 | 23–41–1 |
| Time of possession | 30:14 | 29:46 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Montana | Passing | Dave Dickenson | 29–48, 281 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Montana | Rushing | Josh Branen | 6 car, 33 yds |
| Montana | Receiving | Joe Douglass | 8 rec, 102 yds |
| Marshall | Passing | Chad Pennington | 23–40, 246 yds, 1 INT |
| Marshall | Rushing | Chris Parker | 23 car, 94 yds, 2 TD |
| Marshall | Receiving | Jermaine Wiggins | 5 rec, 81 yds |