NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Myles Sansted kicked the extra point in overtime and Montana State won its first national championship since 1984, beating Illinois State 35-34 on Monday night in the Football Championship Subdivision title game.
The Bobcats (14-2) found a way to cap a season that featured not one, but two wins over in-state rival Montana over a four-week span. Beating Montana in the semifinals put Montana State back into the title game for
the second straight season, third in five years under coach Brent Vigen and the fourth berth overall.
“What a hard fought game, and these things aren’t supposed to come easily I guess,” Vigen said.
Montana State found a way to top that accomplishment with a thrilling finish in the first overtime in the 48 years of this title game. The Bobcats led 21-7 at halftime and 28-14 in the third. They needed Jhase McMillan's block of Michael Cosentino’s 38-yard field goal attempt with 57 seconds left in regulation to keep it tied at 28.
In overtime, Justin Lamson tied it with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Taco Dowler on fourth-and-10. Hunter Parsons blocked Cosentino's extra point attempt after Tommy Rittenhouse gave Illinois State its only lead at 34-28 to open overtime.
Once Sansted's kick went through the uprights, the Bobcats started sprinting around the field throwing helmets in the air celebrating the end of a long title drought. Montana State also won the 1976 NCAA Division II title and 1956 NAIA championship.
Lamson said the OT touchdown was a great play call.
“Taco was wide open,” Lamson said. “I got hit so I was just trying to give him a chance and the rest is history, and Myles did his thing and that was the game.”
Illinois State (12-5) already made history as the first FCS team to win four straight road games to advance through the playoffs to this championship game. That included a win over this postseason’s No. 1 seed and North Dakota State — winners of 10 of the last 14 FCS championships including last year.
This was the Redbirds' first time in this game since 2014, and they leave empty-handed.
“Just couldn’t find one more play,” Illinois State coach Brock Spack said. “We needed to make one more play to win. When you look at a game that’s a one-point loss like that, there’s probably 10, 15, maybe 20 plays in the game if you make just one of them, you win. Wasn’t able to do that, and we came up short.”
Lamson finished with 280 yards passing and two TDs. He also ran for two more scores. Dowler had eight catches for 111 yards.
Rittenhouse finished with 311 yards passing and four TDs. Victor Dawson ran for 126 yards, and Dylan Lord had 13 catches for 161 yards receiving and two TDs.
Illinois State made big defensive plays to give the Redbirds a chance. They forced Montana State three-and-out on consecutive drives in the fourth for a chance at the win and had three sacks.
Montana State won its 14th straight game despite too many self-inflicted mistakes. The Bobcats were flagged 14 times for 93 yards.
Spack said he thought ball-handling issues might be why both the field goal and extra point attempts were blocked. Cosentino has the ability to get the ball up in the air, which is why Spack decided to go for the lead with the field goal attempt.
“It’s very disappointing,” Spack said.
Illinois State has to replace Rittenhouse. Leading tackler Tye Niekamp has another season to play for his father Travis, the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach.
Montana State should get Lamson back after he arrived on campus last summer after two seasons at Stanford. ___
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