The 2009 FCS championship game pitted Bobby Hauck's top-ranked Montana Grizzlies , six-time finalists (and two-time champions) over the previous 15 seasons, against Andy Talley's second-seeded Villanova Wildcats . Montana took a 14-3 lead, but Villanova seized control with a 20-0 run and two touchdowns from MVP Matt Szczur. Montana scored late but couldn't recover a late onside kick, and a first-down run by Szczur sealed Villanova's first national title.

Within two years of Szczur's heroics, North Dakota State had made its move. The Bison would win 10 FCS titles between 2011 and '24, only briefly ceding control to James Madison (2016), Sam Houston (spring 2021) and South Dakota State (2023-24). And through 12.9 games in 2025, it looked like the Bison were all but sure to win an 11th r

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