Tommy Rittenhouse threw two of his three touchdown passes to Daniel Sobkowicz, Chris Taylor returned a kickoff 91 yards for a score, and unseeded Illinois State beat UC Davis 42-31 in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.

The Aggies made it to the tournament's quarterfinal round for a second straight season under coach Tim Plough.

Illinois State will travel to No. 8 seed UC Davis in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FCS Playoffs. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday (Dec. 13) at 4 p.m. CT on ESPN+. This will be the second meeting between these two programs, with UC Davis defeating Illinois State 42-10 in last year's FCS Playoffs.

Illinois State University's football team knocked off its second ranked foe in as many rounds in 2025 FCS playoffs Saturday, and heads to the semis.

A variety of UC Davis football fans, former players and others sounded off before the Aggies’ playoff game Saturday against Illinois State.

The Illinois State football team is one win away from a shot at a national title after a quarterfinal playoff win Saturday at UC-Davis.

The Bobcats are trying to get back to the FCS National Championship Game after they fell to the North Dakota State Bison last season. The 2026 champion, which will be determined on January 5, will be the first team not from North or South Dakota to win the FCS title since 2021.

The Aggies can take more step toward the finals of the Football Championship Subdivision, hosting the Illinois State Redbirds quarterfinals today in Davis.