Illinois State Redbirds at SE Louisiana Lions
· FCS Championship - First Round
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
 |
TD | 1st Period 12:46 | Tommy Rittenhouse 6 Yd Run (Matt Maldonado Kick) |
 |
FG | 2nd Period 14:55 | Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez 40 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 3rd Period 8:48 | Tommy Rittenhouse 1 Yd pass from Daniel Sobkowicz (Matt Maldonado Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 2:30 | Seth Glatz 1 Yd Run (Matt Maldonado Kick) |
Statistics
 ILST |
 SELA |
|
|---|---|---|
| 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
Location: Hammond, LA
Attendance: 3,321 · Capacity:
College Football News
Get ready for the College Football Playoff first round
The College Football Playoff first round begins on Friday on ESPN/ABC.
Williams throws 4 TD passes and Washington has 5 INTs in 38-10 rout of Boise State in LA Bowl
— Demond Williams Jr. threw three of his four touchdown passes in the second quarter, and Washington had five interceptions as the Huskies kicked off bowl season with a 38-10 victory over Boise State in the LA Bowl on Saturday night.
College football bowl season: MVP picks for all 36 matchups
With bowl season underway, our college football experts provide their MVP picks for each bowl game.
QB Malik Washington will return to Maryland Terrapins in '26
Maryland quarterback Malik Washington, who set a school freshman passing record, will return to the Terrapins next season, announcing in a statement Saturday that he knows "we're building something that our fans will be excited about for years to come."