BILLINGS — As the color analyst for Scripps Sports' coverage of Montana State football on the Montana Television Network, Ty Gregorak still has a front-row seat to the top talent across the Big Sky Conference.
Maybe not in the same way he did as a defensive coach and coordinator for both the Bobcats and Montana Grizzlies for 15 seasons, but it's a great view nonetheless.
And as it relates to the MVP conversation for the 2026 season, Gregorak says it's an open-and-shut case.
"There's a young man over the divide that just broke the Big Sky (touchdowns) record, and the guy's record that he broke is still making plays on Sundays," he told MTN Sports this week. "Give him offensive MVP right now. Just call it done."
Gregorak, of course, was referencing Montana running back Eli Gillman, whose record-shattering season has him in contention for the Big Sky's offensive player of the year honor and perhaps also the Walter Payton Award as the top performer in the FCS. Last week Gillman added another milestone when he surpassed Cooper Kupp's Big Sky mark of 77 career TDs.
The Grizzlies have three superstars on offense worthy of conference and national accolades — quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat and receiver Brooks Davis are the others. They have one of the most exciting and explosive units in the country.
But when you put that up against what No. 2-ranked Montana State has done this year — are we ever not comparing the Cats and Griz? — it's a different vibe. There are no real player of the year award candidates in Bozeman this year.
Instead, Montana State's offense has relied on a mixed bag of contributors as its own "Big 3" of quarterback Justin Lamson, running back Adam Jones and receiver Taco Dowler have missed time with injuries.
True freshman wideout and return specialist Carter Dahlke has certainly held things together, along with receiver Dane Steel, backup QB Patrick Duchien, running back Jared White, the deepest tight end group in the Big Sky and what remains a powerful offensive line.
"Everybody talks about Justin and Adam Jones and (tackle) Titan Fleischmann and Taco obviously when he's healthy," Gregorak said. "But I think their greatest weapon might be (tight end) Rocky Lencioni. I'm serious. I think he's an outstanding football player that they can put all over the field."
Entering this week, the Bobcats actually lead the Big Sky in scoring offense and are No. 2 in total offense behind Montana. And they're still the No. 2 rushing team in the league at 206.0 yards per game in spite of Jones' (and Lamson's) earlier absence.
Make no mistake: Lamson makes it all hum. His toughness, leadership and competitive desire are what drives the offense, and those qualities were on full display in last week's 28-26 triple-overtime win at ranked Idaho State, all while taking an absolute beating.
"Travis Lulay was the best quarterback that I had ever coached against, and that's still true. I'm out of the game. I'm just a media guy now," Gregorak said. "But Justin's the best quarterback that I've got to see since leaving football, and I put him on the Mount Rushmore of Montana State quarterbacks, and not just because of the national championship. I mean, if he was from Montana, people would talk about him the way they talk about Dave Dickenson, in my opinion.
"He's had a wayward, fortuitous journey to get to Bozeman, but he's found a home, and I think he's an outstanding football player, physically, athletically, talent-wise. But I think he's got it between the ears. And you can't coach the competitive nature he plays with. He's not afraid to yell at his teammates. And you know what? They respect him for that."
Defensively, it's been a similar story. Safety Caden Dowler missed significant time with injury earlier in the year. He can be considered the heartbeat of that unit. Dowler's tackle on Idaho State's two-point try in triple overtime last week was massive.
But there are standouts all over the field making an impact, from defensive ends Zac Crews and Seth Brock to linebackers Cole Taylor and Bryce Grebe to defensive backs Colter Petre and J.J. Dolan. And that only really scratches the surface.
Oh by the way, the Bobcats are No. 1 in the Big Sky in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense, and are No. 3 in passing defense. They lead the league in pass interceptions with 13, and no one individual has more than two.
Special teams-wise, MSU averages 33.1 yards per kickoff return, No. 1 in the league. Dahlke and Jabez Woods have both taken kickoffs back for touchdowns this season.
No MVP candidates, but the Bobcats are getting it done.
"It's a team, right?" Gregorak said. "It's a team, and I think when all three phases are doing what they're doing, you witnessed last Saturday just how elite Montana State's team can be."
MSU is already entrenched as the No. 1 team in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee's most recent playoff rankings, meaning the team at least on paper appears on the cusp of the top overall playoff seed and home-field advantage — provided the Cats take care of business in the next two weeks. MSU is tied with Northern Arizona atop the Big Sky standings but owns the tiebreaker for the league's auto-bid to the playoffs over the Lumberjacks.
The Bobcats travel to play Northern Colorado this week before The Big One — the 125th football clash with archrival Montana on Nov. 21 in Bozeman.
Last year MSU beat the Grizzlies twice, including in the semifinal playoff round on its way to winning the program's first national championship in 41 years.
"Hey, it doesn't matter if it's being played for the Big Sky championship or one team is 7-4 or whatever, that game's special," Gregorak said. "We're already starting to talk about it. It's one of the greatest rivalries in the country. You can't argue that."