EUGENE, Ore. — Any hope Montana State had of defying expectations and keeping pace with FBS Oregon on Saturday went by the wayside early, as Dante Moore threw for three touchdowns and the well-oiled Ducks ran away with a 59-13 win in front of 57,257 at Autzen Stadium.
Defending Big Ten champion Oregon, the No. 7-ranked team in the Associated Press poll, scored points on nine of its 10 offensive possessions. Moore completed 18 of 23 passes, Jordon Davison rushed for three scores and the Ducks offense put up 506 total yards.
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The defending Big Sky Conference champion Bobcats, the No. 2-ranked team in the Stats Perform FCS poll, came in as 27.5-point underdogs. MSU running game was limited to 46 yards on 27 attempts.
Montana State, which had won three consecutive season openers prior to Saturday, were reportedly paid a $680,000 guarantee by Oregon to play the Ducks.
TACO BRAVO: Despite the loss, Bobcats receiver Taco Dowler carved up Oregon while establishing a connection with new starting quarterback Justin Lamson.
Dowler feasted on crossing routes, and finished with 12 catches for 107 yards with a long of 24 yards. He was targeted 15 times and averaged 8.9 yards per reception.
SOLID DEBUT: Considering the opponent, Lamson’s first outing as the Bobcats’ starter at QB was positive. The coaching staff let the newcomer sling it, and Lamson finished 23 for 31 for 198 yards, though he faced increased pressure as the game went on.
Playing the entire game, Lamson helmed an offense that didn’t turn the ball over. The Bobcats’ points came from two 42-yard field goals by Myles Sansted and a 2-yard rush by Adam Jones with 2:22 left.
ROUGH START: Oregon marched 74 yards in six plays on the game’s first drive, capped by a 16-yard touchdown run by Jayden Limar and a 7-0 Ducks lead. It continued from there.
The Bobcats managed just two first downs in the opening quarter, had two early punts either altered or blocked and were stopped at midfield on a fourth-down play, which directly led to 17 Oregon points and eventually turned it into a game of rep evaluation for the Cats.
WHAT’S NEXT: After facing one of the top teams in the FBS, the Bobcats now turn their attention to one of the best in the FCS — South Dakota State of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Montana State will welcome the Jackrabbits to Bobcat Stadium next week for its annual Gold Rush game. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m.
SDSU was ranked No. 3 in the Stats Perform preseason poll. Winners of the FCS national championship in both 2022 and 2023, the Jacks present the first actual test of the season for the Bobcats.
