NCAAF

Illinois State Redbirds at SE Louisiana Lions

· FCS Championship - First Round
Final
21 - 3
9-4, 5-1 Home

Rittenhouse rushes, catches TDs, Illinois State defeats SE Louisiana 21-3 in FCS first round

The unseeded Redbirds (9-4) advance to the second round of the playoffs for the second straight season with the win, and will travel to face reigning FCS champion and No. 1 seed North Dakota State on Dec. 6.

Rittenhouse's 6-yard rush on a QB keeper put Illinois State up early in the first quarter. He added a 1-yard reception from wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz in the third to extend the lead. It was his fourth career receiving score.

Seth Glatz added a 1-yard rush late in the fourth to put the game on ice and send the Redbirds to the second round.

Illinois State's defense was dominant, grabbing four interceptions on the day. Mason Kaplan had two picks, and Tye Niekamp led with 13 total tackles, one sack, and one interception.

Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez hit a 40-yard field goal for 16th-seeded Southeastern Louisiana's only scoring. The Lions conclude their season at 9-4.

How To Watch

How can I watch Illinois State Redbirds vs. SE Louisiana Lions?
  • TV Channel: Redbirds at Lions 2021 College Football, week 14, is broadcasted on ESPN+.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Scoring Summary

ILST TD 1st Period 12:46 Tommy Rittenhouse 6 Yd Run (Matt Maldonado Kick)
SELA FG 2nd Period 14:55 Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez 40 Yd Field Goal
ILST TD 3rd Period 8:48 Tommy Rittenhouse 1 Yd pass from Daniel Sobkowicz (Matt Maldonado Kick)
ILST TD 4th Period 2:30 Seth Glatz 1 Yd Run (Matt Maldonado Kick)

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2287.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originILST https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2545.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originSELA
17 1st Downs 18
4-13 3rd down efficiency 6-15
2-2 4th down efficiency 1-3
292 Total Yards 321
147 Passing 214
15/23 Comp/Att 24/39
6.4 Yards per pass 5.5
145 Rushing 107
41 Rushing Attempts 30
3.5 Yards per rush 3.6
2-12 Penalties 6-40
1 Turnovers 4
1 Fumbles lost 0
0 Interceptions thrown 4
28:21 Possession 31:39

Game Information

Venue: Strawberry Stadium

Location: Hammond, LA
Attendance: 3,321 · Capacity:
Full Standings

College Football News

Rucker surpasses 4,000 yards receiving as Arkansas State defeats Missouri State 34-28 in Xbox Bowl

Rucker surpasses 4,000 yards receiving as Arkansas State defeats Missouri State 34-28 in Xbox Bowl

— Corey Rucker racked up 166 yards receiving and a score, Jaylen Raynor threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns, and Arkansas State took down Missouri State 34-28 in the inaugural Xbox Bowl on Thursday night.

College football bowl season: MVP picks for all 36 matchups

College football bowl season: MVP picks for all 36 matchups

It's bowl season and our college football experts are picking an MVP from every game.

2025-26 CFP, bowl picks: We predicted every postseason game

2025-26 CFP, bowl picks: We predicted every postseason game

We made predictions on the final score of every bowl matchup. Check back to see how we fared.

2025-26 College Football Playoff, bowl schedule

2025-26 College Football Playoff, bowl schedule

The dates, times and sites for all the college football postseason action.

Ohio cites 'extramarital affairs,' alcohol use in firing Smith

Ohio cites 'extramarital affairs,' alcohol use in firing Smith

In an intent to terminate letter, Ohio University's president wrote that football coach Brian Smith's "extramarital affairs," including one with a student, brought "disrepute, scandal and ridicule," which violated his employment agreement.