They’re the party crashers of the FCS playoffs, unseeded Illinois State and No. 12 seed Villanova meeting in the semifinal round for a spot in the national championship game.
The Villanova Wildcats love the home cooking – 23 straight wins inside Villanova Stadium.
The Illinois State Redbirds could easily go by Road Warriors – 8-0 this season and 14-1 the last two years in road games against FCS teams.
Something is going to give in their highly competitive and unexpected FCS playoff semifinal Saturday night. Villanova is the No. 12 seed and Illinois State is unseeded, but one of them is headed to the national championship game on Jan. 5 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Villanova, from CAA Football, but joining the Patriot League next year, has defeated three playoff opponents that were a combined 33-2 entering the matchups, including the No. 4 (Tarleton State) and 5 (Lehigh) seeds. Illinois State has the biggest win in all of the playoffs, eliminating defending national champion and fellow Missouri Valley member North Dakota State, plus two other teams that were favored to beat the Redbirds.
FCS Playoffs Semifinal
Illinois State (11-4) at No. 12 seed Villanova (12-2)
Kickoff – 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN2) at Villanova Stadium in Villanova, Pennsylvania
Series – Illinois State leads 1-0 (ISU won 19-17 on Sept. 25, 1976)
Wins in 2025 FCS Playoffs – Illinois State: at Southeastern Louisiana (21-6), at North Dakota State (29-28), at UC Davis (42-31); Villanova: Harvard (52-7), at Lehigh (14-7), at Tarleton State (26-21)
Coaches – Illinois State: Brock Spack (122-78, 17th season); Villanova: Mark Ferrante (69-35, ninth season)
3 Players to Watch – Illinois State: QB Tommy Rittenhouse (225.9 offensive yards per game, 41 total TDs), WR Daniel Sobkowicz (250 receptions, 3,410 yards, 38 TDs in career), WR Tye Niekamp (150 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 1 INT, 6 pass breakups); Villanova: QB Pat McQuaide (2,924 pass yards, 24 TDs, 3 INTs), RB/KR Ja’briel Mace (887 rush yards, 33.7 KOR average, 15 TDs), LB Shane Hartzell (94 tackles, 17.5 TFL, 8.5 sacks)
Notable – Each program has appeared in one national championship game – Villanova beat Montana 23-21 in 2009 and Illinois State lost to North Dakota State 29-27 in 2014. … Illinois State is seeking to become the first team to win four road games in a single playoff. … Ball security is pivotal in this semifinal. Illinois State has forced 25 turnovers, including eight in the playoffs, while Villanova has committed only six this season – a 0.43 per-game average that is the lowest in the FCS. … Illinois State’s Victor Dawson (1,096 rushing yards) has been a workhorse in the playoffs with 63 carries for 357 yards. Sobkowicz has 306 receiving yards and five TDs in the postseason, and he returned the favor with a TD pass to Rittenhouse against Southeastern Louisiana. … Opponents have blocked six kicks against the Redbirds. … Villanova has allowed only 35 points in its three playoff wins and just 14.9 on average during an 11-game winning streak. … All-CAA first-team offensive linemen Stephane Voltaire and Temi Ajirotutu have combined to play in 103 games with 85 starts in their careers. … Hartzell has 383 career tackles, ranking sixth in Wildcats history. … Villanova has 299 wins in 40 seasons as an FCS member. Ferrante is in his 39th season as an assistant or head coach. … Spack ranks third among active coaches in FCS career wins.
Opta Win Probabilities – Villanova: 79.4%; Illinois State: 20.6%
Up Next – The Illinois State vs. Villanova winner will play No. 2 seed Montana State (12-2) or No. 3 seed Montana (13-1) in the FCS championship game on Jan. 5 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Prediction – Illinois State 24, Villanova 23
Top photos via Illinois State and Villanova Athletics. For more FCS football coverage, follow on social media at X, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
FCS Playoffs Semifinal: Illinois State vs. Villanova Preview & Prediction Opta Analyst.
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