Kicker Noah Thayer stepped up for Cal Poly’s opening kickoff on Saturday, and his kick reached the opposing two-yard line, but Montana State ran it downfield to score its first of many touchdowns in just 20 seconds. The Mustangs (4-6, 3-4 Big Sky) then committed two false starts on the first two plays of their possession.
This sequence set the tone for a 61-7 loss for the Mustangs, matching a 54-point loss to the non-conference University of Utah in 2025, which ended 63-9.
Cal Poly came into the Halloween game ranked seventh among the 13 Big Sky Conference teams, facing a challenge against FCS No. 3-ranked Montana State Bobcats (8-1, 5-1 BS) who were tied for first place.
After a 41-0 deficit, quarterback Anthony Grigsby Jr. was replaced by fifth-year Bo Kelly. Kelly saw some action in last week’s loss against Utah Tech and finished out this week’s game. He connected with wide receiver Tayvion McCoy for the one and only Cal Poly touchdown.
Many of Montana State’s touchdowns were long runs as they took advantage of gaps in the Cal Poly defense. Leading linebacker Mikey D’Amato has missed the past five games, including Saturday’s, with an injury. The team’s record since his injury is 1-4, compared to a 3-2 start before it. Along with a key defensive player out, two notable offensive players, Jaden Green and Fidel Pitts, were also out for Saturday’s matchup. These two often put up significant yards for Cal Poly, and their absences may account for the lack of total yards by the Mustangs in the loss.
After the Bobcats scored on the first possession, they scored again on the next to take a 14-0 lead in the first five minutes. They went on to score seven total touchdowns in the first half, with one PAT blocked. With a couple of seconds left before halftime, Cal Poly scored its only touchdown of the night.
The pace of scoring slowed in the second half as Montana State rotated in its backups, but the Bobcats still added two touchdowns to their score, ending the game 61-7.
The Mustangs return home to face No. 7 Northern Arizona University on Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.