Philadelphia, PA (AP) – Tommy Rittenhouse threw two touchdown passes to Daniel Sobkowicz and Victor Dawson rushed for 155 yards and a score to lead Illinois State to a 30-14 victory over Villanova in a FCS semifinal on Saturday night at Villanova Stadium.
The Redbirds (12-4) put an emphatic end to the Wildcats’ 11-game win streak and will play Montana State in the title game on Jan. 5 in Nashville, Tenn. The Bobcats beat Montana 48-23 to advance.
Illinois State lost 37-7 to Southern Illinois to close out the regular season before pulling off road wins over Southeastern Louisiana, North Dakota State, UC Davis and the Wildcats (12-3) to reach the final.
Rittenhouse and Sobkowicz teamed up for a 53-yard score late in the first quarter to give Illinois State a 7-0 lead.
Dawson scored on a 1-yard run at the end of a 13-play drive — aided by three Wildcat penalties — for a two-score lead in the second quarter. Rittenhouse threw a short pass on first down that Seth Glatz turned into a 68-yard gain and then hit Sobkowicz two plays later for an 8-yard touchdown and a 21-6 lead at halftime.
Michael Cosentino did all the Redbirds’ scoring in the second half with two third-quarter field goals and another in the fourth.
Rittenhouse completed 18 of 38 passes for 251 yards with an interception. Sobkowicz had seven receptions for 97 yards and Dawson did his damage on 34 carries.
Pat McQuaide had 199 yards on 13-for-30 passing for Villanova. That included a 16-yard touchdown throw to Antionio Johnson with 3:18 remaining. Jack Barnum kicked two field goals.
Illinois State gets its second shot at a championship. The Redbirds were runners-up in 2014, losing 29-27 to North Dakota State. It was the fourth of five straight championships for the Bison.
Villanova beat Montana 23-21 in 2009 in Chattanooga, Tenn., in its only appearance in the title game.
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