Redbirds Punch Ticket To National Championship With 21-18 Win

DURHAM, N.H. – A 47-yard touchdown run by Illinois State quarterback Tre Roberson in the fourth quarter lifted the Redbirds (13-1) to a 21-18 win over top-seeded New Hampshire (12-2) in front of a racous crowd at Cowell Stadium in the semifinals of the 2014 FCS Playoffs and secured ISU a spot in the national championship game against fellow Missouri Valley Football Conference foe and three-time defending national champion North Dakota State.

Roberson led the comeback in the fourth quarter and finished the game 18-for-31 with 278 yards passing, including a career-long 77-yard connection to Lechein Neblett . He also added 95 yards on 12 carries, including the game winner. Running back Marshaun Coprich did not break the 100-yard barrier for the first time this season, but finished with 79 yards and the game's only other touchdown. Teddy Corwin led the way for the defense with a career-best 12 tackles and Collin Keoshian added six stops, a sack, a tackle-for-loss and an interception.

After each team punted on their first possession of the game, the Redbirds scored the first points of the day on a 33-yard field goal by Nick Aussieker mid-way through the first quarter. The Wildcats answered the score with a touchdown on their ensuing drive, as quarterback Sean Goldrich carried it in from four yards out to put UNH ahead 7-3 with 3:35 left in the first quarter.

The Redbirds attempted to answer on their last drive of the quarter and drove all the way inside the UNH 10 yard line. Roberson carried the ball eight yards to the one yard line and attempted to stretch over the goal line, but was hit and fumbled giving the ball back to the Wildcats and swinging the momentum. UNH took advantage of the turnover and put together a nine-play, 96-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a six-yard touchdown run by Nico Steriti and a two-point conversion on a run by Andy Vailas to extend the lead to 15-3 with 12:34 left in the second quarter.

ISU would add another field goal, this time a 23-yarder, with 1:45 left before halftime after a career-long 77-yard pass from Roberson to Neblett set the Redbirds up inside the UNH five yard line. However, three-straight runs by Coprich were stuffed and the Redbirds settled for the field goal to cut the UNH lead to 15-6. An interception on the next drive by Keoshian set the Redbirds up with a prime opportunity to cut the lead, but three-straight incompletions led to a CJ Laros punt. UNH ran two plays before taking a knee and the 15-6 into the locker room at halftime.

UNH took the opening kickoff of the third quarter and put together a 13-play, 73-yard drive that took 4:12 off the clock to extend its lead to 18-6, after a 25-yard field goal from Brad Prasky. The rest of the third quarter was quiet for both teams, until the Redbirds took over on their final drive of the quarter. Roberson led a methodical, 10-play, 84-yard drive that was capped off on a two-yard touchdown run by Coprich that cut the UNH lead to 18-13 early in the fourth quarter.

After the defense forced another UNH punt, its third in a row, the Redbirds got the ball back on their own 11 yard line. The Redbirds marched down the field to the 47 yard line, when Roberson called his own number and took a quarterback draw 47 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Following a quick time out, Roberson pitched the ball to Jon-Marc Anderson who dove into the end zone for the two-point conversion to put ISU in the lead at 21-18 with 7:51 left in the game.

UNH got the ball back and attempted to tie or gain the lead, but a stop of fourth down gave the Redbirds the ball back at their own 46 yard line. From there, the Redbirds picked up two first downs and took a knee to run the clock and punch their ticket to the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS Championship game Jan. 10, in Frisco, Texas.

Tickets in the Illinois State fan block are on sale now and can be ordered online at GoRedbirds.com/tickets. Fans can also call the ISU Athletics Ticket Office at (309) 438-8000 to order their championship game tickets. For all information surrounding the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS Championship can be found at GoRedbirds.com/frisco.

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