Previewing college football's FCS playoff quarterfinals - ESPN

The 2009 FCS championship game pitted Bobby Hauck's top-ranked Montana Grizzlies, six-time finalists (and two-time champions) over the previous 15 seasons, against Andy Talley's second-seeded Villanova Wildcats. Montana took a 14-3 lead, but Villanova seized control with a 20-0 run and two touchdowns from MVP Matt Szczur. Montana scored late but couldn't recover a late onside kick, and a first-down run by Szczur sealed Villanova's first national title.

Within two years of Szczur's heroics, North Dakota State had made its move. The Bison would win 10 FCS titles between 2011 and '24, only briefly ceding control to James Madison (2016), Sam Houston (spring 2021) and South Dakota State (2023-24). And through 12.9 games in 2025, it looked like the Bison were all but sure to win an 11th ring. They had outscored their first 12 opponents by an average of 46-12, and they led Illinois State 28-14 with three minutes left in the second round.

A funny thing happened next: ISU's Tommy Rittenhouse threw a short touchdown pass to Daniel Sobkowicz, then Jake Anderson recovered a fumble by NDSU's Cole Payton. Rittenhouse found Sobkowicz for another score, and head coach Brock Spack, in the job since 2009, rolled the dice with a minute left. Rittenhouse scrambled right and found Scotty Presson Jr. open for the two-point conversion and a sudden 29-28 lead. NDSU's last-minute drive stalled out near midfield, and the Cardinals had scored one of the most shocking upsets in FCS history.

SDSU lost, too. And JMU and Sam Houston have long since left for FBS. Instead of a four-week NDSU coronation, we now have the most wide-open FCS playoffs in almost two decades.

No. 7 Stephen F. Austin at No. 2 Montana State (9 p.m., ESPN)

No. 12 Villanova at No.