Illinois State football might have just pulled off the upset of the year in college football. The Redbirds took down No. 1 North Dakota State in the 2nd round of the FCS Playoffs on Saturday, overcoming a 14-point deficit late in the 4th quarter. Before this game.
It could not have been more heartbreaking for the Bison, either. The unseeded Illinois State Redbirds scored 15 points across the final 3 minutes of the game, completing the comeback with a 29-28 win.
Keep in mind that North Dakota State was the overwhelming favorite to win the FCS title at -300 per BetMGM. The Bison won the national title last season and sat at a perfect 12-0 heading into this matchup. Illinois State, on the other hand, was a +350 underdog to win this game. Even more incredible, ISU quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse threw 5 interceptions and the Redbirds still pulled off the miraculous win.
“Unbelievable” doesn’t do it justice:
OH GREAT HEAVENS! David has cast down Goliath @RedbirdFB completes the comback and defeats (1) North Dakota St., 29-28, to advance to the next round of the 2025 @NCAA DI FCS Football Playoffs pic.twitter.com/qq47HwrlGt
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 6, 2025After scoring the first 13 points necessary for a comeback, Illinois State decided to go for 2 to end it. Here’s a look at the 2-point conversion that won Illinois State the game:
REDBIRDS WITH A 2PT CONVERSIONESPN+#ValleyFootball x #FCS x @RedbirdFB x @NCAA_FCS pic.twitter.com/llBWjZmnVm
— Valley Football (@ValleyFootball) December 6, 2025Incredibly, this is the first time North Dakota State has lost a home playoff game since 2016, when the Bison fell to James Madison. Today’s win was Illinois State’s first over North Dakota State since 2010.
Illinois State stuns No. 1 North Dakota State in second round of FCS playoffs Saturday Down South.
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