No. 6 Illinois State hosts No. 1 NDSU this weekend in a ranked FCS matchup.
Both squads are undefeated vs. FCS competition to start the 2025 campaign. The Bison look to extend their winning streak to 14 games over ISU, while the Redbirds look for their first win over the Bison since 2010.
Illinois State vs. NDSU On TV
The matchup between Illinois State and NDSU will air on ESPN+.
Kickoff is at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 4. It is taking place at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.
Illinois State vs. NDSU Preview
An opportunity for both teams to make a statement on Saturday.
NDSU has been outstanding in its 4-0 start and is no doubt the No. 1 team in the land. Yet the Bison face some “Yeah, but…” when it comes to their performance so far because they have the No. 74 strength of schedule, and their past opponents’ record vs. other teams is 6-9. What better way to silence one of the few nitpicky items about the 2025 squad than going on the road and beating the No. 6 team?
With that said, some notable voters don’t believe Illinois State is even a Top 10 team.
Craig Haley has Illinois State outside of his Top 10. Jamie Williams ranked ISU No. 12. Zach McKinnell has the Redbirds at No. 15. I ranked them No. 11 last week and No. 10 this week, sliding up after Idaho fell back.
So the Redbirds have a chance to prove their national ranking is legit. Whether it’s a win to really shake up the national picture, or at least showing they can compete with Tier 1 teams. ISU has won a lot of games in recent seasons, but it hasn’t been able to beat the top dogs. In fact, the Redbirds haven’t beaten NDSU since 2010. The last three matchups had losses of 42-10, 24-7, and 20-0.
The Redbirds are 3-1 overall and 3-0 vs. the FCS this year, but they haven’t been able to pull away from opponents like Eastern Illinois (42-30) and North Alabama (38-36 in 2OT). Granted, the UNA game was wonky with a couple of weather delays.
The offense can be dangerous, led by QB Tommy Rittenhouse (652 yards, eight TDs, one INT), WR and NFL prospect Daniel Sobkowicz (329 yards, five TDs), and RB Wenkers Wright (309 yards, four TDs). The defense is led by one of the top FCS linebackers in Tye Niekamp, who is already up to 43 tackles and three TFLs. But the pass defense has struggled, allowing 300.5 passing yards per game, ranking No. 119 in the FCS.
That’s where the NDSU offense can shine.
Most people assumed the Bison would get good quarterback play from senior Cole Payton. The question was how good of quarterback play? 2022 Cam Miller good? Or 2024 Cam Miller good? 2016 Easton Stick, or 2018 Easton Stick? One was good. One was elite. Payton has played at an elite level as a first-year starter, completing 72.6% of his passes for 979 yards, eight touchdowns, and no interceptions while adding 277 yards and two scores on the ground. Wide receiver Bryce Lance (337 yards, two TDs) is an NFL Draft prospect, and WR RaJa Nelson (177 yards, four TDs) is playing at an All-MVFC level.
I don’t see ISU slowing this NDSU offense down. And the Bison defense, allowing just 7.5 points per game, is too good for this to turn into a shootout.
Prediction: NDSU 38-17
