Montana State had three new starters at its three top offensive skill positions for this past Saturday’s 28-14 win over Northern Arizona. All three – quarterback Patrick Duchein, running back Colson Coon and true freshman wide receiver Carter Dahlke – had memorable, if not historic, nights.
Of the three, Dahlke’s was the most unique.
First half stats aren’t tracked too much for individual players over the years, so it’s unknown just where Dahlke’s game stacked up. But his seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown all came in the first half in the homecoming game against the Lumberjacks. There were only five other Bobcats who caught passes and they totaled just nine receptions for 87 yards for the entire game.]
It’s even more impressive when you consider Dahlke is a true freshman from local Gallatin High.
“Practicing all week knowing that you’re going to be getting more opportunities and practice with just a different sense of purpose,” Dahlke said of what the difference between the NAU week and other weeks. “It’s really nothing different. It’s the same plays we’ve been calling since spring. Same scheme, so it’s just next guy up. Do what (wide receiver/punt returner) Taco (Dowler) would’ve done. Follow him and how he plays the game and just step up and contribute as much as I can to help fill that spot.”
Dahlke’s talent has been well recognized since he the first time he donned his jersey in spring camp and it has carried through to the season.
“He’s very talented first and foremost,” MSU head coach Brent Vigen said. “He matches it with intelligence and work ethic. His competitive confidence…I don’t think he came into that game thinking he’d do any less than what he did. He was just going to get more opportunities and with those opportunities he showed what he can do in more volume than at any point this season.”
While the play of the trio stood out – Coon ran for 197 yards on just 17 carries with one catch for three yards, and Duchein was 16-20 for 204 yards and a touchdown along with 77 yards rushing and two touchdowns – and it initially surprised everyone, it was explained away by Coon. He noted that all three have been working in the same unit – the twos as they’re called – since this past spring when Dahlke, who had already graduated high school, enrolled at MSU early and began practicing.
“We know what’s going on from getting all those reps in practices,” Coon said. “So, it was nice to all kind of move up at the same time and go show what we can do together.”
Dahlke made the most of beginning to work with the team back in the spring. He picked up the offense quickly and it had a springboard effect on his young college career.
“Looking back to him being here in the spring I think that was a positive piece to making that transition,” Vigen said. “So, that transition didn’t truly happen this fall, but I know we’ve got a lot of confidence in him and his ability to come in and do the things he did or has done to this point. He’ll continue to have a key role with Taco being down and with (wide receiver) Parker (Mady) continuing to be a question mark each and every week.”
Of MSU’s 491 yards of total offense, the three accounted for 481 of them via the pass, rush or reception.
Duchein backs up starter Justin Lamson, Coon is behind Adam Jones and Dahlke is Taco Dowler’s primary relief. Dahlke also filled in for Dowler on punt returns and he had one return for seven yards.
Duchein and Dahlke have developed a rapport that most wouldn’t expect from a couple players not at the top of the depth chart.
“I think we got a great chemistry,” Dahlke said. “I think we both understand what each other is thinking. He knows where I’m going to be on every play. So, just being able to rely on all the practice reps we’ve had throughout the year, I think that really helps us. He’s obviously such a great football player, there’s no worry about him stepping up and making a play. He played great so just relying on that trust and all those practices.”
The Lumberjacks were either unaware that Dowler wasn’t going to play, or they knew of Dahlke’s abilities as a punt returner from his high school days, because they were prepared to kick the ball away from the return man, whoever it was.
“I would just say there was no drop,” Dahlke said of replacing the All-America trio. “Once we learned that Justin wasn’t playing nobody batted an eye. We all know that Pat can come in and make that play. We all believe that he’s a great quarterback and he proved that to the entire Bobcat Nation on Saturday, but inside the locker room there’s no doubt. No thinking twice about it. We know Pat’s the guy and we trust him and we knew he was going to go out there and make a bunch of plays and he did.
“We couldn’t be more thankful to have a backup quarterback like that who can come in and be a true amazing starter. We’re obviously blessed to have him, his mind set and how he approaches everything. Everybody just loves how he works and the effort and talent he has, but I’d say there was zero drop. Everybody in the room, everybody in the building believes in him and we knew he’d come out and play.”
Dahlke was a phenomenal player at Bozeman’s Gallatin High School where he had a stunning junior season returning punts. Getting just 12 chances he returned four for touchdowns and averaged 28.6 per return. His all-purpose – rushing, receiving, punt return and kickoff return – yardage came in at 2,351 yards or 218.7 per game. He had 58 catches for 1,208 yards and 13 touchdowns, 66 carries for 648 yards and seven touchdowns, 12 punt returns for 343 yards and four scores, and 152 yards returning kicks.
He played quarterback, running back, wide receiver, defensive back, punt returner and kickoff returner over the course of his prep career. He was widely considered the best defensive back in the state of Montana. he rolled up 171 tackles, including 133 solo stops and a stunning 24 tackles for loss.
That success and ability planted the seed in his head to potentially opt out of his final high school semester by graduating early and enrolling at MSU.
“I don’t honestly remember what made me first think of it, but I remember calling coach Vigen one day at the end of my junior year and just bringing it up to him and talking about what it would like and if it was something that could work out,” Dahlke said. “Taking that into summer he was a supportive person behind it and he’s definitely someone who thought it could help me and I’m honestly very grateful that I chose to do it. It was a great opportunity, learned a ton and that’s just because of the guys I came into the room with. That entire receiving room welcomed me. It started with Taco and Dane (Steel) and all those guys and then just learning from (wide receivers) coach (James) Price and it ended up being such a great learning experience.”
With Montana State just a few miles south of Gallatin High and his family living in the area, it made the transition easy for the stout 5-foot-9, 175-pounder, who has 13 catches for 245 yards and two touchdowns. His receiving yardage total is second on the team, while his 18.8 yards per catch leads the Bobcats. He also has one carry for nine yards and one punt return for seven yards.
“Being so close to home really helped,” Dahlke said. “Being able to go back home on the weekend and hang out with the family that really helped ground me. I know a lot of freshmen struggle with that, so I was blessed to be able to stay in town and go to a school like this. I really think the million practice reps you take through spring and fall camp helped me become comfortable with the scheme, with the offense, with the play calls and then build that chemistry with Pat and all those other quarterbacks that when they get their opportunity, then I got chemistry with them.”
Montana State football is one of the most successful and well-supported programs in Football Championship Subdivision and rivals or exceeds most G6 teams in that regard. MSU regularly sells out its home games and recently received Montana Board of Regents approval to spend $5 million on the design for a renovation of the east grandstand and north end zone area.
“It’s everything I could’ve imagined,” Dahlke said. “Bobcat Nation is a big reason why I chose to come here. The support from the community, ya know I felt it a ton as a recruit. Now being on the team good, bad, ugly Bobcat Nation supports us and that’s what we love. Thinking back to Central Connecticut State we’re down 21-7 and the students get us a stop basically and just having that support – Bobcat Stadium’s poppin’ – that’s why people come here and that’s why I love it here. We’re blessed to have Bobcat Nation behind us, and the fans are what make the place, honestly. It exceeded everything I thought it could be. This stadium, this atmosphere and I couldn’t be happier being in a place like this.”
Next up for Dahlke and the Bobcats is a deceptive opponent in the University of Idaho. The Vandals are 0-4 but have lost their three FCS games by a total of 12 points, along with their last two at home. They play in one of the loudest arenas in the FCS and have used that to their advantage over the years, including a 24-21 win over MSU in 2023. The teams kick off at 8:30 Mountain Time and 7:30 locally in Moscow.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge, but I think we’re ready for it,” Dahlke said. “They’re a better team than their record shows, obviously, three close games, three one score losses. I think they’re really talented and everybody in this building believes that so just starting today, starting with prep for them – with just a little bit of an adjusted schedule – but I think everybody’s ready to go out there to the Kibbie Dome and put on a show. We’re really excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to go there and play Friday night.”
