2025 Illinois State Redbirds football team

2025 Illinois State Redbirds football
NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, vs. Montana State
ConferenceMissouri Valley Football Conference
Ranking
STATSNo. 17 (tie)
FCS CoachesNo. 17
Record12–4 (5–3 MVFC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorTony Petersen (4th season)
Defensive coordinatorTravis Niekamp (8th season)
Home stadiumHancock Stadium
2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 North Dakota State $^   8 – 0     12 – 1  
No. 12 South Dakota ^   6 – 2     10 – 5  
No. 17т Illinois State ^   5 – 3     12 – 4  
No. 19 North Dakota ^   5 – 3     8 – 6  
No. 14 Youngstown State ^   5 – 3     8 – 5  
No. 16 South Dakota State ^   4 – 4     9 – 5  
No. 23 Southern Illinois   4 – 4     7 – 5  
Northern Iowa   1 – 7     3 – 9  
Murray State   1 – 7     1 – 11  
Indiana State   1 – 7     3 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
As of December 23, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2025 Illinois State Redbirds football team represent Illinois State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They are led by 17th-year head coach Brock Spack. The Redbirds played their home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois. The Redbirds defeated Southeastern Louisiana, #1 ranked North Dakota State, UC Davis and Villanova on the road to become the first FCS team to win four consecutive road playoff games.[1] The victory over Villanova guaranteed Illinois State would appear in their first FCS National Championship Game since 2014; they will face Montana State on January 5.

Preseason

MVFC poll

Main article: 2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference season § Preseason

The Missouri Valley Football Conference released its preseason poll on July 21, 2025, voted on by league athletic directors, coaches, and media members. The Redbirds were predicted to finish fourth in the conference.[2]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
August 305:00 pmat No. 18 (FBS) Oklahoma*No. 6
SECN+/ESPN+L 3–3583,218
September 66:00 pmMorehead State*No. 7
ESPN+W 41–139,671
September 132:00 pmat Eastern Illinois*No. 7
ESPN+W 42–306,720
September 2012:00 pmNorth Alabama*No. 6
  • Hancock Stadium
  • Normal, IL
ESPN+W 38–36 2OT11,287
October 46:00 pmNo. 1 North Dakota StateNo. 6
  • Hancock Stadium
  • Normal, IL
ESPN+L 16–339,829
October 116:00 pmat Murray StateNo. 9
ESPN+W 46–325,647
October 182:00 pmYoungstown StateNo. 10
  • Hancock Stadium
  • Normal, IL
ESPN+L 35–409,834
October 251:00 pmat No. 21 South DakotaNo. 18
ESPN+W 21–136,333
November 12:00 pmNorthern IowaNo. 17
  • Hancock Stadium
  • Normal, IL
ESPN+W 31–167,756
November 812:00 pmat Indiana StateNo. 16
ESPN+W 52–203,522
November 152:00 pmat No. 16 South Dakota StateNo. 14
ESPN+W 35–2111,407
November 2212:00 pmNo. 24 Southern IllinoisNo. 11
  • Hancock Stadium
  • Normal, IL
ESPN+L 7–376,895
November 2912:00 p.m.at No. 17т Southeastern Louisiana*No. 17т
ESPN+W 21–36,117
December 612:00 p.m.at No. 1 North Dakota State*No. 17т
ESPN+W 29–2810,464
December 134:00 p.m.at No. 11 UC Davis*No. 17т
ESPN+W 42–319,216
December 206:30 p.m.at No. 9 Villanova*No. 17т
ESPN2W 30–144,133
January 5, 20266:30 p.m.vs. No. 2 Montana State*No. 17т
ESPN
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

[3][4]

Game summaries

All times are Central time

at No. 18 (FBS) Oklahoma

See also: 2025 Oklahoma Sooners football team
No. 6 Illinois State Redbirds (0–0) at No. 18 (FBS) Oklahoma Sooners (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 6 Redbirds 0 0 303
No. 18 (FBS) Sooners 7 14 01435

at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, Oklahoma

  • Date: August 30
  • Game time: 5:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 79
  • Game attendance: 83,218
  • Referee: Marc Curles
  • TV announcers (SECN+/ESPN+): Richard Cross (play-by-play), Tyoka Jackson (analyst), and Madison Hock (sideline)
  • [5]
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • (11:50) OKLA – Deion Burks 27 yard pass from John Mateer, Tate Sandell kick (Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 1:08; OKLA 14–0)
  • (0:51) OKLA - Tory Blaylock 5 yard rush, Tate Sandell kick (Drive: 15 plays, 81 yards, 7:27; OKLA 21–0)
Third quarter
  • (6:26) ISU – Matt Maldonado 33 yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:58; OKLA 21–3)
Fourth quarter
  • (14:52) OKLA – Keontez Lewis 28 yard pass from John Mateer, Tate Sandell kick (Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 6:34; OKLA 27–3)
  • (4:33) OKLA – Keontez Lewis 20 yard pass from John Mateer, Tate Sandell kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:02; OKLA 35–3)
Statistics ILST OU
First downs 8 24
Total yards 151 495
Rushing yards 117 103
Passing yards 34 392
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 10–20 30–37–1
Time of possession 27:04 32:56
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 6/13, 22 yards
Rushing Wenkers Wright 7 carries, 50 yards
Receiving Scotty Presson Jr. 2 receptions, 8 yards
Oklahoma Passing John Mateer 30/37, 392 yards, 3 TD's, 1 INT
Rushing Tory Blaylock 8 carries, 44 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Keontez Lewis 9 receptions, 119 yards, 2 TD's

Morehead State

See also: 2025 Morehead State Eagles football team
Morehead State Eagles (1–0) at No. 7 Illinois State Redbirds (0–1) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Eagles 6 0 0713
No. 7 Redbirds 3 14 101441

at Hancock Stadium, Normal, IL

  • Date: September 6
  • Game time: 6:00 PM
  • Game weather: • Temperature: 68 °F (20 °C) • Wind: NW at 11 miles per hour (18 km/h)
  • Referee: Carl Chapman
  • TV: ESPN+
Statistics MORE ILST
First downs 20 21
Total yards 234 393
Rushing yards 100 223
Passing yards 134 170
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 14–28–1 13–23–1
Time of possession 35:26 24:34
Team Category Player Statistics
Morehead State Passing Carter Cravens 14/28, 134 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Isaac Stopke 13 carries, 86 yards
Receiving Ryan Upp 7 receptions, 69 yards
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 8/13, 81 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Victor Dawson 10 carries, 88 yards
Receiving Daniel Sobkowicz 5 receptions, 87 yards, TD

at Eastern Illinois (Mid-America Classic)

See also: 2025 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team and Mid-America Classic
No. 7 Illinois State Redbirds (1–1) vs. Eastern Illinois Panthers (1–1) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 7 Redbirds 7 14 71442
Panthers 0 10 02030

at O'Brien Field, Charleston, IL

  • Date: September 13
  • Game time: 12:00 PM
  • Game weather: • Temperature: 91 °F (33 °C) • Wind: S at 12 miles per hour (19 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 6,720
  • Referee: Drew Myers
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Mike Bradd (play-by-play), Dave Kidwell (analyst) and Kaylee Unruh (sideline)
Statistics ILST EIU
First downs 24 20
Total yards 485 446
Rushing yards 186 35
Passing yards 299 411
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 24–35–0 28–44–2
Time of possession 30:30 29:30
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 24/35, 299 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Wenkers Wright 14 carries, 94 yards, 3 TD
Receiving Luke Mailander 5 receptions, 109 yards, TD
Eastern Illinois Passing Connor Wolf 28/44, 411 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Charles Kellom 15 carries, 22 yards
Receiving CJ Nelson 7 receptions, 194 yards, 2 TD

North Alabama

See also: 2025 North Alabama Lions football team
North Alabama Lions (1–2) vs. No. 6 Illinois State Redbirds (2–1) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OT2OTTotal
Lions 0 7 7133636
No. 6 Redbirds 3 14 733838

at Hancock Stadium, Normal, IL

  • Date: September 20
  • Game time: 12:00 PM
  • Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C)
  • Game attendance: 11,287
  • Referee: John Shay
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Kurt Pegler (play-by-play), Clay Harbor (analyst) and Kalia Butler (sideline)
Game information
First Quarter
  • (5:18) ILST – Matt Maldonado 42-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 32 yards, 1:50; ILST 3-0)
Second Quarter
  • (14:21) ILST – Wenkers Wright 38-yard run (Matt Maldonado kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:00; ILST 10-0)
  • (9:42) ILST – Luke Mailander 10-yard pass from Tommy Rittenhouse (Matt Maldonado kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:05; ILST 17-0)
  • (0:09) UNA – Noah Gregg 10-yard pass from Ari Patu (Ian Vachon kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 0:22; ILST 17-7)
Third Quarter
  • (9:24) UNA – Jayvian Allen 1-yard run (Ian Vachon kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 4:08; ILST 17-14)
  • (1:54) ILST – Daniel Sobkowicz 6-yard pass from Tommy Rittenhouse (Matt Maldonado kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 2:52; ILST 24-14)
Fourth Quarter
  • (5:54) UNA – Justin Pegues 39-yard pass from Ari Patu (Ian Vachon kick) (Drive: 13 plays, 90 yards, 5:26; ILST 24-21)
  • (2:36) ILST – Matt Maldonado 51-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 3:06; ILST 27-21)
  • (0:33) UNA – KJ Fields 25-yard pass from Ari Patu (Ian Vachon kick no good) (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:03; Tied 27-27)
Overtime
  • UNA – Ian Vachon 42-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 1 yards; UNA 30-27)
  • ILST – Matt Maldonado 38-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards; Tied 30-30)
Double overtime
  • ILST – Daniel Sobkowicz 25-yard pass from Tommy Rittenhouse (Daniel Sobkowicz pass) (Drive: 1 play, 25 yards; ILST 38-30)
  • UNA – Justin Pegues 18-yard pass from Ari Patu (Two point conversion failed) (Drive: 4 plays, 25 yards; ILST 38-36)
Statistics UNA ILST
First downs 24 29
Total yards 409 506
Rushing yards 144 217
Passing yards 265 289
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 22–37–1 21–37–0
Time of possession 30:30 29:30
Team Category Player Statistics
North Alabama Passing Ari Patu 17/31, 243 yards, 4 TD, INT
Rushing Ari Patu 14 carries, 60 yards
Receiving KJ Fields 7 receptions, 94 yards, TD
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 20/36, 250 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Tommy Rittenhouse 9 carries, 89 yards
Receiving Daniel Sobkowicz 10 receptions, 150 yards, 2 TD

No. 1 North Dakota State

See also: 2025 North Dakota State Bison football team
No. 1 North Dakota State Bison (4–0) vs. No. 6 Illinois State Redbirds (3–1) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 1 Bison 7 8 31533
No. 6 Redbirds 2 7 7016

at Hancock Stadium, Normal, IL

  • Date: October 4
  • Game time: 6:00 PM
  • Game weather: Sunny; 82 °F (28 °C); Wind: N 10 mph
  • Game attendance: 9,829
  • Referee: Jason Berg
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Greg Halbleib (play-by-play) and Clay Harbor (analyst)
  • [1]
Game information
First Quarter
  • (9:35) ILST – Tye Niekamp 0-yard safety (Illinois State 2–0)
  • (2:50) NDSU – Cole Payton 13-yard run, Eli Ozick kick (Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:53; North Dakota State 7–2)
Second Quarter
  • (11:37) ILST – Wenkers Wright 6-yard run, Matt Maldonado kick (Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 6:13; Illinois State 9–7)
  • (4:56) NDSU – Barika Kpeenu 42-yard run, Cole Payton rush (Drive: 3 plays, 68 yards, 1:25; North Dakota State 15–9)
Third Quarter
  • (8:15) NDSU – Eli Ozick 38-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 6:38; North Dakota State 18–9)
  • (3:06) ILST – Daniel Sobkowicz 3-yard pass from Tommy Rittenhouse, Matt Maldonado kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:09; North Dakota State 18–16)
Fourth Quarter
  • (13:14) NDSU – Bryce Lance 23-yard pass from Cole Payton, Eli Ozick kick (Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 4:45; North Dakota State 25–16)
  • (8:21) NDSU – DJ Scott 5-yard run, Cole Payton rush (Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:51; North Dakota State 33–16)
Statistics NDSU ILST
First downs 21 22
Total yards 50–407 66–238
Rushing yards 36–213 31–137
Passing yards 194 191
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 12–14–0 20–35–1
Time of possession 29:38 30:22
Team Category Player Statistics
North Dakota State Passing Cole Payton 12/14, 194 yards, TD
Rushing Barika Kpeenu 14 carries, 116 yards, TD
Receiving Jackson Williams 3 receptions, 71 yards
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 20/35, 191 Yards, TD, INT
Rushing Victor Dawson 11 carries, 68 yards
Receiving Daniel Sobkowicz 7 receptions, 75 yards, TD

at Murray State

See also: 2025 Murray State Racers football team
No. 9 Illinois State Redbirds (3–2) vs. Murray State Racers (0–5) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 9 Redbirds 21 10 12346
Racers 3 14 7832

at Roy Stewart Stadium, Murray, KY

  • Date: October 11
  • Game time: 6:00 PM
  • Game weather: • Temperature: 78 °F (26 °C) • Wind: NE at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 5,647
  • Referee: Gregory Gompf
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Casey Roehl (play-by-play) and Drayton Charlton-Perrin (analyst)
  • Box score
Statistics ILST MUR
First downs 31 26
Total yards 510 471
Rushing yards 172 170
Passing yards 338 301
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 21–25–0 24–40–1
Time of possession 30:57 29:03
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 21/25, 338 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Victor Dawson 10 carries, 71 yards, TD
Receiving Daniel Sobkowicz 8 receptions, 162 yards, TD
Murray State Passing Jim Ogle 23/39, 283 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Jawaun Northington 15 carries, 71 yards
Receiving Lucas Desjardins 8 receptions, 95 yards

Youngstown State

See also: 2025 Youngstown State Penguins football team
Youngstown State Penguins (3–3) vs. No. 10 Illinois State Redbirds (4–2) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Penguins 6 6 72140
No. 10 Redbirds 0 14 14735

at Hancock Stadium, Normal, IL

  • Date: October 18
  • Game time: 2:00 PM
  • Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: SW at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 9,834
  • Referee: David Hergert
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Kurt Pegler (play-by-play), Clay Harbor (analyst) and Kacy Standohar (sideline)
Game information
First Quarter
  • (9:37) YSU – Andrew Lastovka 32-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:16; YSU 3–0)
  • (4:40) YSU – Andrew Lastovka 23-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 4:16; YSU 6–0)
Second Quarter
  • (8:49) YSU – Beau Brungard 2-yard run, two-point conversion failed (Drive: 13 plays, 92 yards, 7:27; YSU 12–0)
  • (6:45) ILST – Javon Charles 13-yard pass from Tommy Rittenhouse, Matt Maldonado kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:04; YSU 12–7)
  • (0:31) ILST – Wenkers Wright 12-yard pass from Tommy Rittenhouse, Matt Maldonado kick (Drive: 3 plays, 39 yards, 0:18; ILST 14–12)
Third Quarter
  • (14:43) ILST – Eddie Kasper 37-yard pass from Tommy Rittenhouse, Matt Maldonado kick (Drive: 1 play, 37 yards, 0:08; ILST 21–12)
  • (10:41) YSU – Mike Solomon 36-yard pass from Beau Brungard, Andrew Lastovka kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:02; ILST 21–19)
  • (2:43) ILST – Luke Mailander 18-yard pass from Tommy Rittenhouse, Matt Maldonado kick (Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 1:35; ILST 28–19)
Fourth Quarter
  • (11:52) YSU – Beau Brungard 1-yard run, Andrew Lastovka kick (Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 5:45; ILST 28–26)
  • (8:06) YSU – Fresh Walter 53-yard pass from Beau Brungard, Andrew Lastovka kick (Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards, 1:56; YSU 33–28)
  • (5:51) YSU – Beau Brungard 48-yard run, Andrew Lastovka kick (Drive: 2 plays, 52 yards, 0:53; YSU 40–28)
  • (3:12) ILST – Wenkers Wright 3-yard pass from Tommy Rittenhouse, Matt Maldonado kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 2:39; YSU 40–35)
Statistics YSU ILST
First downs 27 23
Total yards 561 348
Rushing yards 233 142
Passing yards 328 206
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 23–34–1 16–30–2
Time of possession 39:15 20:45
Team Category Player Statistics
Youngstown State Passing Beau Brungard 23/34, 328 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Beau Brungard 30 carries, 200 yards, 3 TD
Receiving Ethan Wright 4 receptions, 86 yards
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 16/29, 206 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Tommy Rittenhouse 10 carries, 65 yards
Receiving Luke Mailander 4 receptions, 51 yards, TD

at No. 21 South Dakota

See also: 2025 South Dakota Coyotes football team
No. 18 Illinois State Redbirds (4–3) vs. No. 21 South Dakota Coyotes (5–3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 18 Redbirds 0 14 7021
No. 21 Coyotes 3 7 0313

at DakotaDome, Vermillion, SD

  • Date: October 25
  • Game time: 1:00 PM CDT
  • Game weather: Indoors
  • Game attendance: 6,333
  • Referee: Jason Perkins
  • TV: ESPN+
  • Box score
Statistics ILST SDAK
First downs 18 22
Total yards 300 369
Rushing yards 130 196
Passing yards 170 173
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 19–28–0 21–39–0
Time of possession 23:19 36:41
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 18/27, 141 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Seth Glatz 5 carries, 35 yards
Receiving Dylan Lord 8 receptions, 82 yards
South Dakota Passing Aidan Bouman 21/38, 173 yards, TD
Rushing L.J. Phillips Jr. 26 carries, 129 yards
Receiving Larenzo Fenner 4 receptions, 65 yards

Northern Iowa

See also: 2025 Northern Iowa Panthers football team
Northern Iowa Panthers (2–6) vs. No. 17 Illinois State Redbirds (5–3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 0 3 7616
No. 17 Redbirds 14 7 7331

at Hancock Stadium, Normal, IL

  • Date: November 1
  • Game time: 2:00 PM
  • Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 50 °F (10 °C) • Wind: W at 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 7,756
  • Referee: Tyler Downs
  • TV: ESPN+
  • Box score
Statistics UNI ILST
First downs 16 25
Total yards 240 430
Rushing yards 98 202
Passing yards 142 228
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 15–23–2 28–37–0
Time of possession 28:32 31:28
Team Category Player Statistics
Northern Iowa Passing Jaxon Dailey 15/23, 142 yards, TD 2 INT
Rushing Jaxon Dailey 16 carries, 40 yards
Receiving JC Roque Jr. 5 receptions, 53 yards, TD
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 28/37, 228 yards, TD
Rushing Victor Dawson 17 carries, 101 yards, TD
Receiving Luke Mailander 4 receptions, 72 yards

at Indiana State

See also: 2025 Indiana State Sycamores football team
No. 16 Illinois State Redbirds (6–3) vs. Indiana State Sycamores (3–6) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 16 Redbirds 7 28 17052
Sycamores 7 7 6020

at Memorial Stadium, Terre Haute, IN

  • Date: November 8
  • Game time: 12:00 PM
  • Game weather: Sunny
  • Game attendance: 3,202
  • Referee: Carl Chapman
  • TV: ESPN+
  • Box score
Statistics ILST INST
First downs 33 12
Total yards 555 272
Rushing yards 241 68
Passing yards 314 204
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 29–34–0 17–28–2
Time of possession 40:42 19:18
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 29/34, 314 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Victor Dawson 21 carries, 116 yards, TD
Receiving Dylan Lord 8 receptions, 87 yards, TD
Indiana State Passing Keegan Patterson 16/26, 202 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Deion Brown 7 carries, 39 yards, TD
Receiving Rashad Rochelle 6 receptions, 103 yards, TD

at No. 16 South Dakota State

See also: 2025 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team
No. 14 Illinois State Redbirds (7–3) vs. No. 16 South Dakota State Jackrabbits (7–3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 14 Redbirds 28 7 0035
No. 16 Jackrabbits 0 13 0821

at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings, SD

  • Date: November 15
  • Game time: 2:00 PM
  • Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 52 °F (11 °C) • Wind: N at 10 miles per hour (16 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 11,407
  • Referee: Grant Henderson
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Tyler Merriam (play-by-play) and Mason Lieseth (analyst)
  • Box score [6]
Statistics ILST SDST
First downs 20 22
Total yards 275 320
Rushing yards 134 66
Passing yards 141 254
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 17–33–0 32–51–2
Time of possession 28:56 31:04
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 17/32, 141 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Victor Dawson 20 carries, 98 yards
Receiving Daniel Sobkowicz 5 receptions, 55 yards, 3 TD
South Dakota State Passing Jack Henry 32/51, 254 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing Jack Henry 18 carries, 41 yards, TD
Receiving Alex Bullock 9 receptions, 68 yards

No. 24 Southern Illinois

See also: 2025 Southern Illinois Salukis football team
No. 24 Southern Illinois Salukis (6–5) vs. No. 11 Illinois State Redbirds (8–3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
'No. 24 Salukis' 7 10 31737
No. 11 Redbirds 7 0 007

at Hancock Stadium, Normal, IL

  • Date: November 22
  • Game time: 12:00 PM
  • Game weather: • Temperature: 50 °F (10 °C) • Wind: SW at 10 miles per hour (16 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 6,895
  • Referee: John Shay
  • TV: ESPN+
Statistics SIU ILST
First downs 22 12
Total yards 455 217
Rushing yards 296 73
Passing yards 159 144
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 18–31–0 15–27–2
Time of possession 36:53 23:07
Team Category Player Statistics
Southern Illinois Passing DJ Williams 18/30, 159 yards
Rushing Eddie Robinson 19 carries, 145 yards
Receiving Jay Jones 4 receptions, 60 yards
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 12/22, 134 yards, INT
Rushing Victor Dawson 14 carries, 25 yards
Receiving Dylan Lord 4 receptions, 67 yards

NCAA Division I playoffs

See also: 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season § NCAA Division I playoff bracket

at No. 17т Southeastern Louisiana (first round)

See also: 2025 Southeastern Louisiana Lions football team
No. 17т Illinois State Redbirds (8–4) at Southeastern Louisiana Lions (9–3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 17т Redbirds 7 0 7721
No. 17т Lions 0 3 003

at Strawberry Stadium, Hammond, LA

  • Date: November 29
  • Game time: 12:00 PM
  • Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 67 °F (19 °C) • Wind: SE at 13 miles per hour (21 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 3,321
  • Referee: Jeff Pumphrey
  • TV: ESPN+
  • Box score [7]
Statistics ILST SLU
First downs 17 18
Total yards 292 321
Rushing yards 145 107
Passing yards 147 214
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 15–23–0 24–39–4
Time of possession 28:21 31:39
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 14/22, 146 yards
Rushing Victor Dawson 11 carries, 72 yards
Receiving Daniel Sobkowicz 8 receptions, 89 yards
Southeastern Louisiana Passing Carson Camp 14/21, 120 yards, 3 INT
Rushing Jaedon Henry 8 carries, 45 yards
Receiving Jaylon Domingeaux 6 receptions, 78 yards

at No. 1 North Dakota State (second round)

See also: 2025 North Dakota State Bison football team
No. 17т Illinois State Redbirds (9–4) at North Dakota State Bison (12–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 17т Redbirds 0 14 01529
No. 1 Bison 14 7 0728

at Fargodome, Fargo, ND

  • Date: December 6
  • Game time: 12:00 PM
  • Game weather: Indoors • Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C)
  • Game attendance: 10,464
  • Referee: Gregg Wilson
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Shawn Kenney (play-by-play), Charles Arbuckle (commentator)
  • Box score [8]
Statistics ILST NDSU
First downs 23 6
Total yards 422 179
Rushing yards 173 59
Passing yards 249 120
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 35–52–5 6–19–0
Time of possession 42:01 17:59
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 35/52, 249 yards, 3 TD, 5 INT
Rushing Victor Dawson 23 carries, 137 yards, TD
Receiving Daniel Sobkowicz 8 receptions, 67 yards, 3 TD
North Dakota State Passing Cole Payton 4/12, 101 yards, TD
Rushing Barika Kpeenu 16 carries, 55 yards, TD
Receiving Bryce Lance 1 reception, 78 yards, TD

at No. 11 UC Davis (quarterfinal round)

See also: 2025 UC Davis Aggies football team
No. 17т Illinois State Redbirds (10–4) at UC Davis Aggies (9–3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 17т Redbirds 21 0 14742
No. 11 Aggies 17 0 01431

at UC Davis Health Stadium, Davis, CA

  • Date: December 13
  • Game time: 4:02 PM
  • Game weather: Fog • Wind: NE at 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 9,216
  • Referee: James Brookhart
  • TV: ESPN+
  • Box score [9]
Statistics ILST UCD
First downs 26 24
Total yards 532 533
Rushing yards 266 131
Passing yards 266 402
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 15–21–1 29–41–1
Time of possession 35:45 24:15
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois State Passing Tommy Rittenhouse 15/20, 266 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing Victor Dawson 29 carries, 148 yards
Receiving Daniel Sobkowicz 6 receptions, 150 yards, 2 TD
UC Davis Passing Caden Pinnick 29/41, 402 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing Jordan Fisher 13 carries, 70 yards, TD
Receiving Stacy Dobbins 10 receptions, 121 yards, 2 TD

at No. 9 Villanova (semifinal round)

See also: 2025 Villanova Wildcats football team
No. 17т Illinois State Redbirds (11–4) at Villanova Wildcats (12–2) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 17т Redbirds - - --0
No. 9 Wildcats - - --0

at Villanova Stadium, Philadelphia, PA

  • Date: December 20
  • Game time: 6:30 PM
  • TV: ESPN2
Statistics ILST NOVA
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois State Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Villanova Passing
Rushing
Receiving

Rankings

Main article: 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
т = Tied with team above or below
Week
PollPre12345678910111213Final
STATS FCS677676910181716141117т
Coaches6744561092018171311т17

References

  1. ^ https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47345628/2026-fcs-semifinals-preview-montana-montana-state-illinois-state-villanova
  2. ^ "Missouri Valley Football Announces predicted order of finish". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. July 21, 2025. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  3. ^ "2025 Football Schedule". goredbirds.com. Illinois State Athletics. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  4. ^ "2025 Illinois State Football Schedule". fbschedules.com. FBSchedules. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  5. ^ "John Mateer sets record in Oklahoma debut, leading No. 18 Sooners to 35-3 win over Illinois State". Associated Press. August 30, 2025. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  6. ^ "Illinois State scores 28 points in 1st quarter, goes on to beat South Dakota State 35-21". ESPN. November 15, 2025. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  7. ^ "Rittenhouse rushes, catches TDs, Illinois State defeats SE Louisiana 21-3 in FCS first round". ESPN. November 29, 2025. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  8. ^ "Illinois State scores 2 late TDs to knock out top-ranked North Dakota State 29-28 in FCS playoff". ESPN. December 6, 2025. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  9. ^ "Rittenhouse, Sobkowicz help unseeded Illinois State beat UC Davis, advances to FCS semis". ESPN. December 13, 2025. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
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