4-6 , 3-4
No. 3 Montana State
8-1 , 5-1
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Montana St. | 27 | 21 | 13 | 0 | 61 |
10/31/2026 3:32:00 PM | Football
BOZEMAN, Mont. – Mustang quarterback Bo Kelly finished with season bests for completions (14) and passing yards (128), but Big Sky Conference leading and third-ranked Montana State returned Saturday afternoon’s opening kickoff for a touchdown before scoring on its initial five possessions as the Cal Poly football program sustained a 61-7 loss at Bobcat Stadium.
Montana State (8-1, 5-1) grabbed the lead on Saturday’s opening play with receiver Carter Dahlke running the opening kickoff back 98 yards. The Bobcats then went up 14-0 after four-and-a-half minutes through quarterback Justin Lamson’s 20-yard rush up the middle.
Lamson next found Dhalke (44 yards) and tight end Luvens Valcin (two yards) on touchdown receptions as the Bobcats exited the first quarter with a 27-0 lead. Montana State closed the opening half with two more rushing touchdowns either side of a five-yard scoring pass from Lamson to wide receiver Dane Steel.
Offensively, three of Cal Poly’s opening six drives ended in punts and two more in Montana State interceptions. The Mustangs (4-6, 3-4) eventually broke through 17 seconds before halftime with Kelly picking out wide receiver Tayvion McCoy from 28 yards for a 48-7 deficit at the break.
Cal Poly Noteworthy (at No. 3 Montana State)
- Up Next: Cal Poly closes its six-game home schedule at Mustang Memorial Field on Saturday, Nov. 7 when hosting No. 7 Northern Arizona. Kickoff on ESPN+ is 2 p.m.
- Mustang sophomore Shane Ramstad’s team leading seven tackles marked a career best for the linebacker.
- The Big Sky’s fifth leading receiver at (82.7) yards per game, Tayvion McCoy finished with 78 yards Saturday.
- Montana State’s 61 points were the most conceded by Cal Poly since a 72-28 home loss to the Bobcats on Nov. 12, 2022.
- Montana State improved to 12-10 in the all-time series with Cal Poly and furthered its series winning streak to eight straight.
- Montana State was 10-for-11 on third down conversions Saturday.
Team Stats
CPO 0, MSU 7
MSU - Dahlke,Carter 98 yd kickoff return (Sansted,Myles kick)
CPO 0, MSU 14
MSU - Lamson,Justin 20 yd run (Sansted,Myles kick), 6 plays, 30 yards, TOP 02:54
CPO 0, MSU 21
MSU - Dahlke,Carter 44 yd pass from Lamson,Justin (Sansted,Myles kick) 10 plays, 82 yards, TOP 04:45
CPO 0, MSU 27
MSU - Valcin,Luvens 2 yd pass from Lamson,Justin () 4 plays, 60 yards, TOP 01:06
CPO 0, MSU 34
MSU - Lamson,Justin 1 yd run (Sansted,Myles kick), 4 plays, 34 yards, TOP 01:45
CPO 0, MSU 41
MSU - Steel,Dane 5 yd pass from Lamson,Justin (Sansted,Myles kick) 3 plays, 20 yards, TOP 00:54
CPO 0, MSU 48
MSU - Jones,Adam 1 yd run (Sansted,Myles kick), 13 plays, 85 yards, TOP 05:43
CPO 7, MSU 48
CPO - McCoy,Tayvion 28 yd pass from Kelly,Bo (Lopez,Josue kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:43
CPO 7, MSU 55
MSU - Coon,Colson 9 yd run (Sansted,Myles kick), 8 plays, 61 yards, TOP 03:35
CPO 7, MSU 61
MSU - Reed,Jordan 26 yd pass from Duchien,Patrick () 8 plays, 63 yards, TOP 03:28
