BOZEMAN, Montana — Montana State is in the national championship for the second year in a row and the third time in five years. So it’s easy to forget that the Bobcats went through a roster overhaul last off-season.
The seamless transition that has led to a 13-game winning streak and a chance to claim the program’s first national title in 41 years can perhaps best be described by the relationship between the veteran Bobcat defensive line and its youthful secondary.
The MSU front features four seniors, including captains Paul Brott and Kenneth Eiden. The secondary features just one veteran upperclassmen in captain Caden Dowler. The rest are freshmen, sophomores, or new contributors. Or all three.
The emergence of the secondary has formed the perfect marriage for a d-line that saw all four seniors earn all-conference honors. And that secondary will be put to the test again in Nashville. Good thing Montana State put in the work to mesh the eclectic yet talented unit in the off-season, at least according to Brott.
“We had so many people graduate last year or transfer that it was kind of a new team, new beginning,” Brott said. “And Coach Vigen talks about it…we were in here (Bobcat Athletic Complex) for our first team meeting a week or whatever after last year’s national championship game (a 35-32 loss to North Dakota State). The first team meeting back, everyone had wide eyes like, ‘Oh, what are we going to do?’”
The defensive line graduated All-American Brody Grebe and stalwart defensive tackle Blake Schmidt. The secondary saw all-conference safety Rylan Ortt, nickelback Miles Jackson, and steady cornerback Simeon Woodard graduate, while corners Jon Johnson and Andrew Powdrell along with safety Dru Polidore hit the transfer portal. MSU had to come together with a new look and a bunch of young talent, particularly on the back end.
“There had to be a lot of team bonding,” Brott said. “There was times where we would meet up in separate groups, and we would talk, and we just try to get to know each other. Wat’s your family? Where are you from?
“A lot of team bonding outside of here, and just trying to get to know people. We decided don’t talk to the same person in the locker room every day. Go around and talk to different people and just have fun.”
That’s helped empower a secondary that expected to feature safeties Caden Dowler and Taki Uluilakepa, sophomore cornerback Takhari Carr, sophomore nickelback Tayden Gray and freshman Jhase McMillan as the primary candidates to fill those positions. The Bobcats brought in junior college transfer Bryant Meredith during the spring signing period.
What transpired since spring has been arguably the biggest reason for the success of the 2025 MSU team. A pair of virtually unheard-of cornerbacks – Carson Williams and Seth Johnson – joined the mix in the spring and the Bobcats eventually evolved into the deepest, most aggressive and fastest secondary unit in the country.
That wasn’t the full extent of the depth and breadth of MSU’s secondary as Colter Petre, JJ Dolan and Tim Thomas all put in valuable reps and minutes as the season went along. Those three were all contributors on special teams cover units and they were joined there by a couple of promising secondary members in Texas speedsters Kory Boyd and Brendan Ross.
“I knew our young corners would have to step up,” MSU head coach Brent Vigen said. “But the collective success of that group — it’s not just one of them, they’ve traded off who has flashed — that group has exceeded our expectations, for sure.”
Dowler, who may not play in the title game, became the Big Sky Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Gray was named second-team All-BSC as a defensive back. The rest didn’t receive any postseason honors, which was probably just due to the amount of rotating multiple players the Bobcats did at all cornerback positions and the safety spot opposite Dowler. From the start of the season, MSU was continually rotating Carr, McMillan, Johnson and Williams so often that any play made by a corner required a careful look to ensure that the correct player was credited.
All told, MSU went from having no returning starters following its 35-32 to North Dakota State in the national title game for its five secondary positions to 11 fully functional players capable of being on the field with minimal drop off in skill and ability.
Aside from the depth, perhaps the biggest difference between the 2024 and 2025 secondaries was the speed and intensity the cornerback and nickelback positions put on display each week. McMillan was third in the Texas 6A state track meet in the 200 meters and ran a 10.3 100 meters, while Gray was a state 200-meter champion in the Texas Christian Athletic Federation state meet.
The spotlight became focused on the MSU secondary during its matchup with Northern Colorado. McMillan drilled UNC wide receiver Carver Cheeks, who would be selected to the All-BSC first team, on the first and third plays of the game which netted just one yard and forced a punt. On the second play of the next UNC possession, Johnson hit Cheeks and jarred the ball loose, knocking Cheeks out of the game temporarily in the process. A play later, Johnson broke up another pass and then on third down he held a reception to a three-yard gain to all but single-handedly forced another punt.
The following week Dowler started one of the greatest hot streaks in terms of turnovers by a safety in MSU and BSC history. He would ring up six interceptions and force two fumbles over a five-game stretch, which included returns for touchdowns against UC Davis and Montana. His 267 interception return yards shattered the 54-year-old BSC record of 233 yards set in 1971 by Boise State’s Joe Larkin.
Gray also had a big season for MSU as he was fifth on the team in tackles (49), second in interceptions (2) and his only sack of the year came in the national semifinal game when the Grizzlies were looking to get back in the game down 34-23. Gray blitzed from the left side of the defense, broke through two blockers and sacked UM quarterback Keali’i Ah Yat on the first play of the possession for an 11-yard loss causing UM to go three-and-out. The Bobcats would score on their ensuing possession to go up 41-23 all but salting the game away.
“I think the young guys in the secondary have done an unbelievable job,” MSU safeties coach Bryan Shepherd said. “Seeing them Week 2 to now, seeing the growth that this secondary has displayed on Saturdays has been amazing. I think they have done a good job of just attacking every single day and being competitors. Every day when we are working together, they are communication on a high level and knowing our next move every single time as far as our adjustments on the back end.
“Coach Vigs has done such a good job of building this program to where it’s at and the DBs are an example of that.”
The young secondary has a stiff test coming its way this Monday when they face a trio of Illinois State receivers led by one of the most football savvy seniors in the nation. Daniel Sobkowicz, a physical 6-foot-3, 205-pound stallion has been prolific throughout his career but has bumped his level up in the Redbirds four playoff games. During that stretch he’s hauled in 29 passes for 403 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Sobowicz is a huge priority,” Vigen said. “It’s knowing where he’s at. It’s minimizing, I want to say easy opportunities but for him during this playoff run, easy has been just throwing it up and he’s going to find a way to come down with it. I think our philosophy all season long and this week is in the secondary to show different looks. Sobowicz is at the top of the list of talented guys we’ve seen all year,” Vigen said. “He’s part of a great receiving corps. He’s the leader and he has 18 TDs. He’s been phenomenal in the playoffs.”
The Bobcats are apt to want to have a safety leaning toward Sobkowicz’s side of the field, but Vigen knows they have to be prepared for any situation.
“If we are in a situation where we are in a one-on-one, let’s be smart about that, let’s keep the ball in front of us, let’s go up and contest him the best we can,” Vigen said.
“But he’s been on a heater as of late in particular and he’s physical, and he can get himself open, too, so it’s not just this big guy who can use his physicality. He is a great route runner. He has good speed. He has GREAT hands. We have seen some good receivers over the last few years but he’s certainly up there.”
It doesn’t hurt that Sobkowicz and quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse are good friends and came into the ISU program together.
“It’s been awesome to see this connection continue to bloom,” Rittenhouse said. “He’s one of my good friends and it’s been me and him since freshman year. Over the years, the chemistry has built up. We have spent a ton of time throwing routes on air. He got his opportunity earlier than me but now that I’ve stayed consistent, it’s awesome to see it flourish now.”
“Maybe it’s where they’re from, they’re both from the western side of Chicago,” ISU head coach Brock Spack said. “They take a lot of pride in the high school football they come from. They’re from similar backgrounds, similar areas of the city. They just have a bond. They’re the same age; they came in together. They just connected and they’ve been through the good and the bad. Both have had injuries, both have a poor game here and there. I think the two of them going through the pluses and minuses together has really made them bond. Just a heck of a combination.”
As good as Sobkowicz is, Rittenhouse keys everything in the pass game and he has MVFC freshman of the year Luke Mailander at his disposal.
“It really starts with their quarterback,” Vigen said. “Rittenhouse has had a heck of a year. Any time you are throwing for more than 3,300 yards and you’re almost to 500 yards rushing, he can do it with his arms and his legs. He’s really playing at a high clip in particular these last few weeks and in the playoffs.”
Shephard has some history with Illinois State from his playing days at North Dakota State from 2011-13.
“No. 1 thing I remember about going against Illinois State when I was a player was….we beat them every single time,” Shepherd deadpanned on Monday before bursting into laughter. “They were a big, physical team. And that’s what we have to expect on Monday, January 5, too. They are big, they are physical, they have talent on the outside.”
The Bobcats and Redbirds continue their prep for the title game in Nashville, Tennessee this week. MSU departs for the Music City on Friday.
