Montana State wins the 2025-26 FCS football National Championship in overtime thriller
Montana State wins the 2025-26 FCS national championship
The drought is over! We repeat, the drought is over! Montana State has won the FCS Championship for the first time since 1984, breaking a 41-year drought.
The Bobcats won the 2025-26 FCS Championship with a 35-34 win over Illinois State in overtime, holding off the Redbirds in the an overtime classic.
After Illinois State scored two fourth quarter touchdowns, the Redbirds had a shot at a game-winning field goal with just over one minute to play. That's when the kick was blocked! The game proceeded to overtime.
MADNESS IN NASHVILLE, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! 🫨
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS)
The field goal kick gets blocked by , scooped up, and returned back to the 45-yard line of Illinois State. x 🎥 ESPN
In overtime, Illinois State got the ball first and scored a touchdown to take the lead. That's when the extra-point try was blocked as special teams miscues proved costly for Illinois State.
REDBIRDS STRIKE FIRST IN OVERTIME ⚡️
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS)
Dylan Lord scores his second touchdown of the game to give the lead. x 🎥 ESPN
However, Montana State still had to respond with a touchdown of their own. Facing 4th-and-10, quarterback Justin Lamson hit wide receiver Taco Dowler for the game-tying score. To win the game, Colby Frokjer knocked in the game-winning PAT.
TACO DOWLER TOUCHDOWN 🚨🚨🚨
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS)
Lamson connects with Dowler in the end zone for an overtime touchdown. x 🎥 ESPN
The game-winning touchdown earned Lamson Most Outstanding Player honors. He completed 67 percent of his passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for 30 yards and two scores.
“There’s not many moments that are gonna be better than this.”’s reflects on bringing back the first title in 41 years back to Bozeman with 🏆
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS)
It’s the first championship of the Brent Vigen era in Bozeman as the head coach lifts the trophy for the first in his third championship game appearance. The win is also the Big Sky’s first over the MVFC in a championship game, bringing the all time record to 4-1.
Overtime!
28-28! Each team will get the chance to possess the ball as the fight for a national title continues.
MADNESS IN NASHVILLE, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! 🫨
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS)
The field goal kick gets blocked by , scooped up, and returned back to the 45-yard line of Illinois State. x 🎥 ESPN
Tie Game! MSU 28, ISU 28 — 4Q - 5:10
Illinois State has rallied back to tie Montana State at 28 with just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter!
Tommy Rittenhouse has gone 11-16 on the last two drives, throwing two touchdowns to keep Illinois State in this one, with the latest pass going to Dylan Lord. Lord now has a career-high 11 catches for 116 yards in the biggest game of his collegiate career so far.
NOTHING AND I MEAN NOTHING WAS STOPPING DYLAN LORD ON THIS DRIVE‼️
— Illinois State Football (@RedbirdFB)
Do the Redbirds have anymore Cinderella magic left? Or will Montana State get one last score to put this one away.
Redbirds not done yet! MSU 28, ISU 21 | 4Q - 10:13
If you've heard the phrase, "Big-time players, make big-time plays in big-time games," then you'd know the phrase fits Illinois State wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz and what he's done this postseason.
It was only right on a fourth down, the Redbirds called his number on a goal line fade. The ball went up, and Sobkowicz came down with it for his ninth touchdown of the game.
Now it comes down to one stop.
The Redbirds need one stop for a chance to tie this game up after the offense did its part.
Illinois State used a 15-play, 81-yard drive that took 8:05 off the clock to cut the deficit to 28-21. After struggling on third down to start the game (0-5 in the first half), the second half has been a different story, going 5-6. However, when Illinois State needed a third down most on 3rd-and-3, it failed. That set up a 4th-and-1, where Sobkowicz scored.
The drive was set up by another Montana State penalty, as a hands to the face penalty goes down as the ninth of the day from the Bobcats.
The Redbirds lead in time of possession 33:25 to 16:22, running 68 plays to Montana State's 37 plays. Will Illinois State be able to get a quick stop to give its offense one more chance?
Fourth quarter — Montana State 28, Illinois State 14
15 minutes. That's all that separates the players of the 2025-26 FCS Championship Game and history.
Will Montana State end its 41-year title drought that dates back to 1984?
Will Illinois State win its first title in program history?
It all comes down to this.
Montana State has the two-possession lead, but Illinois State has the ball in Bobcat territory at the 40-yard line when the fourth quarter resumes.
Click or tap here for live stats. See stats through three quarters below.
It's Taco Time! MSU 28, ISU 14 | 3Q - 3:18
Where's Chris Berman when you need him? Whoop! Whoop! You can imagine the classic sound effects on Taco Dowler's 22-yard rushing touchdown on a jet sweep.
The electric wide receiver scored to push Montana State's lead back to two scores as the fourth quarter approaches.
"THERE'S JUST NOTHING TACO DOWLER CAN'T DO WITH A FOOTBALL IN HIS HAND." 🌮🌮🌮
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS)
Dowler dives into the end zone for (2)
for his first touchdown of the game.
x 🎥 ESPN
One score game! MSU 21, ISU 17 | 3Q - 5:32
Exactly how Illinois State drew it up. Well... maybe not, but a touchdown's a touchdown and the Redbirds found the end zone after a 17-play, 85-yard drive that took 7:32 off the clock.
After a defensive pass interference gave Illinois State a fresh set of downs from the half-yard line, running back Victor Dawson ran the ball on third-and-goal. Dawson extended the football on third-down and fumbled, but luckily offensive lineman Logan Brasfield was in the end zone to recover the football for a touchdown.
Click or tap here for live stats
LOGAN BRASFIELD RECOVERS THE FOOTBALL FOR A BIG BOY TOUCHDOWN‼️
— Illinois State Football (@RedbirdFB)
Thank you fans! All-time attendance in Nashville
24,105.
That's how many FCS fans showed up to Nashville, Tennessee for the 2025-26 FCS Championship Game. That's the largest crowd since 1996 — 30 years ago! It's the seventh-largest attended championship game in FCS history.
From the six games ahead of the 2025-26 FCS title game in attendance, half of the programs are now in the FBS.
See the top-10 most attended championship games below.
- 32,106 — 1995-96 — Huntington, WV — Montana vs. Marshall
- 31,304 — 1992-93 — Huntington, WV — Marshall vs. Youngstown State
- 30,052 — 1996-97 — Huntington, WV — Marshall vs. Montana
- 29,218 — 1993-94 — Huntington, WV — Youngstown State vs. Marshall
- 27,674 — 1994-95 — Huntington, WV — Youngstown State vs. Boise State
- 25,725 — 1989-90 — Statesboro, GA — Georgia Southern vs. Stephen F. Austin
- 24,105 — 2025-26 — Nashville, TN — Montana State vs. Illinois State
- 23,204 — 1990-91 — Statesboro, GA — Georgia Southern vs. Nevada
- 23,010 — 2007-08 — Chattanooga, TN — Appalachian State vs. Delaware
- 22,808 — 2006-07 — Chattanooga, TN — Appalachian State vs. UMass
Halftime — Montana State 21, Illinois State 7
Montana State leads Illinois State 21-7 after a pair of late scores from both teams. While the Redbirds got score after the two minute warning to finally get on the board, the Bobcats might've had the score that will be pivotal to the game.
Montana State's third touchdown of the day puts the Bobcats up two scores at halftime. If the Bobcats didn't score, Illinois State would've been down just one score, with Montana State receiving the second half kickoff.
That's a game-changing touchdown that gives Montana State some breathing room.
Where there's a will, there's a way to the endzone 🤌
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS)
📺 ESPN x
Impressively, Montana State has a two-score lead with only four rushing attempts from their 1000-yard running back duo of Adam Jones and Julius Davis. Will the Bobcats lead on its backfield to run some clock up a few scores in the second half?
If not, can Justin Lamson continue his accurate day from the pocket? He's 12-of-13 passing for 228 yards and a touchdown so far.
On the other side of the ball, Illinois State has to figure out how to convert third downs. The Redbirds are 0-5 so far, albeit 2-2 on fourth downs. Star wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz has been largely held in check compared to his eight playoff touchdowns. He'll need to have an impact in the second half.
Click or tap here for live stats. See stats from the first half below.
54 seconds? Easy work for the Bobcats! MSU 21, ISU 7 | 2Q - 0:18
After Illinois State's touchdown, 54 seconds remained in the first half. Montana State only needed 36.
36 seconds, three plays and 75 yards later, Montana State was back in front by two scores.
Quarterback Justin Lamson completed passes of 20, 22 and 33 yards, all featuring elite run-after-catch work. The star of the drive was none other than wide receiver Dane Steel with a magnificent hurdle on his way to the endzone.
THE HURDLE. THE DIVE. ALL OF IT. back up two scores
— Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf)
you've GOTTA see this again 🤯
— Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf)
Redbirds on the board! MSU 14, ISU 7 | 2Q - 0:54
Illinois State is on the board after a 10-play, 80-yard drive resulted in a six-yard touchdown reception from Scotty Presson Jr. It was your classic mesh combination between a wide receiver and tight end that led to the score.
WE LOVE TO SEE IT, SCOTTY 🤩
— Illinois State Football (@RedbirdFB)
The pass gives quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse a program record for passing yards, but his biggest pass on the drive game on fourth down. Facing 4th-and-2 from the Montana State 15-yard line, Rittenhouse delivered a strike for a seven-yard gain.
The Redbirds trail 14-7 after the score.
Lamson's legs do it again! MSU 14, ISU 0 | 2Q - 10:49
Two drives, two rushing touchdowns from a quarterback and a two-score lead for Montana State. Bobcat quarterback Justin Lamson ran in for his second touchdown of the day, this time from two-yards out to give Montana State a 14-0 lead.
The Illinois State defense can't do anything to stop Lamson so far. He's standing tall in the pocket to the tune of 8-of-8 passing for 143 yards. When he has to use his legs, no defender from Illinois State's 3-4 defense can contain him with 27 yards (not counting a 13-yard sack) on the ground.
Justin Lamson is lights out in this first half 🌟
— Montana State Football (@MSUBobcats_FB)
📺 ESPN
Now the Bobcat defense will be on the field after forcing punts on each of Illinois State's drives.
First quarter ends to the tune of penalties | Montana State 7, Illinois State 0
Penalties, Penalties, Penalties.
First we saw a Montana State running in the kicker penalty changed a punt from Illinois State from 4th-and-4 to a first down. After advancing into Montana State territory for the second time today, Illinois State suffered a penalty of its own.
Star offensive lineman Jake Pope got an Unneccesary roughness penalty after quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse evaded a sack to knock the Redbirds from the Montana State 28-yard line to the Montana State 43-yard line.
Yet, Illinois State continued to show fight, with a deep ball to Daniel Sobkowicz setting up first and goal. But ANOTHER flag was thrown, as Sobkowicz pushed off for an offensive pass interference.
That's not to mention the false start penalties we've seen from both teams to night in the first quarter.
After it all, the Bobcats lead by one score entering the first half.
Bobcats strike first! MSU 7, ISU 0 | 1Q - 4:51
What a drive from Montana State! After the Bobcat defense forced a punt, Montana State's offense started from its own 10-yard line. After a 10-play drive that took 5:50 off the clock, quarterback Justin Lamson found the end zone for the game's first score on a read option keeper.
Justin Lamson puts the Bobcats up a touchdown 🤩
— Montana State Football (@MSUBobcats_FB)
📺 ESPN |
Lamson's score was only from three yards out. Yet, the Bobcats had a drive full of big plays. Lamson had passes of 16, 26 and 38 yards — the latter two thanks to big-time yards after the catch from wideout Taco Dowler. Even running back Adam Jones got the ground game going with a big play, rushing for a 17-yard gain.
Stadium pulse? At a neutral site?
The FCS Championship Game is played at a neutral site in Nashville, Tennessee.
Montana State is in Bozeman, Montana. That's over 1,700 miles away and a 25-plus hour drive.
Illinois State is in Normal, Illinois. That's just under 400 miles away from the Music City and only about a 6.5 hour drive.
Despite the distance, the Bobcat faithful is already having an impact on the game from the first drive of the game. Facing a 3rd-and-10 from the MSU-37 yard line, the loud Montana State crowd forced a false start on All-American OL Jake Pope.
The Redbirds were unable to convert the ensuing 15 yards and were forced to punt.
One half of the stadium is completely Bobcat fans. It's about 75-25 percent Montana State in the crowd.