Bobcats Capture 'Unconventional' 56-20 Win at Eastern Washington

Saturday, October 17

Cheney, WA

5:00 pm MT

Montana State University

6-1 , 3-1

Eastern Washington

2-6 , 1-4

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Montana St.	0	28	7	21	56
Eastern Wash.	3	3	14	0	20

Cole Taylor with one of his two interceptions

Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services

Bobcats Capture 'Unconventional' 56-20 Win at Eastern Washington

10/17/2026 10:06:00 PM | Football

Box Score

Return of injured starters boost MSU

By: Bill Lamberty

CHENEY, Wash. (Oct. 17, 2026) – Montana State head coach Brent Vigen called it "a fairly unconventional game," but the end result was a 56-20 Bobcat win at Eastern Washington on Saturday.

Running back Adam Jones ran for three touchdowns and quarterback Justin Lamson threw for 171 yards and one score as each returned from injuries. Safety Caden Dowler logged eight tackles, one for a loss, in his first game since September.

But the game's key moment came late in the first half, when Montana State scored two touchdowns in the final 82 seconds of the period then answered that with a score just over a minute into the third quarter. That outburst expanded Montana State's lead to 35-6 and left the Cats in complete control.

"We controlled the middle eight (minutes of the game)," Vigen said. "That is a critical time to do whatever you can do right before the half, and then to come out and score right after halftime was so important."

Jones' five-yard run started that spurt, and Lamson's 41-yard dash capped it. In between, Cole Taylor scampered 61 yards for his first pick-six as a Bobcat. That came with 30 seconds to play in the first half, and was his second interception in the period's final 90 seconds.

"I've been waiting for that one," the senior from Great Falls said.

The first 28 minutes of the first half unfolded in uneventful fashion. The Bobcats led 14-6, but Eastern Washington had possessed the ball for nearly 20 minutes and quarterback Nate Bell had rushed for 35 yards and throw for 153 yards.

Then Cole Taylor happened. With 1:27 remaining in the first half, Taylor stepped in front of a Bell pass for his third career interception. He raced to the Eagles five-yard line, and Jones scored on the second play of the drive to expand the Cats' lead to 21-6.

On the next drive, Eastern marched to the Bobcats 43-yard line. On first-and-10, Taylor again intercepted a pass, and this time never stopped. He raced 61 yards for a touchdown, and Montana State led 28-6 at the intermission. Jones rushed for 73 yards and Jared White 47 in the first two periods.

The Eagles gained 238 yards in the first half to MSU's 176, and picked up 16 first downs. The turnovers proved only part of the story, as MSU's explosive offensive plays helped the Cats establish control. Jones scored on a 32-yard run, and White on a 33-yarder.

Eastern Washington, in fact, dominated much of the stat sheet. The Eagles rolled up 31 first downs, piled up 439 total yards and held the ball for 41 minutes of game time. Montana State, on the other hand, averaged 9.0 yards per play and rushed for 242 yards. The Bobcats also benefited from all three of the game's turnovers, Taylor's two interceptions and one by defensive end Blaine Downing.

Montana State's win came after the team's open week, which succeeded its only loss of 2026. "I think they might have wanted to get back and play last week," Vigen said, while allowing that the open week allowed the Bobcats to heal physically and to return to work on fundamentals.

The Cats raised their record to 6-1 with the win, and are 3-1 in Big Sky play. The Eagles stand 2-6, 1-4. Montana State hosts Weber State next Saturday in a showdown of two of the three teams tied for first place in the Big Sky. MSU has already defeated the third of those three, Northern Arizona.

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