This article is about the Division I-AA (now FCS) championship game. For the Division I-A (now FBS) consensus champion, see 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
Youngstown State finished their regular season with an 8–2–1 record.[6] Unseeded in the tournament and ranked seventh in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll,[7] the Penguins defeated Villanova, second-seed The Citadel, and third-seed Northern Iowa to reach the final. This was the second appearance, both consecutively and overall, for Youngstown State in a Division I-AA championship game, having won in 1991.
Marshall finished their regular season with an 8–3 record (5–2 in conference).[8] Unseeded and ranked sixth in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll,[7] the Thundering Herd defeated Eastern Kentucky, fourth-seed Middle Tennessee, and Delaware to reach the final. This was the third appearance overall, and second consecutively, for Marshall in a Division I-AA championship game, having lost in 1987 and 1991.
After a scoreless first quarter, Marshall led 14–0 at halftime, and extended their lead to 28–0 with 5:46 left in the third quarter. Youngstown State then rallied, cutting the lead to 28–14 by the end of the third quarter, and tying the game with 2:28 left in the fourth quarter. Marshall then drove from their 19-yard-line to the Youngstown State 5-yard-line, and senior kicker Willy Merrick made a 22-yard-field goal with seven seconds left to play, providing the winning points for Marshall.[9] It was Merrick's first collegiate field goal, as the team's usual kicker, Merrick's sophomore brother David, was suspended for the game due to missing a practice.[10]