Special teams don’t get on the field a big chunk of the time during a typical football game. Even when they do the kickoff often sails out of the end zone or isn’t returned, punts are fair caught and extra points are easily converted with little fanfare.
At Montana State, however, when that ball is in play on special teams, it can be some of the most exciting moments of a game.
“I think special teams at Montana State is a little bit different than everyone else,” MSU safety and special teams ace Colter Petre said. “We take it a little bit differently. Even if you’re a starter, you want to be on special teams, because we want to be great in all three facets of the game. That’s where you make your living before you become a starter. That’s where I’ve grown up. You see the guys that come up through this program. The Rylan Ortts, Nolan Askelson’s, the Brody Grebe’s, even Tommy Mellot played special teams when they were younger. That’s the way to find your way on the field, find your seat on the plane. Everyone plays special teams when you’re younger.”
Petre and the punt return team were on full display last Saturday against Utah Tech. Pitre got the show started with a blocked punt that saw the ball bound around to the feet of linebacker Xavier Ahrens, who scooped it up easily and went untouched for a touchdown.
“Any time we can get a score on special teams it’s a good day,” Petre said. “After that we we’re rolling, it kind of opened it up and we were able to (open up the lead) even more. I was just rushing the B gap. There’s two hammers (players set up between the line and punter). I was expecting one of them to come down on me. They both dumped down on Caden (Dowler). I had a free edge, ran and scoped it right of the foot. Clear picture for me.”
When Petre wasn’t blocking the punt, Taco Dowler served as a good backup plan as he returned three punts for 72 yards setting the Big Sky Conference record for punt return yardage in the process.
Dowler has a chance to set the Football Championship Subdivision record for return yards this season as he only needs 206 more yards to do so. Marquay McDaniel of Hampton holds the record with 1,668 yards. Dowler currently has 1,462 yards.
“I think he wants the ball in his hands, so whether it’s a handoff, a bubble screen, a punt return, a down the field, he just wants the ball in his hands and he’s really skilled,” MSU head coach Brent Vigen said. “Returning punts, catching punts, making decisions, being fearless, setting blocks up…I mean there’s a lot that goes into being that guy. It’s not just being elusive; it’s not just being fast. He’s got all those things, and this goes back, I’m sure, to playing youth football in Billings. This is not an overnight deal. “
Dowler’s penchant for making big punt returns is well documented. He had a return for a score in a huge late season game against UC Davis in 2024, that MSU held on for a 30-28 win and his 95-yard return last season in a 34-10 win at Northern Arizona got the Bobcats on the scoreboard after a rough start. But his ability to seemingly just get something, like his three returns of over 20 yards against Utah Tech on every return may be his biggest impact.
In the 2025 semifinal game against Montana, he had just 41 return yards, but each of his 17-yard returns on the first two punts led to touchdowns and put MSU up 13-0. Later in the game he had returns of 10 and seven yards, with the first coming before his 87-yard fourth quarter touchdown reception to put MSU up 34-23, the next leading to another score and a 41-23 lead. Aside from the long score, the drives were of 60, 55 and 60 yards, respectively, instead of starting 77, 72 and 70 yards from the end zone.
“That being said he’s got an awful lot of skill, and we try to do everything we can to give him opportunities,” Vigen said. “I think through his time here whether its through Marcus Monaco now or Justin Udy before him, those guys have done a really good job of making that an offensive play as many times as it can be. Flipping the field as many times as we can.”
The plays made on special teams reverberate throughout the Big Sky and nation.
“Picking times to put pressure on so teams have to appreciate our ability to put pressure on,” Vigen says is vital. “Now that we blocked a punt that’s going to be on everybody’s radar. That factors into your ability to return if you can show a wide variety of things you’re willing to do, because honestly getting the punt off for a punt team is the most important thing. Now covering becomes a close second but getting it off is the first, so that ability of ours to get after the punt (will) continue to be something each and every week. We’re going to try to throw a new scheme at a team every week and then create as many opportunities as possible for Taco.
“He is special, there’s no denying that and all he needs is a start and all he needs is ten other guys busting their tail out there, which they do. They take a lot of pride and when you have a great returner that guy really inspires those other ten guys to do everything they can and not be that one guy that got beat, because we had a couple of those. We had one guy probably come up short on at least two of Taco’s otherwise those are maybe a couple more touchdowns for him. He’s been able to impact the game in so many ways that he can continue to get better and better and I’m anxious for those opportunities as we continue to move forward.”
Vigen concurred with Petre that special teams are held in high regard throughout the program as MSU has a deep history of marquee players fighting for spots on the special teams units, especially the cover teams.
“Our guys value getting on the field and making a contribution however they can and for so many of them that starts on the special teams side,” Vigen said. “I’m guessing in Colter’s situation it’s probably Rylan Ortt’s pulling him aside and saying this is how it’s done. In the meantime, he’s seeing whether it’s Caden or whoever make that transition and it’s that hand-me-down process from one great player to the next on how he got there and I’m just sure in front of Rylan it’s Ty Okada, whoever, I think it’s that progression of guys becoming star offensive players or defensive players but ultimately telling the younger guys this is how I got there.”
That all meshed together on Petre’s punt block. Petre has been a stalwart on cover teams since 2024, Ahrens is a young, budding star at linebacker, while Caden Dowler is the veteran BSC reigning defensive player of the year. Those three layers of age and experience blended together as Dowler attracted two blockers to free up Petre for the block and Ahrens took care of the rest.
“You know Caden took on two blockers, so Colter didn’t get blocked,” Vigen pointed out. “That’s not necessarily how we had it schemed up but it worked out that way so still having our starters still have an impact in some way and really valuing that opportunity I think it becomes clear to younger guys to say this is what this team needs. We talk about all the time it’s knowing your role, it’s embracing, it’s not always going to be loving your role because this is where I’m going to be forever but what do I need to do to continue to progress on this team and what do I need to do for this team to do all it can. Special teams and attention to detail and great effort is such a great part of who we are and how guys move up through the system.”
That tradition of special teams excellence has carried over all the way to the NFL where a pair of former Bobcat’ special teams stars, who worked their way into starting positions at MSU, have now played multiple seasons at the highest level. Ty Okada was a nickelback for MSU and is now a safety, who participates on special teams for the world champion Seattle Seahawks, while Daniel Hardy played defensive end and linebacker at MSU and recently was named to the Chicago Bears 53-man roster for the second straight season.
“Well, I think for both of them no one was going to tell them they couldn’t do it,” Vigen said. “I think they’re both wired that way first and foremost and they were going to be able to do whatever it took. Those special teams capabilities are amplified and you could be a guy like both of them were by the end of their careers they were both stars for us. Their special teams role had taken a step back, but they were still willing to do it.
“Daniel’s senior year, my first year here, he was our most impactful kickoff guy. That’s all he did but he did that to the best of his ability. I know we kept Ty running the punt return much like we are with Caden. Ty came up with a punt block and he was directing traffic. So, you have that mindset as a football player, ‘I want to do whatever I can to the best of my ability and it doesn’t matter what it is.’”
Vigen stresses that having a big ego can be a huge detriment.
“If you’re so narrow-minded that you say, ‘well I became this star and this is all I am as a defensive player,’ you’re probably not going to have the same level of success moving forward,” Vigen said. “That doesn’t matter where you come from. I know both those guys approached everything they had been given, as far as opportunity, the right way and have worked so hard even in their time since they’ve left here to become the very best that they can. Every time I hear one of those guys get interviewed, they have a chance to talk about there’s another step for them. I couldn’t be more proud of what they’ve become, they’ve become pros and it’s nothing but that, they’ve become pros and they’ve become the best that they could.”
The Bobcats will be working to have another breakout day this week when they entertain the Butler Bulldogs at Bobcat Stadium in MSU’s annual Gold Rush game, which starts at 6:30.
