# 1992 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

The 1992 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Youngstown State Penguins and the Marshall Thundering Herd. The game was played on December 19, 1992, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1992 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Marshall, 31–28. The game was a rematch of the prior season's championship game.

## Teams

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1992 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a 16-team bracket. The site of the title game, Marshall University Stadium, had been predetermined months earlier.

### Youngstown State Penguins

Youngstown State finished their regular season with an 8–2–1 record. Unseeded in the tournament and ranked seventh in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll, the Penguins defeated Villanova, second-seed The Citadel, and third-seed Northern Iowa to reach the final. This was the second appearance, both consecutively and overall, for Youngstown State in a Division I-AA championship game, having won in 1991.

### Marshall Thundering Herd

Marshall finished their regular season with an 8–3 record (5–2 in conference). Unseeded and ranked sixth in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll, the Thundering Herd defeated Eastern Kentucky, fourth-seed Middle Tennessee, and Delaware to reach the final. This was the third appearance overall, and second consecutively, for Marshall in a Division I-AA championship game, having lost in 1987 and 1991.

## Game summary

After a scoreless first quarter, Marshall led 14–0 at halftime, and extended their lead to 28–0 with 5:46 left in the third quarter. Youngstown State then rallied, cutting the lead to 28–14 by the end of the third quarter, and tying the game with 2:28 left in the fourth quarter. Marshall then drove from their 19-yard-line to the Youngstown State 5-yard-line, and senior kicker Willy Merrick made a 22-yard-field goal with seven seconds left to play, providing the winning points for Marshall. It was Merrick's first collegiate field goal, as the team's usual kicker, Merrick's sophomore brother David, was suspended for the game due to missing a practice.

### Scoring summary

Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | YSU | MU |
| 2 | 10:33 | | | | MU | Mike Bartrum 6-yard touchdown reception from Michael Payton, Willy Merrick kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | 3:30 | 7 | 28 | | MU | Orlando Hatchett 5-yard touchdown run, Merrick kick good | 0 | 14 |
| 3 | | | | | MU | Glenn Pedro 1-yard touchdown run, Merrick kick good | 0 | 21 |
| 3 | 5:46 | | | | MU | Hatchett 22-yard touchdown reception from Payton, Merrick kick good | 0 | 28 |
| 3 | 3:41 | | 57 | 2:05 | YSU | Herb Williams 30-yard touchdown reception from Nick Cochran, Jeff Wilkins kick good | 7 | 28 |
| 3 | 0:16 | | 65 | 0:40 | YSU | Tamron Smith 4-yard touchdown run, Wilkins kick good | 14 | 28 |
| 4 | 12:04 | 4 | 49 | 1:19 | YSU | Smith 1-yard touchdown run, Wilkins kick good | 21 | 28 |
| 4 | 2:28 | | | | YSU | Smith 10-yard touchdown run, Wilkins kick good | 28 | 28 |
| 4 | 0:07 | | 76 | | MU | 22-yard field goal by Merrick | 28 | 31 |
| "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. | 28 | 31 |

### Game statistics

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Penguins | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 28 |
| Thundering Herd | 0 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 31 |
| Statistics | YSU | MU |
| First downs | 17 | 26 |
| Plays–yards | 65–372 | 82–455 |
| Rushes–yards | 34–116 | 42–185 |
| Passing yards | 256 | 270 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 18–31–1 | 25–40–2 |
| Time of possession | 27:57 | 32:03 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Youngstown State | Passing | Nick Cochran | 18–31, 256 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Youngstown State | Rushing | Tamron Smith | 20 car, 82 yds, 3 TD |
| Youngstown State | Receiving | Herb Williams | 5 rec, 105 yds, 1 TD |
| Marshall | Passing | Michael Payton | 25–39, 270 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Marshall | Rushing | Orlando Hatchett | 15 car, 112 yds, 1 TD |
| Marshall | Receiving | Troy Brown | 10 rec, 115 yds |