DECEMBER 22, 2009 ISSUE
Villanova Runs Away with National Title in Close FCS Championship Game
Montana Falls After Defeating ASU in National Semifinals
On December 18, the Villanova Wildcats rallied to win the FCS national championship with a 23-21 victory over Montana at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn. Montana, which made it to the finals with a victory over ASU in the national semifinals, was the No. 1 seed in the tournament and lost in the title game for the second straight season.For the second straight week, Villanova vanquished a double-digit deficit and this time it helped the Wildcats win a national title.
Last Friday, December 18, the Wildcats rallied to win the FCS championship with a 23-21 victory over Montana at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Montana, which made it to the finals with a victory over ASU in the national semifinals, was the No. 1 seed in the tournament and lost in the title game for the second straight season.
Villanova recovered from a 14-3 deficit by rattling off 20 straight points in the game’s final 22 minutes.
With his team trailing at halftime, longtime Villanova Head Coach Any Talley didn’t seem worried. His team had been there before, as the Wildcats overcame a 10-0 deficit in the national semifinals.
“At halftime in the locker room they give you confidence because they are confident, competitive athletes that don’t feel like 10 or 15 points is insurmountable,” Talley said. “We have a good coaching staff. I’ve been fortunate to keep some guys there a long time so nobody gets crazy.”
Matt Szczur, who had 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and led the team with 69 receiving yards, led Villanova to the win.
Szczur, a junior wide receiver, didn’t expect to have such a big day.
“To be honest, no, we have so many threats on offense that I didn’t think I was going to make this big of an impact on Montana’s defense,” he said.
“Matt Szczur made some big plays and our defense came up with some stops that gave us a chance to take a little more control of the football,” Talley said. “We’ve been playing the playoffs flat out, and we knew we have to ride that crest and that’s what we did.”
The game showed different offensive styles. Villanova (14-1) ran for 351 yards, while Montana (14-1) threw for 365 yards.
The Wildcats took a lead in the third quarter when quarterback Chris Whitney completed a 3-yard scoring pass to Chris Farmer. Whitney finished 10 for 13 for 142 yards and ran for 102 yards.
It was Talley’s first national championship. His friends told him not to undergo heart tests a few days before the game and he didn’t.
“For someone at the end of his career, you don’t get a chance to do this very often,” he said. “I knew that if I died here, I’d have a pretty good death.”
“First, congratulations to Villanova and to Andy [Talley],” Montana Head Coach Bobby Hauck said. “He has worked 25 years to get one of these. I am happy for him. Certainly, we came down here to try to win the game. It didn’t work out. We came up a couple of points short, wished we had won.”
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