For the first time since 2016 the FCS championship will not feature someone with “Dakota State” as part of their moniker. That is, of course, because Illinois State pulled off one of the all time playoff
stunners on Saturday afternoon when it knocked off #1 seed North Dakota State in the Fargodome at the same time Montana dismantled South Dakota State. The Redbirds, who know plenty about those Bison, but had not beaten them in 15 years. NDSU had not lost a postseason game in its building in almost a decade. ISU, however, ended both of those streaks in one fell swoop and, in doing so, turned the FCS playoffs completely upside down.
To topple the Bison on their turf is incredibly difficult but to do it in the face of several mistakes is essentially impossible and that’s what Illinois State had to do over the weekend. In fact, it was a nightmarish start for the Redbirds as it took NDSU just one offensive play to get a 7-0 lead. QB Cole Payton hit Bryce Lance wide open down the left sideline who took it 78 yards untouched into the end zone. On the very next drive, ISU signal caller Tommy Rittenhouse tossed the first of what would be five interceptions on the afternoon.
As bad as that was, things got even worse for Brock Spack’s team later on in the first. After being forced to punt for its second time and deep following a strong defensive stand, Bison return man Jackson Williams sliced his way through the Illinois State kick coverage unit for a 52-yard score that sent green and gold nation into a frenzy. To add to the sting Rittenhouse threw another pick in the wake of it. Down 14-0 in that environment with absolutely nothing going their way, it looked like the route was on as it has been so many times before. That set of circumstances in the Fargodome almost always buries the visitors.
The first two possessions of the second quarter went exactly how ISU needed them to. A quick punt by North Dakota State was followed by a four-play touchdown drive from the Rittenhouse and company. Running back Victor Dawson broke free and finally gave the Redbirds a long, momentum-grabbing touchdown of their own and, perhaps more importantly at least for the collective psyche of the team, got the goose egg off the board.
The defense rose up in a big way right after, stopping another NDSU drive short by forcing a fumble. Dexter Niekamp stripped the ball from running back Barika Kpeenu and C.J. Richard Jr. recovered it. The crowd, for the first time all day, simmered down and Illinois State had a newfound sense of life.
Even with something finally going in their favor, however, the offense still couldn’t deliver. Rittenhouse made another ill-advised pass to his right that was promptly intercepted by Bison linebacker Nathaniel Staehling who sprinted 73 yards the other way for six. The crowd was reinvigorated and the Redbirds were once again reeling down two touchdowns.
With shaken confidence and most every odd stacked against them midway through the second quarter, Rittenhouse and the offense finally put together a sustained drive, one that was arguably the most important of the day. A 14-play excursion that ate over seven minutes off the clock and slowly started to wear on the North Dakota State defense is exactly what Spack’s team needed. It was a series of short passes and runs that kept the chains moving and, most importantly, it ended in the end zone. From the 8-yard line with under a minute left, Rittenhouse fired one to star receiver Daniel Sobkowicz on an inside slant route. Sobkowicz twisted over the chalk and made it 21-14 heading into halftime.
For of their blunders, to be down just seven after the first 30 minutes was a feat in and of itself. The ISU defense was playing terrific and, outside of the few big plays, NDSU’s offense was stagnant. It was the Redbirds own offense that needed to find another gear and cut down on the mistakes.
That really didn’t happen in the third quarter, though. A fourth interception was followed by a turnover on downs which came on the heels of a drive that was even longer than the second quarter one. Again, the only thing keeping Illinois State afloat was the defense which forced two three-and-outs. ISU was absolutely swarming Payton, sacking him on third down on two consecutive possessions.
Rittenhouse’s fifth and final interception came early in the fourth quarter and it was the one that looked like it would really end things because it happened deep in Redbirds territory. North Dakota State needed just one play, a four-yard run from Kpeenu, to open up a two-score lead again. For as good as the defense was playing, the offense was doing absolutely nothing to help and that continued with another turnover on downs.
It all resulted in a 28-14 NDSU lead with under five minutes to play and now it really was do or die for the offense. Another miscue would put the nail in.
This late in the contest, Illinois State’s offense turned to the hurry up approach and it worked. They caught the defense napping and it yielded several nice gains that got them into the red zone quickly. Just as they had done in the first half, Rittenhouse and Sobkowicz connected again on an eight-yard scoring strike. It was just enough to keep hope alive and to fill the stadium with just a little bit of worry. It still wasn’t a lot but there was life on the visiting sideline.
That life turned to full-blown elation two plays later. The defense once more answered the bell and did so with its second forced fumble of the day. Payton got drilled by defensive lineman Jake Anderson and the ball popped out. Anderson fell on it himself and the Redbirds erupted. Rittenhouse and the offense had their chance to redeem all of the earlier mistakes and they did exactly that.
Again implementing the no huddle, they got down into the red zone. With a minute left, Rittenhouse got pushed to the right out of the pocket and had to scramble. He turned to his favorite target again to bail him out and Sobcowicz delivered, coming down with the ball in the yellow paint much to the chagrin of the Bison faithful. The game was one point from being tied.
Spack, though, wanted no part of overtime and instead went for the throat, keeping the offense on the field. Rittenhouse took the snap from under center and rifled a dart to another one of his go to guys, Scotty Presson Jr. Presson high-pointed the pass and snagged it in the air. He landed with it secured and the two-point try worked. In spite of everything that had gone wrong, Illinois State somehow, someway had the lead with under a minute left.
Now with the pressure squarely on the Bison, the Redbirds defense picked up the team one more time. On a desperation fourth down play, ISU forced Nathan Hayes into a throw that fluttered incomplete, intended for receiver RaJa Nelson. Rittenhouse took the knee and that was that.
Getting into the nitty gritty of the game shows just how improbable of a win this truly was for Illinois State. The Redbirds, by nearly every conceivable metric, should have lost and lost handedly. North Dakota State did a lot of things right but they also did a whole lot of nothing when it came to their own offensive production and that ended up being the deciding factor. The ISU defense put on an absolute clinic and the team itself displayed an otherworldly amount of resilience and grit.
To not flinch in the face of everything that happened is a huge credit to Spack who has seen a whole awful lot of the Bison in his 17 years. So often he was on the losing side in that matchup. Now, at long last, Spack gets a taste of victory over NDSU. Rittenhouse is one of the most relieved men in the country after his shake performance. And it is the unseeded Illinois State Redbirds that still have their shot at a national championship.
There will be a new champion when this is all said and done now. Either Illinois State, UC Davis, Tarleton State or Villanova will be playing in Nashville in a few weeks all because of this contest. New blood will finally find its way to the big game and it’s all thanks to one of the more impossibly unrealistic upsets you’ll see in the sport. Illinois State reminded everyone on Saturday why college football can be so special and now the Redbirds dance into the quarterfinals. They’ll see UC Davis this weekend.
