# 1997 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

The 1997 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Youngstown State Penguins and the McNeese State Cowboys. The game was played on December 20, 1997, and was the first I-AA title game contested at Finley Stadium, home field of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The culminating game of the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Youngstown State, 10–9.

## Teams

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1997 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a 16-team bracket.

### Youngstown State Penguins

Youngstown State finished their regular season with a 9–2 record (4–2 in conference). Seeded eighth in the playoffs, the Penguins defeated ninth-seed Hampton, first-seed Villanova, and third-seed Eastern Washington to reach the final. This was the fifth appearance for Youngstown State in a Division I-AA championship game, having won three titles (1991, 1993, and 1994) against one loss (1992).

### McNeese State Cowboys

McNeese State finished their regular season with a 10–1 record (6–1 in conference). The Cowboys, seeded sixth, defeated 11-seed Montana, second-seed Western Illinois, and fourth-seed Delaware to reach the final. This was the first appearance for McNeese State 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 | YSU | MSU |
| 1 | 5:30 | 10 | 54 | 4:01 | MSU | 22-yard field goal by Shonz LaFrenz | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | 2:19 | 14 | 52 | 6:22 | YSU | 21-yard field goal by Mark Griffith | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 8:08 | 5 | 28 | 2:51 | MSU | 37-yard field goal by LaFrenz | 3 | 6 |
| 3 | 0:51 | 9 | 38 | 4:45 | MSU | 46-yard field goal by LaFrenz | 3 | 9 |
| 4 | 8:08 | 9 | 66 | 3:54 | YSU | Renauld Ray 9-yard touchdown reception from Demond Tidwell, Griffith kick good | 10 | 9 |
| "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. | 10 | 9 |

### Game statistics

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Penguins | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| No. 6 Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| Statistics | YSU | MSU |
| First downs | 12 | 11 |
| Plays–yards | 60–200 | 57–201 |
| Rushes–yards | 39–73 | 29–58 |
| Passing yards | 127 | 143 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 12–21–0 | 14–28–1 |
| Time of possession | 31:37 | 28:23 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Youngstown State | Passing | Demond Tidwell | 11–20, 110 yds, 1 TD |
| Youngstown State | Rushing | Jake Andreadis | 16 car, 47 yds |
| Youngstown State | Receiving | Tim Tyrrell | 4 rec, 54 yds |
| McNeese State | Passing | Blake Prejean | 14–28, 143 yds, 1 INT |
| McNeese State | Rushing | William Davis | 19 car, 59 yds |
| McNeese State | Receiving | Donnie Ashley | 4 rec, 45 yds |