The University of Montana Grizzlies won their second Division I-AA National Football title Friday night, ending the hopes of the #3 seeded Furman University Paladins by a score of 13-6 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The win improved Montana to a school record 15-1 for the season. An excellent Montana defense and turnovers … the Paladins gave up the ball three times and the Grizzlies held on to the ball like Ebenezer Scrooge held on to his money bags ... were the keys to the Montana victory.

Montana quarterback John Edwards had the adrenaline pumping early. Edwards, who rushed for a career-high 111 yards last week, was once again taking tacklers head-on and along with Yohance Humphery (who notched a blistering 142 yards and 2 TDs last week) had early success running the ball. Furman was able to shut down UM's first drive and missed an early scoring opportunity when an Edwards pass was almost picked-off.

The Grizzly defense played like the veterans they were and no one found this out any better than Furman quarterback Billy Napier. The first Griz to introduce himself was Dave DeCoite, who forced a Napier fumble that was later recovered by senior leader Vince Huntsberger. Deep in Paladin territory, the Grizzlies were also unable to capitalize as a Chris Snyder field goal sailed wide left.

This season, the Griz averaged 34.7 points per game and the Paladins 33.6. With the score still 0-0 in the second quarter the game was shaping up to be unlike anything these two teams were used to this year.

The Griz threatened again in but another Chris Snyder field goal drifted wide left. However, Furman was offsides on the attempt (the first penalty of the night) and the resulting yardage was enough for a Grizzly first down. On the next play, a face-mask penalty moved the Grizzlies even closer. Then it was all Yo. Yohance Humphery, UM's all-time leading scorer (288 points) and rusher (4,074 yards) got Montana on the scoreboard first with a short-yard touchdown run. Chris Snyder found the uprights on the point after to cap off a 16 play, 99 yard scoring drive. UM lead at this point 7-0.

Penalties hurt the Grizzlies also as two false starts and a holding call mired a Montana scoring drive which had to settle for a 35 yard field goal from Chris Snyder which propelled the Grizzlies to a 10-0 first half lead.

As the first half expired, Yohance Humphery had 95 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown. John Edwards had 121 total yards. Vince Huntsberger showed why he was the Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP by almost intercepting a Billy Napier pass, getting 5 tackles, and recovering 1 fumble.

Furman came out in the third quarter, and by getting yardage gains on first down, had some success moving the ball. However, a Furman scoring drive was deflated on 3-and-18 when Dave DeCoite blocked Napier's pass at the line of scrimmage. From 40 yards out, Furman missed their field goal attempt and the score remained 10-0 in favor of the Griz.

The Grizzlies were playing without freshman kick returner Levander Segars, who injured a hamstring during a spectacular return in last week's Northern Iowa game. Thus, it was freshman Jefferson Heidelberger's turn to break a 47-yard punt return and set the Grizzlies up with excellent field position. The Paladin defense was able to hold Montana to a missed Snyder field goal, his third of the night to go wide left. Snyder later redeemed himself after a crucial Yohance Humphery fourth down conversion. This got the Montana lead up to 13-0.

As the fourth quarter rolled around, the Grizzly defense was in the midst of their 7th consecutive quarter of shut-out football. The last time Furman was held scoreless in a game was in 1996 against Marshall. Grizzly fans remember Marshall, the team UM beat in 1995 to win their first National Championship. Grizzly fans also remember 1996 as the year Marshall got their revenge by beating the Griz in the Championship rematch.

Vince Huntsberger concluded his phenomenal day, and any hopes Furman had for the National title, by intercepting a Billy Napier 3rd-and-5 pass with 2:28 left in the fourth quarter.

Furman fought to the end and scored on a Hail Mary as time expired. The final score was the University of Montana Grizzlies 13, the Furman University Paladins 6. This is the second I-AA National Championship for the Grizzly football team and the third National title for Coach Glenn (who had two Division II titles in 1996 and 1997 with the University of Northern Colorado.)

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Montana swallowed the final bite of the imaginary elephant it's been eating all season, and, boy, did it taste delicious to this group of Grizzlies.

The top-ranked and top-seeded Montana Grizzlies chewed-chewed their way to the 2001 Division I-AA football national championship with a 13-6 victory over No. 4 Furman on Friday night at Finley Stadium in a city famous for its own Choo-Choo.

"It's awesome," said Montana coach Joe Glenn, who guided the Grizzlies to a 15-1 campaign. "It's a great feeling. It just took a helluva long time to eat it."

"It's sweet as pie, sweet as pie," said senior All-American offensive guard Thatcher Szalay. "It's very good."

The national title is Montana's second in seven seasons. The Grizzlies beat Marshall 22-20 in the 1995 championship. UM lost title games to Marshall in 1996 and Georgia Southern on this same Finley Stadium turf a year ago.

From day one of the 2001 season, the Grizzlies said they had unfinished business in Chattanooga. The Griz finished their business in front of 12,698 fans on Friday, thanks to a dominating defensive effort and the determination of senior running back Yohance Humphery, who rushed for 142 yards on 30 carries and scored on a 2-yard run.

The Grizzly defense forced three Furman turnovers and limited the Paladins to just 121 rushing yards, 124 under their season average. Furman coach Bobby Johnson, who guided the Paladins to a 12-3 record and their first trip to the title game since 1988, said he didn't think going into the game that Montana would be able to contain his team's powerful running game.

"I thought we'd be able to move the football," said Johnson, who will reportedly be the next coach at Vanderbilt. "We had some good plays, but never could seem to put them together and get a drive going. We had too many second-and-longs that kept us from making the selection we would like to have. We feel much better when it's second-and-short."

Furman, which averaged 33.6 points per game, didn't score until the final play of the game, when junior quarterback Billy Napier heaved a Hail Mary pass that was batted down by Montana senior safety Vince Huntsberger. James Thomas snagged the ball out of the air and raced along the far sideline for a meaningless 54-yard touchdown.

"Vince tipped it right to him," said safety Dave DeCoite, who had one of two Grizzly interceptions of Napier in the fourth quarter; Huntsberger had the other one. "We're taught on the last play like that to knock the ball down and finish the game. Vince did it, but the guy was sitting right there. It's kind of a bummer deal. We lost our (goose) egg, but we got the (championship)."

Furman All-American running back Louis Ivory, who missed the last two games with a knee injury found little room to roam against UM's defense. Ivory carried the ball 12 times for just 33 yards, his lowest total in three years as a starter. His longest run was a 10-yarder. Ivory didn't use the injury as an excuse.

"It's just that Montana's defense was really good," Ivory said. "If I wasn't 100 percent, I wouldn't put my team in that situation. I felt like I could be really effective. I think I was at the top of my game. Montana's defense was just really good. They did a real good job."

Montana's offense also found yards difficult to generate against a stingy Furman defense. Montana blew a golden opportunity in the first quarter when DeCoite forced Napier to fumble. Huntsberger recovered at Furman's 12-yard line. Three plays later, sophomore kicker Chris Snyder missed a 32-yard field goal wide left.

Humphery's touchdown in the second quarter capped the Grizzlies' best drive of the season. It began in the shadows of their own goal posts at their own 1-yard line. Sixteen grueling plays and 6:49 later, Humphery found a small gap and eked into the end zone from two yards out to put UM ahead 7-0.

"You knew coming into the game it was going to be a dogfight between two good teams, fighting and scrapping," said Humphery, who finished the season with 2,101 rushing yards. "You weren't going to get anything easy."

Humphery ran the ball seven times for 37 yards on the 99-yard march, including a nifty 21-yarder. Junior quarterback John Edwards rushed for 22 yards, including a gutsy 9-yarder on a third-and-7 from the UM 4-yard line. Edwards, who completed 18 of 28 passes, completed four of his five passes on the drive for 34 yards. Three of his passes found the hands of senior Etu Molden, who finished with 10 catches for 74 yards.

Furman forced UM into a field-goal situation, but was called for offside, giving Montana a first down and another opportunity.

"To go out and run time off the clock and give the 'D' a break, that's what it takes to win championships," Szalay said. "We believe in each other. We all look each other in the eyes and said, 'Hey, we're going to do this.' Sure enough."

Snyder gave Montana a 10-0 lead late in the first half when he nailed a 35-yard field goal. Snyder, who missed from 38 yards at the beginning of the fourth quarter, added a 30-yarder with 6:12 to play, building UM's lead to 13-0.

Furman wasted a golden opportunity to get back in the game in the third quarter. The Paladins drove 65 yards in 17 plays, but kicker Danny Marshall missed a 40-yard field goal. The drive chewed 8:08 off the clock and Furman was forced to put the ball in the air.

But Napier, who completed just one of nine passes during the second and third quarters, couldn't lead the Paladins back via the air. DeCoite intercepted a pass that was tipped by Trey Young with 5:31 to play. Huntsberger, who had a team-high 10 tackles in his 55th and final start, stepped in front of a Napier pass roughly three minutes later and the celebration began.

"I don't know why he threw it to him," Huntsberger said. "It was a zone blitz. I didn't have to go anywhere. Our coaches came with a great game plan. I was just there. They put us in great position tonight. That's what it was."

Reporter Jon Kasper can be reached at 523-5247 or by e-mail at jkasper@missoulian.com.

Title vitals

The 24th Division I-AA national championship football game

Score: Montana 13, Furman 6

Crowd: 12,698

Venue: Finley Stadium, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Time of game: 2 hours, 59 minutes

Conditions: Clear. Temperature of 54. No wind.

Records: Top-ranked Montana capped its second national championship season at 15-1. The Grizzlies set a school record for victories in a season and won their last 14 games. No. 4 Furman finished its season 12-3.

Friday's stars

For Montana, RB Yohance Humphery rushed 30 times for 142 yards and scored on a 2-yard run. WR Etu Molden caught 10 passes for 74 yards. QB John Edwards completed 18 of 28 passes for 124 yards and rushed for 32 yards. Senior safety Vince Huntsberger had 10 tackles, a fumble recovery, an interception and a pass breakup. Senior LB Dan Orizotti had five tackles and two sacks. Safety Dave DeCoite had five tackles, a forced fumble and an interception. LB Joel Robinson tallied seven tackles. DE Tim Bush had five tackles, including one for a loss. DT Curt Colter had three tackles and a sack. DE Ciche Pitcher had five tackles, including one for a loss. Kicker Chris Snyder made field goals of 30 and 35 yards.

For Furman, LB Will Bouton registered 12 tackles - three for losses - and a sack. Safety Shelvis Smith had 12 tackles. WR James Thomas caught four passes for 74 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown on the final play of the game.

Grizzly Summary
Furman 0 0 0 6 - 6
Montana 0 10 0 3 - 13

How they scored

Second quarter

UM - Yohance Humphery, 2 run (Snyder kick), 6:49. Drive: 16 plays, 99 yards, 6 minutes, 39 seconds elapsed. Key plays: Quarterback John Edwards leads the Grizzlies, pinned down on their 1-yard line, on a long drive that covers 99 yards. Facing a third-down and 7 situation on the 4, Edwards scrambles for 11 yards and a first down. From the Montana 21, Edwards hits Etu Molden for a 14-yard gain to the 35. Edwards scrambles for 11 yards to the Furman 41 - and on the next play, Humphery busts loose for a 21-yard gain to the Furman 20. The drive stalls and Chris Snyder comes in to attempt a 20-yard field goal - which he misses. But Furman's Richie Jackson is called for being offside, and the penalty gives the Grizzlies a first-and-goal at the 6. Humphery scores the TD on the next play. Montana 7, Furman 0.

UM - FG Snyder 35, 0:53. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 3:11. Key plays: Edwards hits Spencer Frederick for a 10-yard gain to the Furman 47 to start the Grizzlies' second scoring drive, but UM has to overcome three penalties on this drive before Snyder hits his field goal. After a false-start penalty pushes the Griz back into their territory, Edwards hits Molden with a 16-yard pass to the Furman 36. One play - and another false start - later, Humphery zips to the 24, a 13-yard gain. After a sack and a holding penalty back to the 38, Edwards connects with Dane Oliver to the 20-yard line and Snyder hits his field goal from 35 yards out. Montana 10, Furman 0.

Fourth quarter

UM - FG Snyder 30, 6:12. Drive: 13 plays, 46 yards, 6:14. Key plays: Facing a third-and-5 on the Montana 45, Edwards rolls out again for 11 yards and a first down.On a fourth-and-2 situation on the Furman 22, Humphery bounces out for 5 yards and a clutch first down. But on a third-and-3 a couple of plays later, Humphery is caught in the backfield for a 2-yard loss, and Snyder comes out to kick the 30-yard field goal. Montana 13, Furman 0.

Furman - James Thomas, 54-yard pass from Billy Napier. (No extra point attempt.) Drive: 1 play, 54 yards, 0:09. Key play: Montana, at midfield, cannot quite run the clock out and turns it over to Furman on downs. There is time for one Furman play, and Napier tosses up a Hail Mary, which is tipped - and then caught by Thomas. Montana 13, Furman 6.

Team statistics

Furman UM

First downs 14 16
Rushing 8 11

Passing 5 4

Penalty 1 1

3rd down eff. 3-16 3-16

4th down eff. 3-3 1-2

Total yards 293 297

Total plays 65 71

Avg. gain 4.5 4.2

Passing yards 172 124

Comp-Att. 10-26 18-28

Had intercepted 2 0

Sacks by-yds. lost 2-14 2-4

Rushes-yards 39-121 43-173

Return yards 2-7 5-106

Punts 2-7 3-62

Interceptions 0-0 2-44

Fumbles 0-0 0-0

Kickoff returns 4-44 1-17

Punts-avg. 7-38.7 6-40.7

Penalties 5-22 5-28

Time of poss. 28:09 31:51

Individual statistics

Rushing

Furman No-yds. UM No.-yds
Emerson 7-34 Humphery 30-142

Ivory 12-33 Edwards 11-32

Napier 12-30 Malcom 2-(-1)

Brigham 4-14

O'Neal 3-10

Means 1-0

Passing

Furman Comp. Att. Int. Yards
Napier 10 26 2 172

UM Comp. Att. Int. Yards
Edwards 18 28 0 124

Receiving

Furman No-yds. UM No-yds.
Thomas 4-75 Molden 10-74

Sansbury 3-31 Frederick 2-15

Rinehart 2-49 Oelkers 2-11

West 1-17 Humphery 2-4

Oliver 1-20

Zikmund 1-0

Tackles (unassisted-assisted-total)

Furman U A T
Bouton 9 3 12

Smith 8 4 12

Jackson 6 2 8

UM U A T
Huntsberger 6 4 10

Robinson 5 2 7

Bush 4 1 5

Pitcher 3 2 5

Dave DeCoite 3 2 5

Orizotti 1 4 5

Interceptions

Furman-None.

Montana-Huntsberger 1-27, DeCoite 1-17.

Sacks

Furman-Bouton 1-5, Killian 1-9.

Montana-Orizotti 2-4, Colter 1-2.

Fumbles forced-recovered

Furman-None.

Montana-DeCoite 1-0; Huntsberger 0-1.

Missed field goal attempts

Furman - Marshall 40.

Montana - Snyder 32, 38.

One more time, the roar of the crowd and the cannon's boom echoed across the University of Montana campus.

Once more, the air was thick with footballs and gunpowder. Once more, the victory was in hand and with it the championship trophy.

One more time - and for only the second time ever - Missoula welcomed home a Division I-AA national champion Montana Grizzly football team Saturday night.

Barely 24 hours after winning the 2001 title game against Furman University, the Grizzlies marched into the Adams Center with their pointer fingers and the I-AA football trophy held high.

Five thousand adoring fans, friends and family members cheered their approval.

"We're No. 1."

"Hey, ho, we want Joe."

"Montana."

"Grizzlies."

Coach Joe Glenn tipped his championship-issue cap and swiped tears from his eyes. "I just have to say," he began.

"We love you Joe," came a voice from the bleachers.

"We love you back," said the coach.

And so went the welcome-home party for the newly crowned - "the undisputed," Glenn reminded - national football champions from the University of Montana. The Adams Center scoreboards showed the winning score from Friday night's game in Chattanooga, Tenn.: Montana 13, Furman 6.

Glenn explained the successful strategy. "There's a formula to all of this," he told fans. "The best thing I ever did was to hire a bunch of great coaches. I get so much credit and so much adulation, I'm almost embarrassed. But these coaches are something else."

So, too, came Glenn's thank-yous to his players, their parents, the coaches' wives, the university's administration and - of course - the fans.

"It takes a family to win something like this," he said. "We see ourselves as a family, and you are a big part of that."

The dozen seniors on the squad added their words of appreciation. "You guys are the best fans in the nation," said Vince Huntsberger, a safety from Libby. "What you gave us every Saturday, the spirit you gave us, we took that to Tennessee."

"This is a dream come true. I'm just trying to take everything in," added linebacker Dan Orizotti of Butte. His teammates nodded, their eyes - and cameras - fixed on the crowd, recording the scene.

Athletic director Wayne Hogan showed off the championship trophy during his turn at the podium.

"I want to tell you that last night in Chattanooga after the game, we had the loudest, craziest party that you have ever seen," he said. "And we took this trophy into that party and we insisted that everybody touch it - all 2,000 or 3,000 people in the place. Because it belongs to every one of you."

Montana Gov. Judy Martz ordered Hogan and Glenn not to accept expected job offers from other, bigger universities. "You cannot leave the University of Montana," she said.

And one other thing, Martz added: "We can win this again next year."

Fans arrived at the field house early Saturday afternoon, only to learn the team plane had been delayed in Chattanooga. They were not deterred, though, and returned at afternoon's end. As they waited for the team, Santa Claus and a spicy Kris Kringle entertained the kiddies, and members of UM's cheer squad delivered gifts to their parents.

Prime rib sandwiches. Frying pans. Alarm clocks. Cookies. All donations from Missoula businesses. Also Grizzly gear, including a few national championship T-shirts and sweat shirts being sold by the thousands throughout Missoula.

When the team arrived, to the introduction of the ROTC cannon booming just outside the Adams Center door, the players delivered the most sought-after of the day's giveaways: hundreds of little footballs, rocketed into the audience. All passes completed.

Dariann Dally came from St. Ignatius for the rally. She hoped to win a shirt or to get a few autographs, but mostly she wanted to deliver Christmas gifts - Chattanooga choo-choo ornaments she made out of flour, salt and water, and then painted with each player's name and number.

"I'm a really big fan," she said. "I just wanted to do something for the team."

After the rally, team members signed posters and photographs, shook hands, accepted and gave thanks, and traded "Kodak moments" with the crowd. UM's marching band provided the background music.

"This is pretty great," said cymbal player Sarah Riebe, a freshman whose first semester in the band ended with a trip to Tennessee. "We got to be right down by the field," she said. "It was amazing. We could see and hear everything."

A year ago, when Montana lost the championship game - also played in Chattanooga - to Georgia Southern, "it felt like we left something behind in Tennessee," said Hogan. "We went back this week and got our trophy."

"One more time," said Glenn. "Up with Montana."