FRIDAY MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF ISU’S APPEARANCE IN FCS TITLE GAME
by Tom Emery
The Illinois State University football program fields competitive teams nearly every season. A decade ago, the program nearly won it all.
January 10 marks the 10th anniversary of the ISU football team’s appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) national title game, as the Redbirds fell in the last minute to powerhouse North Dakota State 29-27.
Following a disappointing 5-6 campaign the previous season, Illinois State charged out of the gate in 2014 with a high-powered offense led by quarterback Tre Roberson and tight end James O’Shaughnessy. The Redbirds also could rely on a formidable defense.
The Redbirds beat three ranked teams on the way to a 7-0 record and a #7 national ranking before falling 42-28 at #22 Northern Iowa for the only loss of the regular season. In all, Illinois State beat seven ranked teams in 2014 and shared the Missouri Valley Football Conference title with North Dakota State for the first of two straight years. The two teams, however, did not meet in the regular season in 2014.
Illinois State received a first-round playoff bye before rolling over Northern Iowa 41-21 in a rematch, this time at Hancock Stadium, in the second round. A thrilling 59-46 win at Eastern Washington followed before a nail-biting 21-18 victory at top-ranked New Hampshire in the semifinals.
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The title game was played in Frisco, Tex. in front of a national audience on ESPN2. The Redbirds were 6.5-point underdogs in the game against North Dakota State, who were then the three-time defending national champions. NDSU has since added seven more national crowns, including in 2024.
But Illinois State never played like it, rallying from a 23-14 deficit to take a 27-23 lead with 1:38 left on a career-long 58-yard touchdown run from Roberson.
However, NDSU star quarterback Carson Wentz, who was later the number-2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, scored from five yards out with 37 seconds remaining to give the Bison a 29-27 lead. The Redbirds were intercepted on their final desperation drive.
With a 13-2 final record, Illinois State set a school mark for victories. O’Shaughnessy was a fifth-round draft pick of Kansas City in 2015 and spent seven years in the NFL, with 40 starts. Roberson is now a defensive back for Calgary in the Canadian Football League.
The Missouri Valley Football Conference is no stranger to the national stage. The conference has placed at least one team in the FCS title game for the last fourteen seasons.
Tom Emery may be reached at ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
