Honestly, if you weren't glued to the screen on January 5th, you missed a game that will probably be talked about in Normal, Illinois, for the next twenty years. It was a heartbreaker. Pure and simple. The isu redbirds football score ended up as 34-35 in a grueling overtime loss against Montana State, but the numbers on the scoreboard barely tell half the story.
Nobody really expected the Redbirds to be there. They entered the FCS playoffs as an unseeded at-large bid, basically a "Road Warrior" team that had to win four straight games in other people’s stadiums just to get a seat at the table. They took down the #1 seed North Dakota State in the Fargodome. They flew to California and beat UC Davis. They ground out a win at Villanova. By the time they hit Nashville for the title game, they were 10.5-point underdogs.
The Nashville Heartbreak: Breaking Down the Score
The game at FirstBank Stadium started out like a disaster. Montana State jumped to a 14-0 lead before some fans had even found their seats. But this 2025 Redbird squad, led by 17th-year head coach Brock Spack, wasn't the type to just roll over.
Tommy Rittenhouse, the senior quarterback who has basically become the face of the program, played with a level of grit that was almost uncomfortable to watch at times. He was taking hits, shaking them off, and kept looking for his favorite target, Dylan Lord. Lord, a freshman who played like a ten-year vet, ended the night with 13 catches for 161 yards.
The score shifted wildly. ISU trailed 21-7 at the half, but they dominated the fourth quarter 14-0 to force the first-ever overtime in an FCS Championship game.
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ISU Redbirds Football Score: The Overtime Chaos
Overtime in college football is a different kind of pressure. ISU got the ball first. Rittenhouse found Lord for a 10-yard touchdown, and for a split second, it felt like the miracle was happening. Then, the sound of leather hitting a hand.
Montana State blocked the extra point.
That single play shifted the entire gravity of the stadium. When the Bobcats got their turn, they faced a do-or-die 4th and 10 from the 14-yard line. The Redbird defense, which had been stellar all night with guys like Tye Niekamp flying around, nearly had the sack. But Montana State's Justin Lamson lofted a pass to Taco Dowler, and that was that.
- Final Score: Illinois State 34, Montana State 35 (OT)
- Location: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
- Key Stat: Rittenhouse threw for 311 yards and 4 touchdowns.
- Play of the Game: The blocked PAT that ultimately decided the winner.
A Season for the History Books
It’s easy to focus on the loss, but you have to look at what this team actually did. They became the first team in FCS history to win four road playoff games to reach the championship. They finished 12-5. That's a massive turnaround for a program that people were starting to doubt just a couple of seasons ago.
Victor Dawson was a beast on the ground, finishing the championship game with 126 yards on 29 carries. He was the engine that kept the drives alive when Rittenhouse was under fire. And let’s not forget the defense. Tye Niekamp, the MVFC Defensive Player of the Year, showed exactly why he’s a back-to-back First-Team All-American. He was everywhere.
The reality is, the isu redbirds football score reflects a game of inches. If Michael Cosentino’s 38-yard field goal attempt with a minute left in regulation isn't blocked, there is no overtime. If the extra point in OT is an inch higher, maybe we’re talking about a different champion.
What This Means for 2026
Brock Spack has built something durable. He broke the program's all-time win record a while back, but this season felt different. It felt like the "sleeping giant" he always talked about had finally woken up.
If you’re looking for the takeaway, it’s this: the Redbirds are no longer just a "tough out" in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. They are a national power again. The roster is losing some heavy hitters like Rittenhouse, but the emergence of Dylan Lord suggests the cupboard isn't bare.
Next Steps for Redbird Fans:
- Watch the Replay: If you can stomach it, the highlights on the Redbird Athletics site show exactly how close this team was to greatness.
- Check the 2026 Recruiting Class: With the national exposure from the Nashville run, expect some high-level talent to be looking at Normal as a serious destination.
- Stay Updated on Spring Ball: Keep an eye on the quarterback battle. Replacing Rittenhouse is priority number one for Tony Petersen's offense.
The score says they lost, but anyone who watched that game knows the Redbirds didn't get beat—they just ran out of time.