Redbirds Drop Heartbreaker In Overtime To Bobcats, 35-34, in FCS Title Game

NASHVILLE – In what is one of the most memorable FCS National Championship games ever, Illinois State came back from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game and send it to overtime against Montana State. However, heartbreak followed for the Redbirds (12-5) as the Bobcats (14-2) blocked an extra point attempt in overtime and then scored the game winning touchdown and extra point on their try as ISU fell by a score of 35-34 at FirstBank Stadium on the Vanderbilt campus Monday night in Nashville.

How It Happened:
•    The Bobcats struck first, as quarterback Justin Lamson ran it in from three yards out to cap off a 10-play, 90-yard scoring drive to make the score 7-0 with 4:51 left in the first. 
•    With 10:49 left before halftime, Lamson scored on the ground again this time from two yards out to make it 14-0 in favor of the Bobcats.
•    With just 54 seconds left before halftime, Illinois State put points on the scoreboard as Tommy Rittenhouse connected with Scotty Presson Jr. on a 6-yard touchdown pass that capped off a 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive.
•    On the ensuing drive, the Bobcats needed just 36 seconds to drive 75 yards for a touchdown as Lamson found Dane Steel for a 33-yard touchdown score to make the score 21-7 headed to the break.
•    The Redbirds trimmed the deficit to a touchdown at 21-14 with 5:32 left in the third quarter, as Victor Dawson attempted to reach the football across the goal line from a yard out but fumbled, which was then recovered by offensive tackle Logan Brasfield in the end zone for the score.
•    Montana State answered right back on its next drive, as Taco Dowler weaved his way through traffic for a 22-yard rushing touchdown to push the advantage to 28-14 with 3:14 remaining in the third quarter.
•    On 4th-and-1 from the 4-yard line, Rittenhouse found Daniel Sobkowicz for a leaping touchdown grab to once again pull the Redbirds within a touchdown at 28-21 with 10:13 left in the contest.
•    ISU then tied the game with 5:10 to play, as Rittenhouse found Dylan Lord across the middle, and he broke tackles and spun around Bobcat defenders on way to the end zone to make the score 28-28.
•    Both teams had chances to secure the win in regulation, but neither were successful as the contest moved into overtime. Illinois State had the ball first and needed just two plays to score, as Rittenhouse and Lord connected again on a 10-yard touchdown pass to put six points on the board. However, the extra point attempt was blocked, and Bobcats had their chance.
•    The Redbird defense had the Bobcats in a hole facing 4th-and-10 from the 14-yard line, but Dowler got free and scored on a 14-yard touchdown pass and the extra point was good to give Montana State the title in OT.

Game Notes:    
•    Illinois State made its second FCS National Championship game appearance in program history, following the 2014 title contest against North Dakota State in Frisco, Texas. The Redbirds have now dropped a pair of heartbreakers on the biggest stage of them all, falling by just a combined three points to North Dakota State in 2014 (29-27) and this year by one in overtime to Montana State.
•    This was the first overtime game in FCS Championship game history. The announced attendance was 24,105, which marked the largest crowd since 1996 and was the seventh biggest in title game history.
•    With his 311 yards passing, Rittenhouse moved into first place on the ISU single season passing list with 3,568 yards, passing the previous mark of 3,370 set by Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Famer Matt Brown in 2012. He finished the season with single-season marks in completions (334), attempts (516), passing yards (3,568) and touchdowns (40).
•    Victor Dawson rushed for 126 yards, marking his fourth-straight 100-yard rushing performance in the playoffs and his sixth of the season overall.
•    Lord set career-highs in receptions (13), receiving yards (161) and touchdowns (2) in a breakout effort for the redshirt freshman wideout. 

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