By Colter Nuanez SKYLINE SPORTS
The juxtaposition surrounding the Montana State football team is striking as the Bobcats emerge from their bye week with a bitter taste in their collective mouths—one they can’t wait to wash out.
In MSU’s most recent outing, the Bobcats suffered their first loss since the opening week of September 2025 in perplexing and, some would say, controversial fashion. MSU blew a 34-20 fourth-quarter lead, allowing Idaho to pull off a 35-34 upset and snap the Bobcats’ 19-game winning streak.
The game came down to the final second, literally, as an officials’ decision to stop the clock, followed by a timeout called by MSU head coach Brent Vigen, clouded the ending of a thrilling game that featured a perplexing performance from the defending national champions.
That’s the singular event.
The juxtaposition comes from what surrounds it.
On one hand, Montana State’s last-second loss was fueled by uncharacteristic errors. MSU missed a pair of field goal attempts at the Kibbie Dome, a place that has been a house of horrors during Vigen’s otherwise sterling tenure in Bozeman.
The Bobcats also blew coverage multiple times, dialed up ill-timed blitzes that Idaho quarterback Joshua Wood exploited, and generally did not look like the juggernaut that posted a 34-3 record between the start of the 2024 season and last week’s loss.
On the other hand, Montana State’s shortcomings may simply be a matter of health. What other national powers—or any other football team, for that matter—could endure the loss of four All-American captains to injury, along with other bumps and bruises, and still find success?
That’s where last week’s bye could prove crucial for the defending champions. It’s tough to head into a bye fresh off one of the few perplexing losses of the Vigen era, with frustration still simmering. But the timing may also be exactly what the Bobcats needed.
Montana State head coach Brent Vigen confirmed Monday that All-American senior captain quarterback Justin Lamson will likely return for MSU’s upcoming game at Eastern Washington. There’s also a chance that Caden Dowler, a senior captain and the reigning Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year, will return at safety.
Senior running back Adam Jones and senior wide receiver/kick returner Taco Dowler, both also captains, remain question marks. But senior linebacker Bryce Grebe returned in a 28-14 win over Northern Arizona after missing a few weeks with an infection, while senior linebacker Neil Daily returned against Idaho. Junior safety JJ Dolan is also back after missing a game with a minor injury. Sophomore defensive tackle Josiah Asuega is expected to return to full health, too.
“I think we have a rested, motivated and hungry team and, honestly, a team that was humbled,” Vigen said. “And that’s OK. Being humbled resets your course sometimes and I certainly feel like with this team where we are at least.”
The potential return of key players could boost production while providing an influx of energy.
In the absence of MSU’s nationally regarded offensive trio, quarterback Patrick Duchien, running back Colson Coon and wide receiver Carter Dahlke have performed admirably. The former small-town stars—Duchien is from Class B Florence, Coon is from Sheridan, Wyoming, and Dahlke is a Bozeman native—have produced with Lamson, Jones and Taco Dowler sidelined.
Duchien has shown promise as a passer and runner. His numbers—453 passing yards and three touchdowns, along with 169 rushing yards and three more scores—have been more than adequate. His production on the ground has exceeded Lamson’s, in part because he has been used more frequently on designed quarterback runs.
Coon rushed for 197 yards in his first career start, helping Montana State beat Northern Arizona 28-14. The Lumberjacks have since won consecutive games over No. 12 Idaho State, 38-31, and No. 2 Montana, 49-44. Coon leads MSU with 353 rushing yards, including 253 over the last two weeks.
Dahlke, a rare in-state true freshman who graduated early from Bozeman Gallatin High School to join the Bobcats in January, has shown maturity beyond his years. He has 23 catches for 373 yards and three touchdowns this season, including 17 catches for 243 yards with Taco Dowler sidelined. He has posted 117 and 126 yards, respectively, over the last two weeks.
Getting the spine of the defense solidified could also solve problems for first-year defensive coordinator Bobby Daly.
Daly served as Montana State’s defensive coordinator in 2024 before spending 2025 at UTEP. The former Bobcat All-American returned ahead of this season after defensive coordinator Shawn Howe took a job on Mike McCarthy’s staff with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Asuega is an impressive young talent still finding his bearings. Getting healthy and building consistency could pay dividends. Senior defensive end Dom Solano remains questionable after missing several weeks with an injury, meaning pass-rush specialist Seth Brock must continue improving against the run.
If Daily and Grebe return to full strength and establish a rotation alongside All-Big Sky performer Cole Taylor and up-and-comer Xavier Ahrens, MSU’s inside linebacker corps could become a position of strength.
But the return of the defense’s captain—and arguably the most cerebral player in the Big Sky—might be the most impactful addition.
Caden Dowler was one of the nation’s premier playmakers a year ago. He recorded six interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns in pivotal MSU wins. His ability to align the secondary before the snap and execute afterward was also noticeable.
“It doesn’t take away from anything of the performance of Patrick Duchien, Colter Petre, others had in those guys’ absence, but Justin and Caden, they are as good of players as we have on the team and their ability to make the plays, inspire the team with their plays and the words they say, is just different,” Vigen said. “Naturally, getting them both back, there is this injection of play-making ability but it also takes the confidence and belief up a certain level.”
The juxtaposition is this: Has Montana State regressed from a year ago, or are the Bobcats simply banged up?
There’s likely an element of truth to both possibilities. The second half of the 2026 season will hinge on Montana State addressing its defensive weaknesses while getting healthy.
MSU visits Eastern Washington on Saturday in Cheney. Vigen is undefeated against EWU during his tenure leading the Bobcats.
Colter Nuanez has covered the Big Sky Conference for 19 seasons and has directly covered Montana State since 2011. His work can be found at skylinesportsmt.com and he can be reached at Colter.Nuanez@gmail.com.
