Caden Dowler, Justin Lamson Named Finalists for Stats Perform FCS National Awards
11/25/2025 10:44:00 AM | Football
Dowler is among 30 Buck Buchanan Finalists, while Lamson is one of 30 finalists for the Walter Payton Award
Buchanan Award: 30 FCS Defensive Standouts Named Finalists for 2025 Buck Buchanan Award | Opta Analyst
Payton Award: 30 FCS Offensive Standouts Named Finalists for 2025 Walter Payton Award | Opta Analyst
BOZEMAN, Mont. (Nov. 25, 2025) – Stats Perform named Montana State juniors Caden Dowler and Justin Lamson among 30 finalists for two of its major individual awards, the organization announced on Tuesday.
Dowler is one of 30 finalists for the 2025 Buck Buchanan Award and Justin Lamson, presented to the to defensive player in Division I FCS college football. Lamson joins 29 others as finalists for the Walter Payton Award as the subdivision's top offensive player.
Dowler, who looks to become the third Bobcat to win the award, is one of two Big Sky players on the list. He joins UC Davis defensive end Jacob Psyk. He is one of nine defensive backs, and one of seven underclassmen. Two Bobcats, defensive ends Brad Daly (2013) and Caleb Schreibeis (2012) previously won the Buck Buchanan Award.
The Billings West product has already made history this week, becoming the first Bobcat named Big Sky Player of the Week in three consecutive weeks. He logged six tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown in Montana State's 31-28 win at Montana on Saturday to seal his third straight award. He finishes the regular season as the team leader with four interceptions and 78 tackles, and also broke up four passes, forced two fumbles, and registered 5.5 tackles-for-loss with one sack.
Lamson, the Bobcats' starting quarterback throughout the season, is one of four Big Sky nominees for the Payton Award. He joins UM quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat, Sacramento State running back Rodney Hammond Jr. and UM receiver Michael Wortham. He looks to follow his predecessor Tommy Mellott, who became the first Bobcat to take home the Payton Award last year.
A transfer from Stanford originally from the Sacramento, California, area, Lamson is enjoying the most accurate passing season in Bobcat history to this point. He has completed 72.4 percent of his passes (194-for-268) for 2,345 yards with 20 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He won Big Sky Player of the Week honors on Monday after leading the Cats to the win in Missoula by completing 18 of his 20 pass attempts, rushing and throwing for at least one touchdown each in the school-record seventh straight game.
Both the Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan Award, along with the Jerry Rice Award for freshman of the year and the Eddie Robinson Award for coach of the year, are presented on Jan. 3 at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show in Nashville, Tennessee.
#GoCatsGo
Payton Award: 30 FCS Offensive Standouts Named Finalists for 2025 Walter Payton Award | Opta Analyst
BOZEMAN, Mont. (Nov. 25, 2025) – Stats Perform named Montana State juniors Caden Dowler and Justin Lamson among 30 finalists for two of its major individual awards, the organization announced on Tuesday.
Dowler is one of 30 finalists for the 2025 Buck Buchanan Award and Justin Lamson, presented to the to defensive player in Division I FCS college football. Lamson joins 29 others as finalists for the Walter Payton Award as the subdivision's top offensive player.
Dowler, who looks to become the third Bobcat to win the award, is one of two Big Sky players on the list. He joins UC Davis defensive end Jacob Psyk. He is one of nine defensive backs, and one of seven underclassmen. Two Bobcats, defensive ends Brad Daly (2013) and Caleb Schreibeis (2012) previously won the Buck Buchanan Award.
The Billings West product has already made history this week, becoming the first Bobcat named Big Sky Player of the Week in three consecutive weeks. He logged six tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown in Montana State's 31-28 win at Montana on Saturday to seal his third straight award. He finishes the regular season as the team leader with four interceptions and 78 tackles, and also broke up four passes, forced two fumbles, and registered 5.5 tackles-for-loss with one sack.
Lamson, the Bobcats' starting quarterback throughout the season, is one of four Big Sky nominees for the Payton Award. He joins UM quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat, Sacramento State running back Rodney Hammond Jr. and UM receiver Michael Wortham. He looks to follow his predecessor Tommy Mellott, who became the first Bobcat to take home the Payton Award last year.
A transfer from Stanford originally from the Sacramento, California, area, Lamson is enjoying the most accurate passing season in Bobcat history to this point. He has completed 72.4 percent of his passes (194-for-268) for 2,345 yards with 20 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He won Big Sky Player of the Week honors on Monday after leading the Cats to the win in Missoula by completing 18 of his 20 pass attempts, rushing and throwing for at least one touchdown each in the school-record seventh straight game.
Both the Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan Award, along with the Jerry Rice Award for freshman of the year and the Eddie Robinson Award for coach of the year, are presented on Jan. 3 at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show in Nashville, Tennessee.
#GoCatsGo
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