Montana State Wins FCS Championship Game vs. Illinois State After Wild OT Finish

The FCS championship game brought all kinds of drama on Monday night, with Montana State holding off a late charge from Illinois State to become champions.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Bobcats held a two-touchdown lead and looked well positioned to leave Nashville with the win. But the Redbirds fought back valiantly, controlling the clock for nearly the entire quarter while driving for two scores and forcing Montana State into back-to-back three-and-outs.

With their defense suddenly rolling, the Redbirds were in position to potentially win the game in regulation, lining up for a 38-yard field goal with less than a minute to play, but the Bobcats came up with a huge stop, blocking the kick and returning it past midfield.

Montana State blocks Illinois State's potential go-ahead field goal 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Flo8JUW7su
— ESPN (@espn) January 6, 2026

Montana State was not able to turn that possession into points after a few offensive miscues, and the game went to overtime.

In the extra period, Illinois State needed just two plays to find the end zone, but ran into special teams trouble once again, with Montana State blocking yet another crucial kick.

The extra point is blocked! Redbirds lead by 6. #BoardDrill #FCSChampionship pic.twitter.com/BxvlsmP40p
— The Board Drill (@boarddrill) January 6, 2026

But if the Illinois State defense could get just one more stop, they would be champions. They came oh so close.

After forcing Montana State into a fourth-and-10 on their overtime possession, both teams took timeouts ahead of what would be the game’s deciding play. When quarterback Justin Lamson took the snap, the Redbirds brought the house, and he lobbed a ball up to the corner of the end zone, where he connected with receiver Taco Dowler.

The Bobcats would walk the game off on the extra point.

MONTANA STATE WINS THE FCS CHAMPIONSHIP WITH A 4TH-AND-10 TD AND XP IN OT!

An Illinois State XP attempt was blocked earlier in OT.

Dave Flemming and Brock Osweiler with the call for ESPN. 🏈🌮🏆🎙️ pic.twitter.com/UuEJxEUUcI
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 6, 2026

For Montana State, it was a win that had to feel like a massive exhale, as the Bobcats had lost last year’s title game to North Dakota State by just a field goal, and dropped another title game a few years earlier in 2021. It’s the second time in school history the Bobcats have lifted the trophy, with the first title coming in 1984.

For Illinois State, the loss ends an absolutely remarkable run through the playoffs that saw the Redbirds take down some of the best teams in the FCS, including reigning champion North Dakota State.

It was as dramatic a finish as you could imagine, but after all of that, the championship is coming back to Bozeman.