'Taco' time to overtime: Social media reacts to FCS championship thriller

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Whew! The FCS college football season saved its best for last when Montana State defeated Illinois State in overtime to win the national championship, 35-34, on Monday night.

Illinois State came into the game an unlikely unseeded finalist — and then erased a 14-point deficit to put another seeded team on the ropes, controlling the clock and the line of scrimmage before being undone by special teams and a clutch throw.

The FCS championship had it all — and social media was there for it. We took a spin around X.com for some reactions to the messy but magical championship game:

FCS championship recap: Illinois State rallies, but loses OT thriller to Montana State

‘I need a cigarette’

It seemed as if few on social media had a rooting interest, but instead appreciated the OT thriller simply for its dramatics. Multiple sports personalities chimed in with superlatives, including:

  • Eddie Radosevich of On3.com wrote: “You are doing a disservice to yourself if you aren’t watching the FCS national championship.”
  • Podcaster Van Lathan Jr.: “This FCS Natty game is insane.”
  • ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit, posted after the game and congratulated both teams: “This FCS National Championship is INCREDIBLE!!!!! Came down to an extra point in OT! … What a game!
  • FanDuel and TNT Sports host Mike Golic Jr: “100000/10 finish to the FCS title game. absolutely deranged, beautiful, sloppy football. … I need a cigarette.”
  • TikTok creator GFed: “Perfect playoff for the FCS Infinitely more fun than bowl games, I will be more invested in this next season.”
  • The Ringer’s Rodger Sherman, posted multiple times about the game, including: “FCS national championship was the college football game of the year. Congrats to Montana State and if you’re an Illinois State fan I am so so so so so so so so so so so sorry.”

Who is Taco Dowler?

Montana State receiver Taco Dowler was the toast of X.com on Monday night. The shifty kid with a silly name scored the game-tying touchdown, pulling in a fourth-down pass from quarterback Justin Lamson in the endzone with the game on the line.

The 5-foot-9, 175-pound receiver finished with 133 scrimmage yards on nine touches, getting his unique name uttered multiple times from the ESPN announcing crew.

Dowler — whose real first name is McLean — apparently got his name in an unusual way.

“One account goes like this,” wrote Mike Scherting of 406MTSports.com. “Young McLean was in a Taco Bell drive-thru with his family when he spotted the sign and blurted out, ‘That’s my name.’ “

Montana State kicker Myles Sansted followed the TD with the game-winning extra point — and the rest is history.

Speaking of kickers …

Illinois State kicker Michael Coseninto had a rougher time on Monday night. The junior had a pair of kicks blocked, the first a potentially game-winning field goal in regulation and then an extra point in the first overtime.

Many X.com users were less than kind. Some blamed the snap, some the holder, many the kicker. One user decided to call out all three: “Illinois State has a snapper who can’t snap, a holder who can’t hold and a kicker who can’t kick.”

Other users called out ISU coach Brock Spack for even putting Cosentino into that situation at the end of regulation, with many thinking Spack should have kept his offense on the field on fourth-and-1.

“Love everything Brock Spack has done for this program, but I hate the call to go for a FG. HATE,” wrote Chris Rongey, a former WSCR-AM 670 reporter now at KMOX in St. Louis. The Illinois State alumnus later said, “I’ll never get over that FG call. Awful, awful decision.”

Podcaster Geoff Schwartz of SiriusXM, ahead of overtime, criticized the idea to kick, writing: “Illinois State had to gain one yard for the championship and choose to kick a FG instead. A decision that will haunt the coach if they can’t finish the game in OT.”

‘Proud to be a Redbird’

Multiple well-wishers congratulated both teams, with champion Montana State finally breaking through after multiple runner-up finishes over the last few years.

Many Illinois State fans thanked the team for its unlikely run through the playoffs.

“Loss sucks. I cannot begin to imagine the pain in the Illinois State locker room,” 2025 ISU graduate Noah Powell posted. “However, build the Brock Spack statue. Even if he never wins the big one, he has transformed Illinois State football into one of the nation’s top programs.”

Another fan @SadMNfanNick wrote: “I feel numb. But proud to be a Redbird. What a season from Illinois State, unranked and win 4 road games to take on the 2 seed and lose in overtime by 1 point … the boys should be proud.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: FCS championship reaction: Social media wild for ISU, Montana State OT thriller

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