NASHVILLE — Caden Dowler reiterated Saturday that there’s no way he’s missing this.

One of eight players that Montana State made available to the media Saturday, ahead of Monday’s Division I Football Championship, Dowler hurt an arm making a tackle early on in the “Super Brawl” on Dec. 20. 

He missed most of MSU’s 48-23 win over the Montana Grizzlies.  
“I’m not even really sure,” when asked what happened. “Something in the upper body, and I have to deal with it.” 

Montana State coach Brent Vigen gave a positive injury report Saturday that was mostly about Dowler, the Big Sky Conference defensive player of the year and twin to top Bobcat receiver Taco Dowler. 

“I think for Caden in particular, he’s doing everything he can to be part of it,” Vigen said. “I anticiiate he’s going to be out there. He's practiced quite a bit the last week, and I really appreciate that. 

“We made this trip with 70 guys dressing and JJ Dolan that is the only one that’s played significantly, that isn’t part of that 70. That’s football. Deep into the season, I like where our health is at.” 

Dolan suffered a leg fracture in the Bobcats’ first matchup with the Grizzlies on Nov. 22, a 31-28 MSU win. 

The Turnaround 

Much has been made of Illinois State’s record away from Normal, Ill., including a coast-to-cast 4-0 mark in the FCS playoffs. 

The Bobcats, meanwhile, are on a 13-game win streak that started after a double-overtime home loss to South Dakota State. Which came after a blowout loss to the Oregon Ducks. 

“I’m not sure this surprises me,” Dowler said Saturday. “Obviously that Oregon game, that’s a different thing, but that South Dakota State game we knew we didn’t come out how we probably should. That was really just a kick in the butt.  

“We needed to treat every week like it was the exact same, our preparation for a 2-6 team is the same as an undefeated team. That’s the biggest thing after that second game.” 

Meanwhile, much has been said about the Missouri Valley “gauntlet but the Bobcats’ late schedule was no slouch. 

“We closed the regular season playing UC Davis, playing the University of Montana, then our three playoff opponents (Yale, Stephen F. Austin and UM again),” Vigen noted. “I think this team has done a good of respecting each and every opponent, and trying to the best of every opportunity.” 

Botner’s Moment 

Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard was named the Walter Payton Award winner Saturday, and Mercer defensive end Andrew Zoch landed the Buck Buchanan Award. 

Zock had 11.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss for Mercer and Brungard threw for 2,917 yards and 23 touchdowns and ran for 1,378 yards and 24 scores. 

So what do you give the guy that racked up degrees in Biology, Biochemistrithy and Neuroscience? If you’re Whitefish’s Dillon Botner, you get the Doris Robinson Award as te FCS scholar-athlete of the year. 

Botner, an offensive lineman for the Montana Grizzlies, was announced the winner of the top academic award on Dec. 9, but was feted at Saturday’s FCS awards banquet.  

He spoke about how three knee surgeries sparked his interest in the medical field, and job-shadowing his surgeon later on led to the goal of going into orthopedic medicine. 

When his 3.70 grade-point average was mentioned behind his three degrees, it drew an ovation. 

“I had some incredible coaches some incredible professors, and you know they helped me along the way,” Botner said. “I knew football was going to be just a temporary thing for me and I was going to have to hang up the cleats at some point. 

“(Doctors) gave me a chance to play more football; I want to go and help other athletes get back on the field.”