Players and matchups to watch in the 2025-26 FCS Championship Game

The FCS Championship Game is tomorrow as Montana State and Illinois State make final preparations. Once the game kicks off, here are some of the top head-to-head player matchups you should watch.

Illinois State QB Tommy Rittenhouse vs. Montana State S Caden Dowler

Will Caden Dowler play after suffering an injury in the semifinal round? He’s going to do everything in his power to be on the field Monday night, and if he is, he’ll have a chess-match of a matchup against Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse.

Dowler had a five-game interception streak cut short after his injury, but he’s been a takeaway machine late in the season. Meanwhile, Rittenhouse has thrown an interception in four of his last five games. That includes seven during the playoffs and FIVE against North Dakota State.

Every possession matters in the postseason, and with Dowler able to play both deep and near the line of scrimmage, he could get his hands on the football to create some extra possessions.

FOLLOW: Live updates of the 2025-26 FCS Title between Montana State and Illinois State

Montana State RB Adam Jones/Julius Davis vs. Illinois State LB Tye Niekamp

Only eight players were unanimous First-Team All-Americans in the FCS, and Illinois State linebacker Tye Niekamp was one of them. Niekamp has 155 tackles on the season and will need to add to that total if the Redbirds want to win their first title.

As the mike linebacker, Niekamp has to lead the Illinois State defense to stops against Montana State’s two-headed rushing attack with Adam Jones and Julius Davis. Both running backs have over 1,000 yards on the ground this year. The run game could be the winning factor Monday night.

2025 Unanimous First-Team All-Americans
(STATS, AP, AFCA, SI/FCS FB Central, Phil Steele, Walter Camp)

QB Beau Brungard,
RB Joshua Dye,
TE Chris Corbo,
DL Lando Brown,
DL Joshua Stoneking,
LB Tye Niekamp,…

— Stan Becton (@stan_becton)

RECAP: How Montana State and Illinois State got to the title game

Illinois State WR Daniel Sobkowicz vs. Montana State CB Carson Williams

If there was an FCS playoff MVP award, it would go to Daniel Sobkowicz as he has eight total touchdowns during Illinois State’s playoff run. We’ve seen him win underneath as a big-bodied target on slants and over the top, turning 50-50 balls into 80-20 balls. Standing at 6-foot-3 Sobkowicz creates a matchup problem for any secondary.

That problem will have to be answered by a young Montana State secondary that features Freshman All-American cornerback Carson Williams. While it’ll take a team effort to stop Sobkowicz, Williams does have eight pass breakups on the season. 

It’ll be interesting to see how Montana State gameplans to stop Sobkowicz and how often he’s given one-on-one matchups. The Bobcats don’t have a cornerback standing over six-foot in the two-deep and just one player with more than two years of on-field experience against the Redbird senior wideout.

MORE COVERAGE: Click or tap here for complete coverage of the 2025 FCS playoffs

WR Taco Dowler vs. Illinois State CB Shadwel Nkuba II

On the other side, Montana State has an electric wide receiver of its own in Taco Dowler. Dowler has touchdowns of 67 and 87 yards on the year. He can take a slant to the house and is the best yards-after-catch wide receiver in the championship game.

Will he be shadowed by All-American cornerback Shadwel Nkuba during the game? We’ll have to wait and see, but Nkuba does have five interceptions during the season. Two of the best in the FCS going head-to-head won’t disappoint.

Justin ➡️ Taco for 87 yards!! 🤯

📺 ABC x |

— Montana State Football (@MSUBobcats_FB)

Illinois State LT Jake Pope vs. Montana State DE Kenneth Eiden IV

Jake Pope earned First-Team All-MVFC honors. Kenneth Eiden IV earned First-Team All-Big Sky honors. 

We know Pope will be on the left side of the offensive line for Illinois State. Will Eiden matchup against Pope? Or will he take advantage of a weaker right side of the Illinois State offensive line?

I’d love to see best-on-best in the championship game, especially when it’s between the best in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and Big Sky.

BRACKET: See the official 2025 FCS playoff bracket

Illinois State LG Landon Woodard vs. Montana State DT Paul Brott

Similarly, left guard Landon Woodard and defensive tackle Paul Brott could also matchup against each other. Brott also could move around the line of scrimmage for additional matchup advantages.

How the Montana State defensive line matches up is an underrated storyline to watch.

Montana State C JT Reed and RG Titan Fleischmann vs. Illinois State NT Jake Anderson

When it comes to nose tackle, Jake Anderson is one of the best in the FCS. He’ll line up over the center or in the A-gap, meaning he’ll match up often with center JT Reed. Anderson will also face double teams inside — it’s the nature of the position — and that’s where Titan Fleischmann comes in. 

Fleischmann was one nod shy of being a unanimous First-Team All-American, a sign of his elite play. Combined with Reed, who’s talented in his own right — they could slow down any interior pressure from Anderson. 

Or, Anderson could wreak havoc from the inside. The trenches are often overlooked, but don’t be surprised if the offensive and defensive lines decide this game.