BILLINGS — A seemingly trivial moment during the Big Sky Kickoff in Spokane, Wash., turned into a revealing confession from Montana State's Taco Dowler. In a one-on-one interview with MTN Sports, he was asked to share something about himself that would surprise his teammates. After a pause, he perked up. "Me and (twin brother) Caden are both colorblind."

Colorblindness, or color vision deficiency, is not rare. The National Eye Institute notes that roughly 1 in 12 men in the U.S. have some difficulty distinguishing certain colors. Taco clarified that he and Caden are not completely colorblind, but it's a daily challenge. While in Spokane, he pointed out how he couldn't clearly tell the different patterns on the carpet at The Pavilion of the Northern Quest Resort & Casino.

Most people with colorblindness manage everyday tasks without major issues, and football is no exception. But Taco admitted that some games are tougher than others. "The Weber (State) game last year was pretty difficult, like punt returning," he said. "But I think it was difficult for everyone because it was our camo, our digital camo navy jerseys. I don't even know what color they were wearing, honestly. But it looked similar to ours, especially when it's punt returning. It's chaos, and you don't know who's on your team or not."

Despite this visual confusion, the Dowler twins have been exceptional on the field since their youth at Billings West High School. Both were key contributors during Montana State's national championship run in 2025. Taco developed into one of the most dangerous playmakers in the FCS, hauling in 77 passes for 1,025 yards and seven touchdowns, earning All-America and first-team All-Big Sky honors. Whether lining up at receiver or returning punts, he delivered game-changing moments — an 87-yard touchdown catch in the semifinals against Montana and a fourth-down TD reception in overtime of the championship game versus Illinois State.

Caden, meanwhile, anchored the Bobcats' secondary from his safety position. He finished with 90 total tackles and six interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. His interception return for a TD in the regular-season finale against Montana secured a crucial 31-28 victory, giving the team home-field advantage through the semifinal round of the playoffs.

So for the Dowlers, distinguishing colors might be a challenge. For everyone else, distinguishing their talent is not.