Montana State outlasts Illinois State to win FCS national title

Montana State quarterback Justin Lamson (8) runs past Illinois State linebacker Anthony Corona (35) during the first half of the FCS National Championship game at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Montana State outlasts Illinois State to win FCS national championship

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Jan 5, 2026 11:28 PM ET

Over the course of Monday's FCS national championship game, Montana State coughed up a 14-point fourth-quarter lead, blocked an Illinois State field goal to help send the game to overtime, gave up the lead in overtime and still found a way to win.

The Bobcats led 28-14 in the fourth quarter before ISU roared back to tie the game. The Redbirds looked poised to take a 31-28 lead — until Montana State blocked a field goal and failed to get in range itself, sending the game to overtime.

Illinois State struck first in OT, but a blocked extra point put MSU in the catbird's seat if it managed to score.

And on 4th-and-9 in a last-ditch effort, Montana State QB Justin Lamson lobbed a perfect pass to Taco Dowler to tie the game at 34. Myles Sansted then nailed the extra point to win the game and earn Montana State's first national title since 1984.

WHAT A GAME‼️

Montana State wins its first FCS title in 41 years! pic.twitter.com/glszP0j9bj
— ESPN (@espn) January 6, 2026

"That is storybook," Montana State head coach Brent Vigen told ESPN.

Lamson threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns, while ISU's Tommy Rittenhouse threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns in the loss.

"I always dreamt of being in this position, and now that I'm in it, it's just kind of like, take it all in," Lamson told ESPN.

MSU lost the national title game in both 2021 and 2024 but is finally atop the mountain. Montana State is the first team since 2001 to win the national championship after losing the championship game in the previous season.

Heartbreak for Illinois State

Illinois State (12-5) won four road playoff games — including a win against No. 1 North Dakota State — to get to the national title game for the first time since 2014.

The Redbirds gave it their all on Monday, but two crucial blocked kicks ultimately ended up being the difference.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

More must-reads: