2025 FCS Playoffs Semifinals Recap: Illinois State, Montana State Advance To Nashville

It started with 24 teams, but only two teams remain in the race for the FCS national championship.

We have two teams with very different paths to Nashville, but No. 2 seed Montana State will take on Illinois State in the 2026 FCS national championship game on Jan. 6.

The Bobcats are searching for their first national title since 1984, while the Redbirds are still looking for their first national title in program history.

Below are my thoughts and takeaways from this weekend's semifinal games, along with some analysis on the path each team took to get to Nashville.

Illinois State 30, No. 12 Villanova 14

Who would have thought Illinois State would be making the trip to Nashville? The Redbirds continued to defy the odds on Saturday night with a 30-14 win over No. 12 seed Villanova.

It was an all-around dominant performance for the Redbirds, who built a 27-6 lead going into the fourth quarter. The offense wasn't explosive, but it was effective. Illinois State finished 11-of-20 on third downs, while the Wildcats failed to extend drives, only converting on one of their 11 third-down attempts.

Running back Victor Dawson has stepped into a huge role over the past four games. He's been the workhorse that's really helped this offense close out games, and it was the same story on Saturday night.

Dawson finished with 155 rushing yards and one touchdown on 34 attempts, averaging only 4.6 yards per carry, but he was responsible for 11 first downs. Nearly 80% of his rushing yards were after contact, further highlighting his ability to fight for extra yards. He was the key reason the Redbirds dominated time of possession, holding the ball for almost 40 minutes compared to Villanova's 20 minutes.

If there were any questions about why Daniel Sobkowicz is a top FCS prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, they were answered tonight. He led the Redbirds with seven receptions for 97 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including an explosive 53-yard reception in the first quarter.

Tommy Rittenhouse completed only 47% of his passes, but made the throws when needed. He still had 251 passing yards and two touchdowns, while adding 20 rushing yards on some key scrambles.

Illinois State did an excellent job in the red zone, holding Villanova to two field goals in the first half. They also forced a turnover on downs early in the fourth quarter inside their own territory. CJ Richards Jr. ended the Wildcats' second drive with an interception in the red zone. The defense consistently made plays when needed, much as they did throughout the rest of their postseason run.

Speaking of that, it's one of the most unprecedented postseason runs I've ever seen in the history of the FCS Playoffs.

The Redbirds lost their final regular-season game to Southern Illinois by 30 points. They were one of the last four teams selected for the field and were immediately discounted by everyone because they had to go through Fargo and No. 1 seed North Dakota State.

Illinois State started its playoff run with an impressive defensive performance against Southeastern Louisiana, but it was the magical comeback in Fargo that really caught the nation's attention.

Despite five interceptions, the Redbirds scored 15 points in the final three minutes to stun the Bison, capped by Rittenhouse's two-point conversion to Scotty Presson Jr. The Redbirds then traveled all the way to No. 8 seed UC Davis, where they dismantled the Aggies in an impressive 42-31 win.

Illinois State is now 9-0 on the road against FCS opponents, including four consecutive road wins in the playoffs. A trip to the FCS national championship lies ahead against No. 2 seed Montana State, where the Redbirds are going to be heavy underdogs. It'll be Illinois State's first national title appearance since 2014, when the Redbirds lost a 29-27 thriller to North Dakota State.

Will this team be able to tap into the magic one last time? We'll see on Jan. 6 in FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, TN.

Illinois State advances to the FCS Championship 🔥

They're the first team in FCS Playoffs history to win four true road games 👏 pic.twitter.com/lqPgfIut6R
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 21, 2025

No. 2 Montana State 48, No. 3 Montana 23

The 'Super Brawl' lived up to its billing on Saturday afternoon in front of a record crowd (25,437) in Bobcat Stadium. It was the essence of what makes FCS football so great, and it captured the nation's attention despite competing directly with the NFL and the College Football Playoff.

It was clear from the first drive of the game that Montana State had its sights set on Nashville. The Bobcats stormed out to a 20-3 lead behind quarterback Justin Lamson and running back Adam Jones. The Griz defense looked overwhelmed early in this game, and the Bobcats took full advantage.

The game's momentum shifted after a Montana State fumble, allowing the Griz to cut the halftime deficit to 20-16. It continued into the second half with Montana taking a 23-20 lead with eight minutes remaining in the third quarter. How a team responds to adversity is one of the biggest signs of a championship program.

The Bobcats weathered Montana's best shot, allowing 20 unanswered points, but Montana State answered the bell and showed they were the best team on the field in Bozeman. The Bobcats reeled off 28 unanswered points, securing their spot in Bozeman with a 48-23 win over Montana.

Adam Jones was special this weekend, leading the Bobcats with 131 rushing yards and two touchdowns, averaging over 8.2 yards per carry. The rushing attack kept Montana State on schedule, helping the Bobcats convert on nearly 70% of their third-down attempts. Julius Davis may be overlooked due to Jones, but he added 56 yards on 14 carries.

Don't let the box score fool you, the real MVP of this game is quarterback Justin Lamson. In the two games against Montana, he's played two of the best games of his career. He completed 13-of-19 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns, adding another 43 yards and two scores on the ground.

Every time a play needed to be made, the Bobcats could turn to No. 8. I don't know if Lamson receives the media hype he should. He faced the pressure of replacing Tommy Mellott, a Montana State legend who led the program to two FCS national title appearances. Not only did Lamson thrive in the difficult role, but he now has a chance to bring a national title back to Bozeman for the first time since 1984.

The other side of this conversation revolves around the Montana State defense. That young secondary delivered another masterful performance against a really good Montana offense. Just like the first matchup, the Bobcats put a lid on Montana's passing attack.

Keali'i Ah Yat finished 5-of-13 for 93 yards and one interception on passes that traveled 10 yards or more. He did not complete a single pass beyond 20 yards, which has been a staple of this offense all season. Seth Johnson had one of his best performances of the year, allowing on three receptions on seven targets. The strategy was simple... Allow nothing deep and make the Montana offense earn every yard. In both matchups, Montana's offense was unable to do this for all four quarters.

Looking back, the entire FCS media space may have overlooked the Bobcats. Since Week 2, this team has been playing at an elite level. There were a ton of new pieces that still needed to gel when South Dakota State visited Bozeman in Week 2, but we all now see the full picture of what Vigen and this staff have truly built.

This program has been building to this moment with back-to-back Big Sky championships, a 28-3 overall record over two seasons, and back-to-back trips to the FCS national championship. Many people thought last year was the breakthrough moment, but it may have just set the stage for a special run this season.

This program has been right at the precipice of something special under Vigen, and they are one win away from bringing a national title back to Bozeman for the first time in over 40 years. Now, the Bobcats have a chance to conquer their MVFC demons against Illinois State in Nashville.

The last 2 years for Montana State have been incredible

▪️2 Big Sky 🏆, 16-0 in conf.
▪️2 trips to national title game
▪️28-3 record overall
▪️3-0 versus the Griz pic.twitter.com/I3fxERS9sX
— Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) December 21, 2025

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