CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Master of Ceremonies for last night's Football Championship Subdivision Awards Banquet Brock Huard said, "The FCS gets it right."

Huard was referring to the subdivision's playoff postseason, which concludes tonight at an absolute crescendo. When the final horn sounds on this Villanova - Montana match-up, there will be no doubt whom the NCAA Div. I National Champion is. No debate about this scenario or that. No split decisions as generated by pollsters.

The winner tonight is the undisputed champion.

Montana steamrolled its way to yet another Big Sky Conference title, its 13 out of the last 16 seasons, and topped Appalachian State in an instant classic to reach tonight's game and a shot at 15-0.

Villanova won the top heavy Colonial Athletic Association at 10-1, played one playoff game in a blizzard and rallied in another to make it to Chattanooga. This is the Wildcats' first time on this premier stage.

Each of these teams is playing away from their home confines for the first time this postseason, and fittingly with the weather conditions they've endured the skies above Chattanooga opened early this morning.

Rain has fallen steadily, making for a soggy Davenport Field in Finley Stadium. Field position and ball control are going to be of the utmost importance in these conditions.

STARS TO WATCH

Cloud cover may darken the night sky, but stars will undoubtedly still shine in Chattanooga. Some of FCS's best individual performers take the field tonight.

- Matt Szczur, WR, Villanova
The all-purpose dynamo returns kicks, catches passes, throw passes and rushes out of the Wildcat formation. No confirmation yet on whether he'll also sell t-shirts pre-game and clean up stadium post.

A two-sport star, Szczur was a draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers out of high school, but much to head coach Andy Talley's delight opted for a football career at Villanova.

"The Philadelphia Eagles could take a long look at him," Talley said. "He'll have [professional] options."

Szczur completed an almost unheard of double play, earning Player of the Year honors in the CAA on both offense and special teams.

He was also recently selected as a bone marrow donor for a one-year-old child.

- Chase Reynolds, RB, Montana
Reynolds' performance in the semifinal win over Appalachian State was heroic: 194 rushing yards, two touchdowns, and helped UM march down field in its two decisive fourth quarter scores.

Par for the course for a player who in 2008 set a single season Grizzly record with 22 rushing touchdowns.

The Griz's ability to go to the ground will prove important with tonight's weather, but will also keep the Villanova defense honest for quarterback Andrew Selle to potentially air it out.

If Reynolds and his Griz teammates stake claim to the program's third national championship, it will be an early Christmas present for Reynolds' three-year-old son Talen.

- Marc Mariani, WR, Montana
Mariani's drawn comparisons this week to Villanova counterpart Szczur.

But Mariani said that each his own player, and both do some spectacular things on the field.

Mariani was a one-man wrecking crew in the Grizzlies' first round defeat of South Dakota State, scoring four touchdowns to pace UM's 61-point effort.

His ability to grab passes other receivers might not means UM will have ample opportunity to throw despite the rain.

- Osayi Osunde, LB, Villanova
No defense has had the key to slowing Montana this season. As leader of the Wildcats' 3-3-5 formation, Osunde is going to be an X-factor tonight.

Osunde swarms to the ball on the rush, can blitz the backfield effectively, and keeps offenses honest when throwing to the middle of the field.

AN UNLIKELY UNDERDOG

Villanova came within one score of this game being a battle of unbeatens. Combine that with the Wildcats winning arguably the toughest FCS conference, and it seems somewhat absurd to suggest this team is a true underdog.

But with its 14-13 defeat of William & Mary, Villanova completed what no team in program history had -- reached the national championship game.

The Wildcats' Montana counterparts, on the other hand, are playing in their second straight title game, third this decade and seventh overall.

Experience is on the Griz's side, as is fan support as it would appear based on the dearth of UM fans all over Chattanooga. One Montana fan in a local restaurant referred to Chattanooga as "Missoula East."

Underdog, a label giving fairly or not, just might suit the Wildcats. After all, this is a team that came here from Philadelphia, a city where a statue of the quintessential cinematic underdog Rocky Balboa stands.

WAR IN THE TRENCHES
Among the most common cliches in football is that games are won or lost at the line. This cliche is such because, well, it's true. And tonight, perhaps the two best offensive lines in the nation take the field.

Talley called Montana's "an NFL offensive line."

Villanova's offensive line isn't too shabby itself, boasting an All-American in tackle Ben Ijalana.