Bobcats score early, often in rout of Cal Poly

BOZEMAN — Carter Dahlke got the Montana State Bobcats started Saturday, and Patrick Duchien finished off overmatched Cal Poly for a 61-7 Big Sky Conference football win.

The highlights, and there were many, started early for the No. 3-ranked Bobcats. Dahlke, a true freshman out of nearby Gallatin High School, fielded the opening kickoff, shook a couple tackles and went 98 yards for a touchdown. 

Before the game was 11 minutes old, quarterback Justin Lamson had torn off a 20-yard TD run and hit Dahlke for 44 yards and another score. MSU (8-1 overall, 5-1 in the Big Sky) led 21-0. 

The lead grew to 48-0 when running back Adam Jones scored from 1 yard out with 3 minutes left in the first half.  

Cal Poly got its lone touchdown before intermission, on a 28-yard pass from Bo Kelly — in for starter Anthony Grigsby, Jr., who had two of his first eight passes intercepted by Caden Dowler — to Tayvion McCoy. 

The Mustangs, who began the season with a win over Idaho and also beat Idaho State, fell to 4-6, and 3-4 in the Big Sky with their eighth straight loss to MSU. They were never in this one: They false started twice on their first drive before Dowler picked off Grigsby at the Cal Poly 30-yard line; managed one first down on their second possession; and went 3-and-out on the third. 

By then it was 21-0, and Jared White soon broke free for a 57-yard run that moved the Bobcats from their 40 to the Cal Poly 3. Lamson hit tight end Luvens Valcin for the TD on the next play, with 55 seconds left in the first quarter. 

Lamson added a 1-yard TD run — after Cal Poly turned it over on downs at its own 34 — and then Dane Steel with his third and final TD pass. That was set up by Dowler’s second pick and 21-yard return to the Mustangs’ 20. 

By then Lamson was 15 of 19 passing for 177 yards; he didn’t play the second half, and Duchien marshalled two third-quarter scoring drives. 

Colson Coon’s 9-yard run finished MSU’s first possession of the second half, making it 55-7; Duchien found Jordan Reed for 26 yards and the TD on the next Bobcat drive. 

The Florence product was 8 of 10 passing for 56 yards. White was the top rusher with 69 yards on four carries; Jones picked up 61 yards on 13 attempts. Backups Cale Breslin and Malachi Claunch each rushed for 42 yards. 

On a balanced offensive day Dahlke stood out: six catches for 103 yards, 210 all-purpose yards. Playing in place of the injured Taco Dowler, he notched his fourth 100-yard receiving day in the last five games.

McCoy had seven catches for 78 yards for Cal Poly, which was outgained 518-258.  The Bobcats piled up 285 yards on the ground.

Misa Paiau picked up 70 yards on 16 rushing attempts. 

Kelly was 14 of 26 passing — he was also intercepted, by Brock Steel — for 128 yards. Grigsby completed one pass to a Mustang for 11 yards. 

The Bobcats play at Idaho State next Saturday.