Illinois State Rallies for 29-28 Second Round Win Over North Dakota State

Saturday, December 6

Fargo, N.D.

12 p.m.

North Dakota State Athletics

12-1 , 8-0

Illinois State

10-4 , 5-3

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Illinois St.	0	14	0	15	29
North Dakota St.	14	7	0	7	28

Photo by: Ethan Schreifels

Illinois State Rallies for 29-28 Second Round Win Over North Dakota State

12/6/2025 5:10:00 PM | Football

Box Score Game Statistics Photo Gallery

FARGO, N.D. - Daniel Sobkowicz caught three touchdown passes including two in the final 2:44 of the game to lift 17th-ranked Illinois State to a 29-28 victory over top-seeded defending national champion North Dakota State on Saturday, Dec. 6, in the second round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship before a crowd of 10,464 at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

Illinois State (9-5) forced three straight three-and-outs on defense in the fourth quarter, including a sack fumble with 1:51 left to take over at the NDSU 23 trailing 28-21. Sobkowicz scored six plays later on a 6-yard pass from Tommy Rittenhouse, and the Redbirds took their first lead of the game on a two-point conversion pass from Rittenhouse to Scotty Presson Jr.

Backup quarterback Nathan Hayes took over for injured Bison starter Cole Payton on the final drive, but NDSU (12-1) couldn't convert a fourth-and-7 from its own 44 and the Redbirds kneeled out the final seven seconds to win their seventh straight road game and advance to their first NCAA quarterfinal since 2019. It was NDSU's earliest playoff exit in 16 seasons.

The Bison controlled the ball for less than 18 minutes in the game after scoring on a punt return, interception, and two one-play scoring drives. Payton connected with Bryce Lance for a 78-yard TD on NDSU's first offensive play of the game, and the Bison got 4-yard Barika Kpeenu rushing TD early in the fourth quarter after cornerback Anthony Chideme-Alfaro snagged NDSU's fifth interception of the game - a new record for the Bison in the postseason and at the Division I level.

NDSU went ahead 14-0 in the first quarter on a 52-yard punt return TD from Jackson Williams, but Illinois State cut the lead to 14-7 with their longest run of the season, a 69-yard touchdown by Victor Dawson.

The Bison went back up 21-7 on Nathaniel Staehling's 73-yard interception return, but the Redbirds cut it to 21-14 before halftime with Sobkowicz catching an 8-yard TD pass to cap a 14 play, 82-yard drive that ate up more than 7 minutes of clock.

Illinois State held NDSU to 179 yards of total offense, the fewest for a Bison team since the 2014 loss at Northern Iowa, and NDSU's six first downs were the fewest by a Bison team in the Division I era.

Linebacker Logan Kopp made a game- and career-high 11 tackles to lead the NDSU defense, and linebacker Donovan Woolen made 10 tackles with one deflection and one interception. Staehling had two picks, safety Taylen Eady had an interception for the third straight game, and Toby Anene made six tackles with three pass breakups including two deflections that led to interceptions.