CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Another year, yet another Division I-AA championship for Georgia Southern, and this time the Eagles gave coach Paul Johnson his own piece of history.
Adrian Peterson rushed 23 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns as the Eagles won a record sixth title Saturday by edging top-ranked Montana 27-25, making Johnson the first Division I coach in over 100 years to win 50 games in his first four seasons.
It wasn't easy for Georgia Southern (13-2) despite playing in the title game for a third straight year. Montana (13-2) rolled up 487 yards total offense compared to 390 for the Eagles, who had just 72 yards in the second half.
The Eagles led 20-3 at halftime, but Montana scored 20 unanswered points to get back into the game after losing their All-American quarterback Drew Miller, who began his career at BYU, to an injury in the first quarter.
Yohance Humphery's 2-yard run put the Grizzlies up 23-20 early in the fourth quarter when Peterson took over. He scored on a 57-yard TD run with 11:29 left for a 27-23 lead the Eagles wouldn't lose.
Georgia Southern made it interesting by managing just 19 yards in the third quarter and then losing two fumbles deep in its own territory in the fourth quarter. But Ryan Hadden intercepted a pass by backup quarterback John Edwards to stop one drive, and linebacker Joe Scott broke up a fourth-and-six pass to Jimmy Farris with 1:15 left to preserve the victory.
The Eagles looked like they had the game put away early after rushing for more yards on the opening possession (80) than Montana's defense had been allowing per game (77). Not even a bobbled handoff from J.R. Revere to Peterson at the goal line could hurt them as tackle James McCoy recovered in the end zone.
Montana had one last chance when Georgia Southern ran out of the end zone for a safety with 15 seconds left, but Edwards' pass fell to the ground as time expired.
Montana lost Miller at the end of the first quarter after he sprained a ligament in his right knee when sacked by Jamar Jones.
Montana tried to stop Peterson, who has rushed for at least 100 yards in 43 straight games, and the Grizzlies did in spurts. He got just 6 yards in the first quarter and 3 in the third. Peterson gave the Eagles a 20-3 lead with a 1-yard TD run just before halftime.
Edwards started Montana's scoring spurt with a 17-yard TD pass to Etu Molden. Vince Huntsberger bobbled a fake punt and ran the ball 65 yards for a touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and Humphery scored on a 2-yard run five plays after Montana's Justin Brannon recovered a fumble for a 23-20 lead.
Unfortunately, Montana kicker Chris Snyder missed two extra point attempts and had a 47-yarder blocked.
Johnson is 50-8 since taking over in 1997. He joins Walter Camp (54-2 between 1888 and 1891 at Yale), and George Woodruff (53-4 at Penn between 1892 and 1895) as the only Division I coaches ever to win 50 games in their first four years.