After an exciting 2025 season, a new FCS football title will be crowned Monday night between Montana State and Illinois State. As the Bobcats and Redbirds near the pinnacle of the sport, let’s take a look back at their journeys.
Montana
Regular season
After losses to Oregon and South Dakota State, Montana has won 10 straight to finish the season 10-2. The season ended with a 31-28 win over rival Montana in a wild game to secure the No. 2 seed in the FCS playoffs.
FCS playoffs
Montana State had a one-possession rally in its second-round win over Yale. In the quarterfinals, the Bobcats beat Stephen F. Austin by 16 points and never trailed in the game.
Semi-final
Montana State defeated Montana for the second time this year to advance to the championship game. The win marked the first time the two schools have met in the playoffs, and the Bobcats picked up the season win. The win sent Montana to back-to-back title games and the third championship of the Brent Vigen era.
Click here or click here for more on the emotional ending.
Montana State vs. Montana: 2025 FCS Semifinal Highlights
Bobcat schedule
| Competitor | Win/Loss | Score | Record | Ranking (AFCA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 7 in Oregon | L | 59-13 | 0-1 | #2 |
| vs. No. 2 South Dakota State | L | 30-24 | 0-2 | No. 3 |
| vs. San Diego | V | 41-7 | 1-2 | No. 6 |
| v. Mercyhurst | V | 17-0 | 2-2 | No. 6 |
| vs. Eastern Washington | V | 57-3 | 3-2 | No. 6 |
| No. 13 in Northern Arizona | V | 34-10 | 4-2 | No. 5 |
| vs. Idaho State | V | 48-14 | 5-2 | No. 5 |
| at Cal Poly | V | 34-17 | 6-2 | No. 5 |
| In Northern Colorado | V | 55-7 | 7-2 | No. 4 |
| v. Weber County | V | 66-14 | 8-2 | No. 3 |
| vs. No. 9 UC Davis | V | 38-17 | 9-2 | No. 3 |
| #2 Montana | V | 31-28 | 10-2 | No. 3 |
| Against Yale | V | 21-13 | 11-2 | #2 |
| v. (7) Stephen F. Austin | V | 44-28 | 12-2 | #2 |
| vs. (3) Montana | V | 48-23 | 13-2 | #2 |
Key players this season
- QB Justin Lamson
- RB Julius Davis
- RB Adam Jones
- WR Taco Dowler
- OG Titan Fleischmann
- Find Braden Zimmer
- DL Paul Brott
- DL Kenneth Aiden IV
- LB Cole Taylor
- CB Carson Williams
- S Tyden Gray
- S Taki Uluilakepa
- S Caden Dowler
Transfer quarterback Justin Lamson fueled Montana’s state championship run. Lamson came from the FBS to replace Walter Payton Award winner Tommy Mellott and is a great fit for the Bobcat offense. Of course, having two 1,000-yard rushers behind them in Julius Davis and Adam Jones helped. Offensive weapons don’t stop at Taco Dowler on the outside.
However, as always, the bedrock of Montana’s offense was the offensive line. Right guard Titan Fleischmann was a near-consensus first-team All-American, and left tackle Braden Zimmer has been impressive on the left side as a redshirt freshman.
SSEDS: The importance of top seeds in the FCS playoffs explained
The obverse of the ball features Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year Kaden Dowler. Dowler had missed five straight games until suffering an injury in the semifinals. Dowler is not alone with Carson Williams, Tyden Gray and Taki Uluilakepa in the back.
In the top seven, Paul Brott and Kenneth Eiden IV form one of the best defensive linemen in FCS football. Linebacker Cole Taylor is right behind them with 91 tackles on the year.
LIVE UPDATES: For 2025 FCS Playoffs live streaming, click here or click here.
State of Illinois
Regular season
Illinois opened the preseason as the No. 6 seed in the FCS, but had an up-and-down season overall. The Redbirds have been competitive all season, but have gone just 2-3 against ranked FCS opponents.
FCS playoffs
After a season-ending loss, Illinois State was one of the last four teams to make the playoffs. The Redbirds were eliminated from the standings and defeated Southeastern Louisiana in the first round.
Then there was a second-round rematch against top-seeded North Dakota State, where the Redbirds lost by 17 in the regular season. Illinois State overcame numerous turnovers and fumbles to pull out a one-point victory in a thrilling game.
Reached the semifinals after another quarterfinal win over UC Davis.
Illinois State upsets NDSU in FCS playoffs | Complete completion
Semi-final
Illinois controlled Villanova from start to finish. The win was the Redbirds’ first title since 2014 and their second overall. This makes Illinois the first team to play for the title after playing all the way through the playoff since expanding to 24 teams.
Click here or click here for more about the game.
Illinois State vs. Villanova: 2025 FCS Semifinal Highlights
Redbird schedule
| Competitor | Win/Loss | Score | Record | Ranking (AFCA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18th Oklahoma | L | 35-3 | 0-1 | No. 6 |
| vs. Morehead State | V | 41-13 | 1-1 | No. 7 |
| in Eastern Illinois | V | 42-30 | 2-1 | No. 4 |
| vs. North Alabama | V | 38-36 (2OT) | 3-1 | No. 4 |
| vs. No. 1 North Dakota State | L | 33-16 | 3-2 | No. 6 |
| In Murray County | V | 46-32 | 4-2 | No. 10 |
| vs. No. 25 Youngstown State | L | 40-35 | 4-3 | number 9 |
| 21st in South Dakota | V | 21-13 | 5-3 | No. 20 |
| vs. Northern Iowa | V | 31-16 | 6-3 | No. 18 |
| In Indiana | V | 52-20 | 7-3 | No. 17 |
| No. 15 in South Dakota | V | 35-21 | 8-3 | No. 13 |
| vs. No. 24 Southern Illinois | L | 37-7 | 8-4 | No. 11 |
| at (16) Southeast Louisiana | V | 21-3 | 9-4 | No. 17 |
| (1) In North Dakota | V | 29-28 | 10-4 | No. 17 |
| (8) UC Davis | V | 42-31 | 11-4 | No. 17 |
| (12) Villanova | V | 30-14 | 12-4 | No. 17 |
Key players this season
- QB Tommy Rittenhouse
- RB Victor Dawson
- RB Seth Glatz
- WR Daniel Sobkovic
- WR Luke Mylander
- Jake Pope
- OG Landon Woodard
- DT Jake Anderson
- DT Garrett Steffen
- LB Tye Niekamp
- LB Mason Kaplan
- CB Shadwell Nkuba II
- S Lashawion Brown
For Illinois, the biggest star this season has been Daniel Sobkovich. The second-team All-American has seven touchdowns and one pass breakup during the playoffs. He won’t be alone in the offense as wide receiver Luke Mailander won the MVFC Freshman of the Year.
Sobkovic and Mylander both caught passes from veteran Tommy Rittenhouse, a four-year starter for the Redbirds. Rittenhouse was able to finish his career with a title thanks to new moves, such as running back Victor Dawson from Cincinnati. Dawson has rushed for a career-high 137 yards in each of the last three playoff games. He will run behind an elite unit on the left side of the offensive line with Jake Pope and linebacker Landon Woodard.
BRACKET: See the official bracket for the 2025 FCS playoffs
Defensively, linebacker Ty Nykamp is one of them seven A unanimous first-team FCS All-American this season. Cornerback Shadwell Nkuba has shut down a defensive line with five interceptions this season, fourth among all players in the FCS regular season and postseason.
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