NCAA Division I-AA Football Final : Furman Staves Off Georgia Southern, 17-12

Wade Sexton recovered a Georgia Southern fumble at the Furman 10-yard-line late in the game, and the Paladins won the NCAA Division I-AA championship with a 17-12 victory Saturday night.

The Paladins (13-2), of the Southern Conference, avenged a 44-42 loss to independent Georgia Southern (12-3) in the 1985 championship game.

Furman had a 17-6 lead when Mark Giles blocked a punt and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown to pull Georgia Southern close in the final quarter.

The Eagles threatened to score late in the game when they had a first down at the 10, but quarterback Raymond Gross fumbled on the next play, and Sexton recovered. The Paladins ran the clock inside the final minute before turning the ball over to Georgia Southern on downs.

Jeff Blankenship, the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year, stopped the Eagles’ last-ditch attempt when he intercepted Gross’ pass at midfield and returned to the Georgia Southern 15, where Furman ran out the clock.

Frankie DeBusk hit tight end Greg Key for a 19-yard scoring pass in the first quarter; Glen Connally kicked a 37-yard field goal in the second, and Dwight Sterling scored from 5 yards out in the third quarter for the Paladins.

Georgia Southern, trying to become the first team to win the Division I-AA national title three times, couldn’t move the ball consistently or score an offensive touchdown against the Furman defenders, who led the nation in scoring defense.