FCS Playoffs 2025 Quarterfinals Results, Semifinals Schedule and Bracket Update

One of the most heated rivalries in FCS college football headlines the semifinal slate of the FCS playoffs.

The No. 2 seed Montana State Bobcats and No. 3 seed Montana Grizzlies will square off in the second edition of the "Brawl of the Wild" this season.

The other semifinal is an unexpected showdown between the unseeded Illinois State Redbirds and the No. 12 seed Villanova Wildcats.

Quarterfinal Scores

No. 2 Montana State 44, No. 7 Stephen F. Austin 28

No. 3 Montana 52, No. 11 South Dakota 22

No. 12 Villanova 26, No. 4 Tarleton State 21

Illinois State 42, No. 8 UC Davis 31

Updated FCS Playoff Schedule and Bracket

Saturday, December 20

No. 3 Montana State at No. 2 Montana

Illinois State at No. 12 Villanova

The "Brawl of the Wild" is the showcase game of the FCS semifinals.

Montana State won the regular-season meeting with Montana by three points on November 22. The Bobcats have won seven of the last nine games in the rivalry.

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.

James Madison in 2016 and Sam Houston in 2021 are the only non-Dakota FCS champions dating back to 2011.

Montana was in the FCS title game in 2023, but it also fell short to a Dakota team in South Dakota State.

The in-state rivals from Montana reside on the side of the FCS playoff bracket with far less chaos.

The top half features a semifinal between No. 12 seed Villanova and unseeded Illinois State.

Illinois State knocked off top-seeded North Dakota State in the second round and followed that up with a win over No. 8 seed UC Davis in the quarterfinals.

Villanova also went on the road to win two straight games. The Wildcats knocked off No. 5 seed Lehigh and No. 4 seed Tarleton State in consecutive weeks.

Villanova will be the home team in the semifinal round, but that might not mean much with the way Illinois State is playing on the road.

The Villanova-Illinois State winner is expected to be a significant underdog against either Montana team. The Montana-Montana State winner will be the clear national championship favorite in Nashville on January 5.