BOBCAT HISTORY LESSON: Joy in Butte
11/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
It isn't hard, in the long history of the 'Cat-Griz game, to find University of Montana winning streaks. The University went 20 straight without losing to the Bobcats from 1909 to 1928, and everyone knows of the 16-game streak that the Bobcats ended in Washington-Grizzly Stadium two years ago.
One the most emotional such streaks spanned the period of time from the Great Depression to the post-World War II recovery, a 10-game streak that spanned 14 years and ended on the cinder field at Butte's Naranche Stadium on a beautiful October afternoon in 1947.
The outlook wasn't great from east of the divide heading into that game. The State College in Bozeman had not beaten the Grizzlies since 1932, and in eight of those contests had not managed to score. The previous year's tilt had brought much hope to the Bozeman campus, but little in the way of satisfaction. The Bobcats' first post-war team was successful, rolling up a 4-3-2 record, the program's first winning season since 1930, but the team lost to the Grizzlies 20-7.
The 1947 contest marked the 50th anniversary of the first battle between Montana State University and Montana State College. The rivalry is often referred to as one that pits brother against brother, and that was literally true in 1947. In fact, on one possession, Bobcat Jim O'Laughlin punted to his brother, Jack, a Grizzly.
As 11,500 watched, the largest to watch a football game in the Treasure State to that point, both teams challenged the goal line in the first half, but neither crossed it. Early in the second quarter, Jack O'Laughlin, who had returned a punt from his brother deep into Bobcat territory, scored on a two-yard run to give UM a 6-0 lead. One can't help but wonder as the emotions of the O'Laughlin boys' father, who was the athletic trainer at the University of Montana. Buck Prueninger missed the extra point.
Montana State's first big break came later in the third quarter, when Bill Boston took the ball away from Montana's quarterback on an attempted handoff. Gene Bourdet's four-yard fourth-down flip to Harry Perrigo capped that drive and tied the score. Former Grizzly Barney Berger gave MSC a 7-6 lead with the PAT. Montana State's defense, now energized after the 'Cats took the lead, forced a three-and-out, then blocked the Grizzly punt. Bobcat great Bill Zupan returned it to the University three. On another fourth down, John Heine punched it over the goal line, and Montana State led 13-6.
Late in the game, after a Bobcat fumble, Pierre Roberts caught a pass from Dan Radakovich and scampered 58 yards to pull the Grizzlies to within one. That was the longest pass play in the rivalry to that point. But Bill Clawson blocked Prueninger's extra point, and Montana State held that slim one-point lead. Montana had one more crack, but from the MSC 43 was stuffed on a fourth-and-two, and the Bobcats had their first victory over their arch-rivals in 17 years.
Bobcat fans erupted, letting go 15 years of pent-up frustration. Montana State students stormed the field, and boosters from both sides flooded Butte's uptown area. For two interested observers, the win was especially sweet. Bobcat marching band director Lou Howard had seen every one of the 50 meetings between the schools, including the very first in 1897, when he was a student in Missoula. The win was also meaningful for Bobcat coach Clyde Carpenter, who posted his only win in four tries over his alma mater that day. Carpenter had been the leading rusher for the Grizzlies in 1929, when Montana State snapped its two-decade dry spell against the University.
(The Bobcat History Lesson can be heard, in all its glory, on Kris Atteberry's pre-game report between 11 and 11:30 am on Saturday... the information for this lesson was gleaned from the 1948 Montanan, and from Pat Kearney's Outstanding new book, The Divide War - Montana's Golden Treasure.)
One the most emotional such streaks spanned the period of time from the Great Depression to the post-World War II recovery, a 10-game streak that spanned 14 years and ended on the cinder field at Butte's Naranche Stadium on a beautiful October afternoon in 1947.
The outlook wasn't great from east of the divide heading into that game. The State College in Bozeman had not beaten the Grizzlies since 1932, and in eight of those contests had not managed to score. The previous year's tilt had brought much hope to the Bozeman campus, but little in the way of satisfaction. The Bobcats' first post-war team was successful, rolling up a 4-3-2 record, the program's first winning season since 1930, but the team lost to the Grizzlies 20-7.
The 1947 contest marked the 50th anniversary of the first battle between Montana State University and Montana State College. The rivalry is often referred to as one that pits brother against brother, and that was literally true in 1947. In fact, on one possession, Bobcat Jim O'Laughlin punted to his brother, Jack, a Grizzly.
As 11,500 watched, the largest to watch a football game in the Treasure State to that point, both teams challenged the goal line in the first half, but neither crossed it. Early in the second quarter, Jack O'Laughlin, who had returned a punt from his brother deep into Bobcat territory, scored on a two-yard run to give UM a 6-0 lead. One can't help but wonder as the emotions of the O'Laughlin boys' father, who was the athletic trainer at the University of Montana. Buck Prueninger missed the extra point.
Montana State's first big break came later in the third quarter, when Bill Boston took the ball away from Montana's quarterback on an attempted handoff. Gene Bourdet's four-yard fourth-down flip to Harry Perrigo capped that drive and tied the score. Former Grizzly Barney Berger gave MSC a 7-6 lead with the PAT. Montana State's defense, now energized after the 'Cats took the lead, forced a three-and-out, then blocked the Grizzly punt. Bobcat great Bill Zupan returned it to the University three. On another fourth down, John Heine punched it over the goal line, and Montana State led 13-6.
Late in the game, after a Bobcat fumble, Pierre Roberts caught a pass from Dan Radakovich and scampered 58 yards to pull the Grizzlies to within one. That was the longest pass play in the rivalry to that point. But Bill Clawson blocked Prueninger's extra point, and Montana State held that slim one-point lead. Montana had one more crack, but from the MSC 43 was stuffed on a fourth-and-two, and the Bobcats had their first victory over their arch-rivals in 17 years.
Bobcat fans erupted, letting go 15 years of pent-up frustration. Montana State students stormed the field, and boosters from both sides flooded Butte's uptown area. For two interested observers, the win was especially sweet. Bobcat marching band director Lou Howard had seen every one of the 50 meetings between the schools, including the very first in 1897, when he was a student in Missoula. The win was also meaningful for Bobcat coach Clyde Carpenter, who posted his only win in four tries over his alma mater that day. Carpenter had been the leading rusher for the Grizzlies in 1929, when Montana State snapped its two-decade dry spell against the University.
(The Bobcat History Lesson can be heard, in all its glory, on Kris Atteberry's pre-game report between 11 and 11:30 am on Saturday... the information for this lesson was gleaned from the 1948 Montanan, and from Pat Kearney's Outstanding new book, The Divide War - Montana's Golden Treasure.)
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