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On a frigid January night in Nashville, Montana State University finally claimed the national championship that had slipped away too many times before. The Bobcats outlasted Illinois State University 35-34 in overtime in the 2026 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game at FirstBank Stadium, capturing the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) crown and ending a 41-year wait for a national title.
The victory delivered just the second FCS/I-AA championship in Montana State University football history and the program’s first since 1984. It also marked the first FCS title game ever to reach overtime and the first time a Big Sky Conference team defeated a Missouri Valley Football Conference opponent in the national final.
In front of an announced crowd of 24,105 fans, Montana State’s 35-34 win over Illinois State was everything a national championship should be: high-stakes, dramatic, and decided by the thinnest of margins, with special teams heroics and late-game resilience redefining the narrative around a program that had been haunted by close calls.
This championship sits at the top of the NCAA Division I FCS structure, the subdivision formerly known as Division I-AA. It is separate from the FBS College Football Playoff that determines the champion among the larger-scholarship FBS programs. For Montana State University, an established FCS power in Bozeman and a proud Big Sky member, this title is the culmination of years of incremental progress within the FCS playoff system.
The Bobcats navigated a 24-team FCS bracket, not the four- or twelve-team FBS playoff. That context matters for recruits and families evaluating the landscape: FCS football offers a national championship path with its own rich history, as detailed on the NCAA’s official FCS pages at https://www.ncaa.com/championships/football/fcs.
The story of this title goes beyond one night in Nashville. The 2025 Montana State season began in adversity. The Bobcats opened 0-2, dropping a nonconference road game at Oregon and then suffering a double-overtime home loss to South Dakota State. From that point, they were nearly perfect.
Head coach Brent Vigen’s team ripped off 14 consecutive victories to finish 14-2. Montana State posted a spotless 8-0 record in Big Sky Conference play, asserting itself as one of the top programs at the FCS level. Along the way, they blended a physical ground game with an evolving passing attack under quarterback Justin Lamson, a transfer who arrived in Bozeman in June and quickly became the centerpiece of the offense.
By the time the Bobcats reached FirstBank Stadium, they had already navigated rivalries, close calls, and the weight of expectations built over multiple deep playoff runs.
What made the 35-34 overtime win over Illinois State so powerful for Montana State is what came before it. Under Vigen, the Bobcats had already reached the FCS championship games following the 2021 and 2024 seasons, only to fall both times to North Dakota State. In 2023, they were eliminated in the playoffs in overtime on a blocked extra point against the Bison, a play that lingered in program memory.
Before this victory, Montana State was 0-3 in modern FCS championship games, including those two losses under Vigen. The program’s national titles had come in earlier eras: an FCS/I-AA crown in 1984, a Division II championship in 1976, and an NAIA championship in 1956, per historical summaries on Wikipedia.
This latest title game was their third trip to the FCS final in five seasons under Vigen, and their fourth FCS title game appearance overall. The stakes were clear: anything less than a win would only deepen the feeling of “so close, yet so far.” Instead, this time, the Bobcats finished the job.
Montana State reached the championship after a 48-23 semifinal victory over archrival Montana. That matchup, part of one of the most intense rivalries in the FCS, tested the Bobcats’ composure. After taking control, they had to weather a Grizzlies comeback before reasserting dominance late.
The semifinal win gave Montana State two victories over Montana within a month, sent them to their fourth FCS title game, and showed that this Bobcats team could respond when momentum shifted. Those lessons would prove vital in the national championship.
Across the bracket, Illinois State authored one of the most remarkable playoff runs in FCS history. Unseeded and fighting uphill from the start, the Redbirds won four straight road games to reach Nashville. Their path included:
According to recaps from NCAA.com and other outlets, Illinois State became the first unseeded team to win four consecutive road games to reach the FCS championship game. They arrived in Nashville with a 12-4 record, seeking the first national title in school history and their first FCS final appearance since 2014.
On January 5, 2026, the championship kicked off under the lights in Nashville. From the outset, Montana State looked poised and prepared. Behind quarterback Justin Lamson and a balanced attack, the Bobcats built a 14-0 lead and went into halftime up 21-7.
Montana State capitalized on short fields and converted in the red zone, while its defense kept Illinois State from finding a rhythm. The early dominance reflected the Bobcats’ offensive versatility, with Lamson’s dual-threat capability, the running back tandem of Julius Davis and Adam Jones, and receiver Taco Dowler all playing key roles.
For much of the first half, it looked like Montana State might cruise to a comfortable FCS title. Illinois State had other ideas.
The turning point in regulation came after the break. Illinois State began to control the ball and, slowly, the game. Early in the third quarter, the Redbirds embarked on a grinding 17-play, 85-yard drive that chewed more than seven minutes off the clock.
That possession ended in dramatic fashion at the goal line. A fumble near the stripe was recovered in the end zone by Illinois State’s Logan Brasfield, cutting the Montana State lead to 21-14 and announcing that the Redbirds were not going away.
Montana State responded with composure befitting a champion. The Bobcats marched 64 yards in six plays, highlighted by explosive gains from Lamson and the ground game. The drive ended with a 22-yard touchdown run from receiver Taco Dowler on a jet sweep, pushing the lead back to 28-14.
From there, Illinois State owned the fourth quarter. Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse led an eight-play drive capped by a fourth-and-one touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Sobkowicz, slicing the deficit to seven with just over ten minutes left.
After forcing Montana State’s first three-and-out of the night, the Redbirds went 60 yards in eight plays. Rittenhouse again delivered in the red zone, finding wideout Dylan Lord for a touchdown that tied the game at 28-28 with 5:10 remaining.
By the end of regulation, Illinois State had piled up 269 yards of second-half offense to Montana State’s 105, reflecting how thoroughly the game had flipped. Time of possession, yardage, and momentum were all on the Redbirds’ side.
For Montana State fans, the closing minutes of regulation felt like a familiar nightmare. The Bobcats, who had seen playoff runs end on a blocked kick before, now seemed destined to lose via late-game special teams drama again, only in reverse.
Illinois State forced yet another Montana State punt and methodically drove into field-goal range. With just over a minute left, the Redbirds lined up for a 38-yard attempt that would have given them their first lead of the night and placed them on the brink of a championship.
This time, however, it was Montana State that delivered the special teams gut punch. Defensive lineman Jhase McMillan broke through the protection and blocked kicker Michael Cosentino’s attempt. Teammate Seth Johnson scooped up the loose ball, preserving the 28-28 tie and sending the FCS championship into overtime for the first time in its nearly five-decade history.
In the overtime period, Illinois State had the ball first. Rittenhouse and Lord, who had been nearly unstoppable in the second half, connected again, this time on a 10-yard touchdown pass that finally put the Redbirds ahead 34-28.
Illinois State lined up for the extra point, a chance to extend the lead to seven and force Montana State to play for a touchdown and a conversion just to stay alive. Instead, Montana State’s special teams rose to the moment once more. Hunter Parsons shot through the line and blocked Cosentino’s extra-point attempt, keeping the deficit at six and giving the Bobcats a path to win with a touchdown and a successful kick.
Starting from the Illinois State 25-yard line, Montana State leaned on running back Julius Davis, who churned out 14 yards on two carries to move the ball to the 14. A false start penalty and a short run by Adam Jones, however, pushed the Bobcats into a daunting fourth-and-10 situation with the season on the line.
Lamson took the shotgun snap and looked left. Dowler, who had already burned the Redbirds on the jet sweep earlier, broke free near the goal line. Lamson delivered a strike for a 14-yard touchdown, tying the game at 34-34 and sending the Montana State crowd into a frenzy.
That set the stage for kicker Myles Sansted, who carried his own history of heartbreak into the moment. A year earlier, a blocked extra point had ended a Montana State playoff run. This time, with the national title in the balance, Sansted calmly drove the ball inside the right upright. The kick gave the Bobcats a 35-34 overtime victory and unleashed a cathartic celebration as players flung their helmets into the Tennessee night.
Montana State’s offensive leaders reflected the high-pressure nature of the performance. Lamson, a mid-year transfer who had only been in Bozeman since June, completed 18 of 27 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for two scores, earning Most Outstanding Player honors.
Dowler turned in a breakout performance on the biggest stage. He caught eight passes for 111 yards and a touchdown and added the 22-yard rushing score on the third-quarter jet sweep. Together with the rushing contributions of Davis and Jones, he helped keep the Illinois State defense off-balance enough for the Bobcats to build and then protect their lead.
On special teams and defense, McMillan and Parsons’ two blocked kicks were the defining plays, flipping a statistical disadvantage into a one-point championship win. Illinois State held edges in yardage, time of possession, and penalties, yet Montana State’s timely plays in all three phases made the difference.
On the other sideline, Illinois State delivered one of the best losing performances in FCS title-game history. Rittenhouse threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns, repeatedly targeting Lord, who racked up 13 receptions for more than 150 yards and two scores. Running back Victor Dawson surpassed 160 rushing yards in a workhorse role that allowed the Redbirds to control much of the second half.
As noted by outlets such as Reuters, Illinois State’s postseason included road wins at Southeastern Louisiana, North Dakota State, UC Davis, and Villanova. The Redbirds became the first unseeded team to win four straight road games to reach the FCS final, only to fall one point short of a championship.
Beyond the box score, the Bobcats’ 35-34 overtime win over Illinois State reshaped the narrative around both the program and its conference. For Montana State, the victory finally erased the sting of previous FCS championship losses and the blocked extra point that ended the 2023 playoff run. It also validated Vigen’s vision after two painful runner-up finishes.
For the Big Sky Conference, the championship was a breakthrough. According to historical FCS championship data compiled on NCAA.com, Montana State’s win delivered the league’s first national title since Eastern Washington’s 2010 triumph and improved the Big Sky’s record against Missouri Valley opponents in the final.
For a university rooted in Bozeman and competing at the NCAA Division I FCS level, the night in Nashville ensured that the 2025 Bobcats will be remembered alongside the 1984 champions as one of the greatest teams in school history.
For high school athletes and families considering FCS programs, Montana State’s title run highlights several key realities about this level of college football:
If you are exploring programs like Montana State, it helps to understand how FCS schools differ from FBS in scholarship distribution, roster size, and competitive structure. Resources like the NCAA’s “Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete” at https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2014/10/10/guide-for-the-college-bound-student-athlete.aspx can provide a useful overview.
Montana State’s FCS national championship will likely raise the profile of Bobcat football nationally, but it is just one of many strong options for recruits who want high-level football and a competitive playoff environment. Tools like Pathley can make it easier to discover similar programs that fit your academic, athletic, and personal goals.
With Pathley, athletes and families can explore colleges across NCAA divisions, understand campus contexts, and compare opportunities beyond the most visible FBS brands. If you want personalized guidance, Pathley Chat acts as an AI recruiting assistant, helping you identify college matches, build a resume, and organize your search.
When you are ready to take the next step, you can create a free Pathley profile to unlock AI-powered college matching, tailored lists of schools, and tools to help you track communication and offers throughout your recruiting journey.
Montana State’s 35-34 overtime win over Illinois State in the 2026 NCAA Division I FCS championship game will be remembered as one of the most dramatic title games in subdivision history. It featured an early surge, a furious comeback, a blocked field goal in the final minute of regulation, another blocked kick in overtime, and a walk-off extra point from a kicker seeking redemption.
Most of all, it symbolized the culmination of years of work in Bozeman. For the players and coaches, the win secured their place in Bobcat lore alongside the 1984 champions. For future recruits, it offered clear proof that at FCS powers like Montana State, you can play for real national championships, in front of national audiences, with everything on the line.
The Bobcats came to Nashville carrying the weight of past heartbreaks. They left as FCS national champions.
