Illinois State Punches Tickets to FCS Title Game With Win Over Villanova
Illinois State Punches Tickets to FCS Title Game With Win Over Villanova
Semi-final Saturday concludes and Illinois State punches their ticket to a title game! Recap all of the top action here!
Semi-final Saturday has concluded for the FCS schools and Illinois State has punched their ticket in to the D1 FCS title game after defeating Villanova, 30-14.
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In a contest that was kind of slow to get going on the offensive end, the Illinois State Redbirds got things going late in the opening quarter.
The Redbirds ended the day tallying 426 yards in the upset over Villanova. Starting quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse was 14-for-38 on pass completion with 251 yards and two touchdown passes. Daniel Sobkowicz was the leading receiver for Illinois State with 97 yards on seven receptions for two touchdowns.
The Wildcats of Villanova struggled to get the offense rolling but still managed to piece together a few scores. The Wildcats tallied 300 yards of total offense. Pat McQuaide was 13-for-30 on pass completion with one touchdown pass.
Illinois State will meet up with Montana State for the title game on Jan. 5.
Recap all of the top in-game action down below!
End 4Q - 0:00 | Illinois State Wins
Villanova 14, Illinois State 30
As time expires, Illinois State will punch its ticket in to the D1 FCS title game!
Wildcats Score! 4Q - 3:18
Villanova 14, Illinois State 30
The Villanova Wildcats have found the end zone once again!
Pat McQuaide connects with Antonio Johnson for the 16-yard score!
Make It Three Field Goals For Illinois State! 4Q - 5:10
Villanova 6, Illinois State 30
In what has been an extremely quite offensive quarter, Illinois State has basically sealed the deal by hitting their third field goal of the day.
Cosentino makes the 30-yarder look easy!
Start 4Q - 15:00
Villanova 6, Illinois State 27
The final quarter of action is here! 15 minutes feels like an eternity and for Villanova, a comeback could be on the horizon!
End 3Q - 0:00
Villanova 6, Illinois State 27
The end of the third quarter is over just as quickly as it began. The redbirds hold on to the lead as the final 15 minutes approach!
Redbirds Take Another Field Goal! 3Q - 0:02
Villanova 6, Illinois State 27
The Redbirds have settled for another field goal at the end of the third quarter.
Cosentino makes his second 35-yarder on the day.
Illinois State Gets A Quick 3! 3Q - 11:03
Villanova 6, Illinois State 24
The Redbirds are inching away from the Wildcats, this time by kicking a quick field goal.
Michael Cosentino nails the 35-yard field goal!
Start 3Q -15:00
Villanova 6, Illinois State 21
The start of the second half is here! Illinois State is still in the driver's seat but with 30 minutes left to go, anything can happen.
End 2Q - 0:00
Villanova 6, Illinois State 21
The end of the second quarter is here! Both teams will head to halftime and Illinois State still leads!
Illinois State Extends The Lead! 2Q - 3:49
Villanova 6, Illinois State 21
The Redbirds are on a roll and extend their lead back out.
Rittenhouse connects with Sobkowicz for the end zone!
Villanova Gets Quick 3! 2Q - 4:51
Villanova 6, Illinois State 14
The Wildcats tack on another three with a made field goal!
Jack Barnum nails the 35-yard field goal!
Illinois State Extends The Lead! 2Q - 8:43
Villanova 3, Illinois State 14
The Redbirds offense is coming along as they extend the lead by 11 points.
Victor Dawson rushes up the middle for the short score!
Villanova Gets On The Board 2Q - 14:56
Villanova 3, Illinois State 7
The Wildcats get on the board.
Jack Barnum's field goal attempt from 23-yards is good!
Start 2Q - 15:00
Villanova 0, Illinois State 7
The start of the second quarter is underway! Redbirds lead by one score and it is still anyone's game!
End 1Q - 0:00
Villanova 0, Illinois State 7
The end of the first quarter is here! Illinois State has the early lead! Second quarter is coming soon!
Red Birds Strike First! 1Q - 2:36
Villanova 0, Illinois State 7
Illinois State will get things going late in the first quarter.
Tommy Rittenhouse completes the pass to Daniel Sobkowicz for the score!
Illinois State Goes 4 & Out 1Q - 8:36
Villanova 0, Illinois State 0
The Redbirds and the Wildcats have struggled to get the ball going offensively in this semi-final matchup.
The redbirds go four and out after an impressive drive down the field.
Kickoff! 1Q - 15:00
Villanova 0, Illinois State 0
Kickoff is finally here in this final game of semi-final Saturday. Villanova has won the toss and elected to recieve. Illinois State will start with the ball after halftime.
10 Minutes To Go! | Here Is The Stat Comparison
With just 10 minutes left to go until kickoff, the Wildcats and the Redbirds have had great 2025 season so far. Here is a look at how these two teams compare up to this point.
Please note all stats are pulled on a average per game basis for the 2025 season.
Villanova:
- Points Per Game: 30.64
- Total Yards Per Game: 397.4 yards
- Passing Yards Per Game: 216.64 yards
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 180.8
- Third-Down Conversion Percentage: 41.57%
- Fourth-Down Conversion Percentage: 57.14%
- Total Yards Allowed Per Game: 329.6 yards
- Passing Yards Allowed: 202.00 yards
- Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 127.6 yards
- Time of Possession: 32:08
Illinois State:
- Points Per Game: 30.6
- Total Yards Per Game: 382.5 yards
- Passing Yards Per Game: 212.4 yards
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 170.1 yards
- Third-Down Conversion Percentage: 42%
- Fourth-Down Conversion Percentage: 62%
- Total Yards Allowed Per Game: 380.8 yards
- Passing Yards Allowed: 246.2 yards
- Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 134.6 yards
- Time of Possession: 29:49
15 Minutes To Kickoff!
Just 15 minutes left to go until kickoff! Hear from the Villanova head coach before the big game!
Earlier this week, we caught up with Coach Ferrante as the team prepared for tonight's game. Hear what he had to say ahead of this huge matchup! #TTR pic.twitter.com/ZTovI2zOUr
— Villanova Football (@NovaFootball) December 20, 2025
30 Minutes To Kickoff!
Just 30 minutes until kickoff in the final FCS semi-final matchup! Action starts so soon!
🔜🔜🔜@NCAA_FCS semifinals at 7:30pm for @NovaFootball #CAAFB pic.twitter.com/cH60Z6iBJi
— CAA Football (@CAAFootball) December 20, 2025
When is Villanova vs. Illinois State Football?
Villanova and Illinois State will kick off at 6:30 PM CT/ 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, Dec. 20. The game will be streamed on ESPN2.
Villanova Football Roster
- 4, Jordan Adderley, DB
- 74, Temi Ajirotutu, OL
- 24, David Avit, RB
- 42, Jack Barnum, PK
- 8, Michael Benincasa, QB
- 43, Nino Betances, DB
- 81, Brandon Binkowski, WR
- 36, Damill Bostic Jr., DB
- 71, Colt Brennan, OL
- 78, Tommy Broderick, OL
- 86, Sean Brodnik, TE
- 58, Thomas Brown, OL
- 32, Omari Bursey, LB
- 56, Christian Caballero, LB
- 85, Nolan Clayton, TE
- 80, D'Hani Cobbs, WR
- 13, Chris Colby, WR
- 1, Luke Colella, WR
- 54, Thomas Colello, LS
- 79, Ryan Cregan, OL
- 2, Zahmir Dawud, DB
- 99, Ratu Delano Navoti, DL
- 19, Chris Dobrydney, WR
- 38, Newton Essiem, DB
- 67, Kyle Fay, OL
- 33, Ian Files, DB
- 48, Griffin Galletta, DL
- 53, Michael Gaul, LB
- 18, Julian Glantz, RB
- 11, Jason Hall, LB
- 31, Shane Hartzell, LB
- 27, Anthony Hawkins, DB
- 12, Hudson Heinemann, QB
- 6, Nate Hill, WR
- 91, Ayden Howard, DL
- 5, Turner Inge, LB
- 25, Amari Jackson, DB
- 9, Antonio Johnson, TE
- 12, Colin Kennedy, LB
- 55, Mike Kennedy, DL
- 82, Ryan Kennedy, WR
- 44, Richie Kimmel, LB
- 16, Lucas Kopecky, WR
- 50, AJ Koukou, DL
- 95, Tyler Langin, DL
- 0, Luke Larsen, P
- 51, Dale Law, LB
- 4, Ja'briel Mace, RB
- 3, Tanner Maddocks, QB
- 0, Capri Martin, DL
- 76, Chris McCullers, OL
- 61, Dan McManus, OL
- 7, Pat McQuaide, QB
- 92, Nigel McSween, DL
- 15, Kenyon Miles, WR
- 14, Dylan Mills, QB
- 8, Kaleb Moody, DB
- 97, Daniel Mueller, P
- 94, Ivan Murray, DL
- 45, Walker Murray, LB
- 39, Luke Myers, PK
- 98, Obinna Nwobodo, DL
- 96, Ugo Nwotite, DL
- 72, Matthias Ogrinc, OL
- 3, Josh Oluremi, DB
- 69, Jake Picard, OL
- 20, Isaiah Ragland, RB
- 83, Braden Reed, WR
- 62, RJ Reyes, OL
- 41, Garrett Rogan, DB
- 14, Robert Russo, QB
- 16, Jack Ryder, QB
- 22, Christian Sapp, DB
- 73, Nico Sclafani, OL
- 2, Eli Smith, RB
- 87, Ryan Sorge, WR
- 84, Ralee Stephens, WR
- 10, JR Strauss, LB
- 93, Nate Sullivan, DL
- 7, Julian Talley, DB
- 77, Chris Therien, OL
- 28, Brenden Toppin, DB
- 23, Jamie Tyson, DB
- 75, Stephane Voltaire, OL
- 89, Sean Welde, TE
- 70, Dhamir Wesley, OL
- 63, Quin Whalen, OL
- 35, Langston White, LB
- 29, Samir Wilkins, DB
- 21, Jayvont Williams, DB
- 34, Tyler Womack, RB
- 26, Isaiah Wright, RB
- 1, Jon Wyatt, DB
Illinois State Football Roster
- 0, Jamarcus Smith, LB
- 1, Shadwel Nkuba II, DB
- 2, Daniel Sobkowicz, WR
- 3, Jordan Coleman, DB
- 4, La’Shavion Brown, DB
- 4, Dylan Lord, WR
- 5, Victor Dawson, RB
- 5, Trevell Mullen, DB
- 6, Tommy Donovan, DB
- 7, Nick True, TE
- 8, Christian Lorenzo, DL
- 8, Beckham Pellant, QB
- 9, Rylan Crawford, WR
- 10, Reese Edwards, LB
- 10, Kaevion Mack, WR
- 11, Scotty Presson Jr., FB
- 12, Jashawn Echols, DB
- 12, Mar’Quan Gary, WR
- 13, Patrick Bauer, LB
- 13, Eddie Kasper, WR
- 14, David Connors Jr., WR
- 14, Mason Kaplan, LB
- 15, Chase Kwiatkowski, QB
- 16, Rico Clay, DB
- 16, Tommy Rittenhouse, QB
- 17, Cooper Kmet, QB
- 17, Christian LeBrun, S
- 18, Gavin Camp, WR
- 18, Evan Sierra, DB
- 19, Brett Kasper, WR
- 20, CJ Richard Jr., DB
- 20, Ian Willis, WR
- 21, Seth Glatz, RB
- 21, Kaden Lehew, LB
- 22, Nio Espinoza, LB
- 23, Ju’Maria Hamilton, DB
- 24, Doreon Dubose, DB
- 24, Andrew Rockford, WR
- 25, Matt Lawson, RB
- 25, Cam Wilson, DB
- 26, Jamaricus Thomas, LB
- 27, Tyler Lofton, RB
- 28, Chris Taylor, DB
- 29, Aidan Crews, DB
- 30, Emmanuel Ofosu, DB
- 31, Matt Maldonado, K
- 32, Wyatt Mueller, DB
- 32, Wenkers Wright, RB
- 33, Javien Jackson, DB
- 34, Dallas Amos, WR
- 34, Jack Dwyer, DB
- 35, Anthony Corona, LB
- 36, Stevan Gavric, WR
- 37, Jack Oliver, DB
- 38, Ben Cooper, LB
- 39, Solomon Oduma, LB
- 40, Kayode Amusan, LB
- 41, Hayden Futch, K
- 42, Dereon Crowe, LB
- 44, Dexter Niekamp, LB
- 45, Cal Martine, FB
- 46, Tye Niekamp, LB
- 47, Mark Haering, LB
- 48, Nate Kraus, LB
- 49, Dylan Calabrese, LS
- 51, Wyatt Boals, DL
- 52, Mattox Kelly, DL
- 54, Josh Gettemy, LB
- 55, Cooper Monk, OL
- 56, Garret Steffen, DL
- 58, Mark Helm, OL
- 59, Ryan McGarry, OL
- 60, Brandon Smith, OL
- 62, Hunter Ducharme, OL
- 63, Chris Hill Jr., OL
- 65, Jack McGarry, OL
- 66, Brayden Jellison, OL
- 67, Jake Pope, OL
- 68, Landon Woodard, OL
- 69, Micah Barnhart, OL
- 70, Logan Brasfield, OL
- 71, Jacob Finley, OL
- 73, Gabriel Nege, OL
- 74, Dominic McKibbin, OL
- 75, Caiden Abbs, OL
- 76, Valentino Garcia, DL
- 77, Jace Pankey, OL
- 78, Ben Wallace, OL
- 79, Luke Johnsen, OL
- 80, Nick Arogundade, WR
- 80, Michael Cosentino, K
- 81, Luke Olson, WR
- 82, Max Ziebarth, TE
- 83, Jack Tippmann, TE
- 84, Luke Mailander, WR
- 85, Javon Charles, TE
- 86, Brady Probst, TE
- 87, Nick Kessler, DL
- 88, Travis Stamm, WR
- 89, Brady Goken, TE
- 90, Greg Galloway, DL
- 91, Ben Harman, DL
- 92, Travis Jones, DL
- 93, Jack Bochenczak, DL
- 94, Ivan Erickson, DL
- 95, Casey Roney, K
- 96, Bryce Waszczyk, LS
- 97, Jake Anderson, DL
- 98, Ari Daniels, K/P
- 98, Logan Jellison, DL
- 99, Donovan McBride, DL
D1 FCS Semi-Final Football Schedule
Saturday, December 20
- 4 p.m., No. 2 Montana State vs. No. 3 Montana
- 7:30 p.m., Illinois State vs. No. 12 Villanova
Who Are The Four Teams Remaining In The D1 FCS Playoffs?
- Montana State
- Montana
- Illinois State
- Villanova
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