Cats Top Bengals In Triple Overtime Thriller - Montana State University Athletics

Saturday, November 7

Pocatello, ID

4:00 pm

Montana State University

9-1 , 6-1

Idaho State

6-4 , 3-4

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	OT	OT	OT	Final F
Montana St.	0	7	6	7	3	3	2	28
Idaho St.	3	7	7	3	3	3	0	26

Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services

11/7/2026 8:43:00 PM | Football

Box Score

By: Bill Lamberty

POCATELLO, Idaho (Nov. 7, 2026) – Dane Steel threw a perfect strike to Rylan Schlepp for the winning score, boosting Montana State to a 28-26 triple-overtime win over Idaho State in Pocatello on Saturday.

Or as Bobcats head coach Brent Vigen put it, "We found another way to find a way."

The Cats survived a game that took on many shapes, from a first half of hanging on as ISU controlled the clock to swapping big plays and missed opportunities as the second half unfolded. Bengals quarterback Jordan Cooke threw for 318 yards and rushed for 35, while Tommy Poe caught nine passes for 100 yards for Idaho State.

Steel caught seven passes for 75 yards, Rocky Lencioni caught six for 66 – including a spectacular touchdown to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, and Justin Lamson threw for 209 yards. Freshman defensive tackle John Hurst-Daniels blocked a potential game-winning field goal as regulation expired, and Seth Brock had five tackles which included a strip-sack.

The Bobcats played from behind throughout regulation, tying it on Lencioni's 20-yard catch with 2:00 to play and then moving ahead briefly in the second overtime on a Myles Sansted field goal, 26-23. ISU tied the score at 26-26 with its own field goal, to set the stage for the third overtime.

On the first two-point play, Idaho State's, Caden Dowler's tackle-for-loss set the stage for the Bobcats to win it. On MSU's play, Lamson flipped the ball to Steel for an apparent end-around, but Steel tossed it to Schlepp for the win.

Idaho State controlled the first half statistically, but a late Bobcat surge kept the game within reach. The Bengals ran twice as many plays as MSU, 46 to 23, but two takeaways by Brock changed the game. The first came on ISU's first drive. The Bengals moved the ball into the red zone, and faced a third-and-10 at the MSU 16.

Brock's strip sack, his fifth sack and first forced fumble of the season, resulted in his own recovery. MSU's three-and-out set up a Bengals scoring drive. Mason Lindberg drilled a 42 yard field goal to give the Bengals a 3-0 lead.

After forcing another MSU punt, Idaho State marched again. The 14-play, 80-yard drive culminated in a two-yard run by Cooke and a 10-0 Bengals lead. At that point, ISU had run 35 plays to MSU's 10.

After an exchange of punts, the Bobcats strung together a successful drive. Lamson hit Rocky Lencioni twice, connected with Dane Steel and Carter Dahlke, but after a sack on which his helmet was torn off he faced fourth-and-five with 1:09 remaining in the half.

MSU's fifth-year signal caller calmly delivered a strike to Dane Steel, who wove to the ISU two-yard line. Adam Jones scored his 41^st rushing touchdown as a Bobcat on the next play, and Montana State had trimmed the lead to 10-7.

The first-half fireworks weren't complete. Idaho State moved to midfield, but again Brock terminated the drive. He intercepted a pass with two seconds remaining. Colby Frokjer's 57-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right, and the half ended with Idaho State leading 10-7.

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