COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF GAMES : Georgia Southern in Final Against Stephen F. Austin

Georgia Southern has had to range as far as Tacoma, Wash., to play in NCAA Division I-AA national championship games in four of the past five years. The Eagles have won twice.

They need only to step outside their dormitories next Saturday to play Stephen F. Austin for the title on the Statesboro, Ga., field where the Eagles (14-0) have won 36 consecutive games.

One of those victories came Saturday, when Georgia Southern used Raymond Gross’ two touchdown passes and 301 rushing yards to pound Montana, 45-15, in the semifinals.

Stephen F. Austin will face a home-field advantage for the second consecutive week. The Lumberjacks (12-1-1) beat Furman, 21-19, in a heavy snowstorm in Greenville, S.C., by stopping Billy Stockdale’s two-point conversion run with 19 seconds left.

Georgia Southern’s incentive included hospitality--sort of. “If we had a game in our house, we wanted to be a part of it,” Coach Erk Russell said.

But hospitality only goes so far. Had Montana won, the Grizzlies were going to work out in Statesboro all week. “We didn’t want that to happen,” Russell said.

Stephen F. Austin took a 21-7 halftime, but Furman came back on two one-yard touchdown runs by Stockdale. Glen Connally’s missed extra-point kick forced the Paladins to try for two points near game’s end.

NCAA Division II Final

Jacksonville (Ala.) State’s high-powered offense averaged 31 points a game in going 13-0, but slid to a halt after a freak snowstorm in Florence, Ala., and Mississippi College (11-3) used a 19-yard third-quarter field goal by Shane Stewart in a 3-0 victory.

NCAA Division III Final

When Union of Schenectady, N.Y., scored on its opening possession, “it appeared that it was going to be a long day,” said Mike Kelly, coach of Dayton (13-0-1).

It was--for Union (13-1), which was shut out thereafter and beaten, 17-7, on touchdown runs of one and four yards by quarterback Dan Sharley and a 19-yard field goal by Mike Duvic in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Phenix City, Ala.