Massachusetts advances to I-AA championship game

Dec 9, 2006 - 5:40 AM MISSOULA, Montana (Ticker) - Steve Baylark has carried Massachusetts to the brink of a title.

Baylark rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns as Massachusetts posted a 19-17 victory over Montana in the Division I-AA semifinals Friday night.

Third-ranked Massachusetts (13-1) advanced to next week's championship game in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They will face the winner of Saturday's other semifinal between top-ranked and defending national champion Appalachian State and fourth-seeded Youngstown State.

"It was an unbelievable environment here," Massachusetts coach Don Brown said. "It was a great testament to our players for what they were able to accomplish tonight. We have focused on a one-game approach all season and now we can say we're going to Chattanooga."

The Minutemen are in the championship game for the third time in school history. They won the title in 1998.

Chris Koepplin provided the go-ahead points for the Minutemen with a 43-yard field goal less than two minutes into the fourth quarter.

Baylark opened the scoring with a 35-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and reached the end zone on a five-yard run in the second quarter. He also had five receptions for 76 yards.

"He has told me that he was going to get us to the national championship game; that he wanted to get me back there," said Brown, who was the defensive coordinator for the '98 title team. "He really put us on his back tonight with a wonderful performance."

Muckie Foreman returned an interception 58 yards for a touchdown and Brady Green scored on a one-yard run in the second quarter for Montana (12-2), which had its 12-game winning streak stopped.

Appalachian State (12-1) will try to join UMass in the title game when it puts its 26-game home winning streak on the line against Youngstown State (11-2).