GAME #2: Bobcats Host San Diego for Pack the Place in Pink Game on Saturday

Saturday, September 13

BOZEMAN

1 pm

Montana State University

San Diego

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

GAME #2: Bobcats Host San Diego for Pack the Place in Pink Game on Saturday

9/11/2025 3:33:00 PM | Football

MSU Notes vs. San Diego

MSU looking for first win as the Toreros come calling

By: Bill Lamberty

BOZEMAN, Mont. (Sept. 10, 2025) – Seeking its first win of 2025, Montana State hosts San Diego in a non-conference contest at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is 1 pm for the program's annual Pack the Place in Pink cancer awareness event.

Saturday's showdown creates a clash of teams riding different waves of emotion. The Cats look to erase the sting of a 30-24 overtime loss to No. 2 South Dakota State in last week's Gold Rush game, while the Toreros beat 20^th-ranked Southern Utah a week ago.

Montana State enters week three without a win for the first time since 2017, and Bobcats head coach Brent Vigen knows the task is tall. "It's clear they have athletes, he said. "This is another challenging opponent."

Dual threat quarterback Dom Nankil triggers the Toreros offense, throwing for 266 yards and two touchdowns in two games, while rushing 21 times for 110 yards and two touchdowns. "It starts with the quarterback," Vigen said. "He's really an electric guy. I think (he has 21) right now as far as carries, but they've been very productive carries. His ability to escape and make plays passing is showing up too. You know, he's the type of guy you want to make one dimensional, you want to eliminate that ability for him to be able to run around, but I think that's gonna be a challenge."

While the offense runs through Nankil, it's powered by running back Matt Colombo. The 5-11, 205 grad student averages 127.0 yards through two games, sixth-best in the FCS, and has carried on 52 of his team's 82 rushing plays so far. "The running back has been highly productive, and he's got the lion's share of the carries so far."

The Toreros offer a 3-4 look on defense which has been staunch against the run through two games. San Diego allows 108.0 yards per game on the ground, 23^rd in the FCS, and 3.38 yards per rush, 24^th nationally. Nate Fisher leads the team with 24 total tackles, while Jake Higgins has three tackles-for-loss, including two sacks.

"They're aggressive, and they've got some good looking dudes," Vigen said. "I know that in the front they're more of a traditional 3-4 team. On regular downs, they want to play with three down linemen and do the things out of that creates problems by just getting hats in the box and be pretty aggressive on the outside and their coverage, leaving guys on islands. So that's why I say, we have to make some plays in the passing game."

San Diego's defense allowed 469 total yards in the season-opening loss to Cal Poly, then gave up 410 in the overtime win last week. Opposing offenses average 331.5 yards against USD's defense. That presents opportunity for the MSU passing game, led by junior quarterback Justin Lamson. He completes 70 percent of his passes this season for a two-game total of 337 yards.

Vigen said creating reasonable opportunities on conversion downs starts with performance on first down. "It just can't be about running every down, we've got to be creative, and for us to be successful it goes back to the recipe. We have to be good on first down."

San Diego has shown the ability to disrupt opposing passing attacks, registering five sacks, five hurries and eight breakups. "They have a good pressure package that did shift gears for them a little bit on third down, or they adjust their personnel a little bit and the tale of games for them is has been their ability to be more in control of those situations," Vigen said.

The wounded Montana State defense doesn't get healthier this week, with injured starters Neil Daily (linebacker) and Taki Uluilakepa (safety) each expected to miss the San Diego game. Daily's loss revealed a potential star in Cole Taylor, who logged 13 tackles in his first career start a week ago. The Bobcats held SDSU to 297 total yards, 16 first downs and 1-for-13 on third down.

Vigen said the order of the day, in spite of the 0-2 start against top 10 teams from each of the two NCAA Division I subdivisions, is to keep making progress. "We just have to find a way to keep getting better," he said. "I think we got better from game one to game two. You can't control your opponents by any means. We're definitely going to have to get better going into week three."

Saturday's game airs on CBS in Bozeman and Butte, NBC in Helena and Great Falls, and The Spot-MTN (channel guide here) throughout the state. It streams on ESPN+ and airs throughout Montana on the Bobcat Radio Network.

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