Cal Poly Football Suffers 61-7 Loss Against No. 3 Montana State

Mustang Defenseless as No. 3 Montana State Routs Cal Poly 61-7

Saturday afternoon in Bozeman proved to be a punishing exercise for the Cal Poly football team. Facing the third-ranked Montana State Bobcats at Bobcat Stadium, the Mustangs absorbed a 61-7 defeat and left their record sliding to 4-6 overall and 3-4 in the Big Sky Conference.

The trouble began right away. Mustang kicker Noah Thayer delivered an opening kickoff that reached the opposing two-yard line, only for Montana State receiver Carter Dahlke to field it and sprint 98 yards downfield for a touchdown just 20 seconds into the contest. From there, the visiting squad compounded the deficit with two quick false starts on their opening possession. By the time the first quarter expired, the Bobcats had built a commanding 27-0 cushion.

Missing Personnel and Defensive Gaps

Cal Poly played without several key contributors. Leading linebacker Mikey D’Amato missed his fifth game due to injury. The Mustangs have struggled during his absence, managing a 1-4 record compared to their 3-2 start before it. On the offensive side of the ball, notable playmakers Jaden Green and Fidel Pitts were also sidelined, and their absences may account for the lack of total yards by the Mustangs in the loss.

🏈 Cal Poly @ Montana State · College Football · Sat 2:00 PM CT📊 Spread -27.5 (home) · O/U 64.5Montana State scores on 54% of their drives while Cal Poly manages points on only 39% of theirs. The difference in efficiency per drive suggests a significant gap in offensive…

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Montana State capitalized fully on these defensive gaps. Bobcat quarterback Justin Lamson rushed 20 yards up the middle for a score early on, then connected with Dahlke on a 44-yard touchdown pass and tight end Luvens Valcin for a two-yard strike. Lamson later added another scoring toss to wide receiver Dane Steel before the half ended. By intermission, the scoreboard flashed a daunting 48-7 margin. In total, the Bobcats went 10-for-11 on third-down conversions and racked up seven touchdowns in the first two quarters alone, though one point-after attempt was blocked.

Late Offensive Sparks and Historical Context

With his team facing a 41-0 deficit, Cal Poly pulled starting quarterback Anthony Grigsby Jr. in favor of fifth-year Bo Kelly. Kelly managed to establish season bests for completions with 14 and passing yards with 128. With just 17 seconds remaining before halftime, Kelly found wide receiver Tayvion McCoy for a 28-yard touchdown pass. McCoy finished the afternoon with 78 receiving yards, maintaining his status as the Big Sky’s fifth-leading receiver with 82.7 yards per game. Sophomore linebacker Shane Ramstad also provided a defensive bright spot, logging a career-best seven tackles.

The pace slowed considerably in the second half as Montana State rotated in its backups, yet the hosts still tacked on two more touchdowns. For Cal Poly, the 54-point margin matches a similarly lopsided 63-9 loss to the University of Utah in 2025. Furthermore, the 61 points surrendered mark the most the Mustangs have conceded since a 72-28 home loss to the Bobcats on November 12, 2022. Montana State has now extended its series winning streak to eight straight games, bringing its all-time lead against Cal Poly to 12-10.

Looking Ahead to Northern Arizona

The Mustangs will return home to close out their six-game home schedule at Mustang Memorial Field. They are set to host seventh-ranked Northern Arizona University on Saturday, November 7, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.