BOZEMAN, MONT. – San Diego Football attempted to stack multiple ranked wins but faced one of FCS' top teams on the road in No. 4/6 Montana State, falling by a final score of 41-7.
The Bobcats, in front of a sold-out crowd of 21,917 boisterous fans, showed why they are top-10 nationally and were FCS National Runners-up a year ago, not having lost a game in 2024 until that championship game.
However, non-scholarship San Diego squad could not find any traction offensively and were overpowered when they were on defense with the Bobcats lining up All-Americans on both sides of the football.
"It was a tough loss for us," USDHead coach
Brandon Moore said. "Montana State is a really good football team. Our boys came out, challenged them early, but not enough, and MSU capitalized."
Montana State (1-2) jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter before extending their lead to 24-0 at halftime.
The Toreros (1-2) totaled just three first downs through the first two quarters and 12 for the entire game, compared to the Bobcats 28 first downs overall.
"They were a good team up front," Moore said of the Bobcat rush defense, which limited USD to 66 yards on the ground after the Toreros totaled almost 300 yards last time out in a win over No. 24 Southern Utah.
"Their defensive line was stout, and gave us problems all day, no matter what the count in the box was. We struggled to get to the second level."
The only scoring the Torero offense could muster came in the fourth quarter when junior quarterback
Dom Nankil found graduate student wide receiver
Josh Heverly to cap off a 10-play, 65-yard drive with 12:59 left, Nankil and the first team offense's final drive of the game before second teamers took over.
Senior captain defensive back
Ruben Lopez made the play of the day for San Diego, snagging the game's lone turnover, an interception with a minute and half remaining in the first half off flawless coverage.
TORERO TIDBITS
- With the fourth quarter touchdown USD preserves it's non-shutout streak, marking 281 consecutive games scoring (last time being shutout was Oct. 9, 1999, 0-9 at Drake)
- Sand Diego is off to a three-game start to the season without having surrendered a turnover having played three tough, scholarship defenses
- USD totaled more sacks than their counterparts, 2-1 (Nate Fischer & River Abenroth), more pass break-ups, 2-1 (Ezekiel Swayne & Elijah Johnson), and more tackles for loss 5-4 on 21 less plays on offense than the hosts
- Several Toreros made their season and career debuts on both sides of the ball late in the game, including redshirt junior quarterback Tyler Voss, completing 1-of-3 passes for 19 yards and an eight-yard rush with one first down
- Sophomore outside linebacker Nate Fischer recorded eight total tackles to lead the USD defense for the third consecutive game with a sack and two of the team's total tackles for loss
- Senior tight end Peyton Smith led all San Diego pass-catchers with a career-high 35 receiving yards on three receptions
- Senior running back Adam Criter led all Torero rushers with 49 yards on 10 attempts, leading the team with 94 all-purpose yards with his 22 yards in the air and 23 off a kick return included
- Junior quarterback Dom Nankil completed 13-of-24 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown with no turnovers
- Saturday marked the first time USD faced nationally ranked opponents consecutively since the 2021 season
UP NEXT
San Diego will fly out again next week to face Princeton on the east coast in the final game of the USD non-conference slate. Kickoff between the Toreros and the Tigers inside Powers Field at Princeton Stadium in New Jersey is set for 9 a.m. PST.
