YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) -- Two of the most successful NCAA Division I-AA teams of the 1990s will meet in the division's final championship game of the decade.

Youngstown State, which defeated Florida A&M 27-24 in a semifinal game Saturday, will play Georgia Southern, a 28-17 victor over Illinois State, next Saturday for the national title in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The finalists have combined for five titles in the past nine seasons, but never have played each other in a championship game.

The Penguins won championships in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997 and were runners-up in 1992. Georgia Southern was the 1990 champion and lost in last year's title game to Massachusetts. Marshall was a Division I-AA champion twice and a runner-up three times in the decade, but has moved to Division I-A.

Jeff Ryan's 10-yard touchdown pass to Damion Matthews with 44 seconds to play put Youngstown State in the lead for the first time against Florida A&M and gave the Penguins an NCAA-record 15th straight playoff victory. Youngstown State shared the old mark of 14 with Division III schools Mount Union and Augustana.

Matthews, describing the game-winning catch, said, "I saw Elliott (teammate Elliott Giles) out of the corner of my eyes in the back of the end zone. ... I just reached up and grabbed Jeff's pass."

Youngstown State (11-2), seeded ninth in the 16-team tournament, scored on its final two drives after trailing 24-13 midway through the fourth quarter.

Ryan hit Elliott Giles with a touchdown pass on a play that covered 46 yards with 7:22 to play to make it 24-19. An attempted two-point conversion pass by Ryan was intercepted.

The Rattlers (10-3) got no farther than their own 39 on the next series and punted to Youngstown State despite being one yard away from a first down.

Florida A&M coach Billy Joe said he decided to give the ball up because "we thought the most intelligent call was to punt on fourth-and-one. ... It gave them the whole distance of the field to score."

Youngstown State then drove 72 yards in 11 plays for Matthews' score, which made it 25-24. Ryan ran for a two-point conversion.

Penalties were the biggest factor in the scoring drive, with Florida A&M being penalized once for 15 yards and once for 14 on personal foul calls. The touchdown was the drive's only pass and its longest play.

The Rattlers got to the Youngstown 40 on their last drive, but Quinn Gray's final pass attempt fell incomplete.

"We went back and forth on the game's final play," Joe said. He said that since the choice was between a 57-yard field goal and a long pass, "We decided to go for the Hail Mary. ... The ball was thrown out of bounds and we didn't have a chance."

Penguins coach Jim Tressel said his team didn't panic despite being 11 points down late in the game.

"Like we have said all year, this team is going to play the whole time and that is going to give them a chance to win," he said.

Ryan also threw to Renauld Ray for a touchdown on a play that covered 35 yards in the third quarter and Mark Griffith kicked field goals of 42 and 22 yards for Youngstown State.

Florida A&M got touchdowns from Ken Williams on a 5-yard run in the first quarter, JaJuan Seider on an 11-yard run in the second quarter and Cedric Mitchell on an 11-yard pass from Gray in the final quarter. Jeremey Edwards added a 22-yard field goal.

Adrian Brown gained 188 yards in 30 carries for the Penguins, while Ryan was 6-for-9 for 111 yards.

Florida A&M was 29-for-43 for 230 yards passing, with Gray completing 12-of-18 for 120 yards and Seifer 17-of-25 for 110 yards. Seider also ran for 98 yards in 15 carries. Williams had the same yardage in 16 attempts.