Ty O'Connor, here with fellow Montanan Kevin Lundstrom (#47)
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcats by the Numbers: 63
6/28/2013 9:40:00 AM | Football
If you wree a Big Sky offensive lineman in the 1990s, you didn't like seeing #63 in Blue and Gold
Every day we look at players who donned the jersey number corresponding to the number of days until the Bobcats open the 2013 season on August 29 against Monmouth. The list of MSU football players by the jersey number is based on preseason rosters. The set of available rosters is complete from 1946-81 and '83-present. Only the 1926-27, 1934, 1937 and 1941 rosters are available in the pre-WWII years. Corrections, additions, or rosters that fill out the set are welcome to blamberty@msubobcats.com.
#63
Kyle Godecke, OL: In any college football season, it's hard to recognize key moments or turning points except in hindsight. That wasn't really the case with Kyle Godecke's contributions in 2012. Inserted into the starting lineup for the Southern Utah game when Matthew Devereux suffered an injury, the redshirt freshman performed well enough that he held that left guard spot the rest of the season. Godecke enters 2013 in competition with JP Flynn for starting honors at left guard, but experience gained during the championship run of 2012 makes Godecke a key member of this year's O-line regardless off his role.
Spotlight Player: Montana State didn't enjoy an abundance of team success in the early 1990s, but the program continued to produce star players, especially on the defensive side of the football. Of those stars, Corey Widmer shone the brightest. Widmer was a three-time All-Big Sky selection, earning the league's Defensive MVP honors as a junior in 1990 while absolutely wrecking opposing offensive lines. Defying all logic, Widmer was only a Second Team All-America in 1990, and repeated those honors in 1991. Widmer owns the MSU record with 66 career tackles-for-loss, and his 25 in 1990 is second in school annals. In fact, he owns two of the top four marks on the MSU top 10. His 35 career sacks is third in school history, and his 17 in 1990 remains third. The Bozeman High product did what everyone around him knew was possible for him after his Bobcat career ended, posting a decade-long career for the New York Giants in the NFL as a middle linebacker. Widmer is a Bobcat Hall of Famer, and remains possibly the finest interior lineman in the last 25 years in the Big Sky Conference.
Notable #63s in the Bobcat Past: At the other end of the 1990s, when MSU began creeping into the discussion of Big Sky title contenders, the Bobcats still hung their collective hat on defensive stars. Defensive ends such as Jason Hicks, Devlan Geddes and Neal Smith – a 2013 Wendy's Bobcat Hall of Fame inductee – grabbed the headlines, but for four seasons, 1994-98, Ty O'Connor was alongside those men, inside, doing the dirty work. A hard-nosed rancher from eastern Montana, O'Connor demanded extra attention inside which created pass rush lanes outside and tackle opportunities for linebackers. O'Connor never said much outside the locker room, but his passion and intensity were apparent. To those around the Bobcat program in the 1990s, O'Conner remains a revered figure for his outstanding work.
Through the Years: Herb Roberts (1956), Bob Grine (1957), Phil Schneider (1959), Phil Schneider (1960-61), Larry Jones (1963-64), Stan Szczepanczyk (1965), Mike Volmer (1966-69), Phil Rubert (1970), Larry Stevenson (1971), Paul Klaboe (1972-73), Tim Nixon (1974-76), Tim McVicker (1977-80), Eric Smith (1982), Dave Kuchar (1983-84), Pete Fusang (1985), Pat Harmon (1986), Corey Widmer (1987-90), Jeff Corbett (1991), Duff Wall (1992), Clay Allard (1993), Ty O'Connor (1994-98), Phil Espinoza (2000), Ben Smith (2001), Rory Canfield (2003), Sean Neil (2004-07), Neil Boyce (2008), Kyle Godecke (2011-)
#63
Kyle Godecke, OL: In any college football season, it's hard to recognize key moments or turning points except in hindsight. That wasn't really the case with Kyle Godecke's contributions in 2012. Inserted into the starting lineup for the Southern Utah game when Matthew Devereux suffered an injury, the redshirt freshman performed well enough that he held that left guard spot the rest of the season. Godecke enters 2013 in competition with JP Flynn for starting honors at left guard, but experience gained during the championship run of 2012 makes Godecke a key member of this year's O-line regardless off his role.
Spotlight Player: Montana State didn't enjoy an abundance of team success in the early 1990s, but the program continued to produce star players, especially on the defensive side of the football. Of those stars, Corey Widmer shone the brightest. Widmer was a three-time All-Big Sky selection, earning the league's Defensive MVP honors as a junior in 1990 while absolutely wrecking opposing offensive lines. Defying all logic, Widmer was only a Second Team All-America in 1990, and repeated those honors in 1991. Widmer owns the MSU record with 66 career tackles-for-loss, and his 25 in 1990 is second in school annals. In fact, he owns two of the top four marks on the MSU top 10. His 35 career sacks is third in school history, and his 17 in 1990 remains third. The Bozeman High product did what everyone around him knew was possible for him after his Bobcat career ended, posting a decade-long career for the New York Giants in the NFL as a middle linebacker. Widmer is a Bobcat Hall of Famer, and remains possibly the finest interior lineman in the last 25 years in the Big Sky Conference.
Notable #63s in the Bobcat Past: At the other end of the 1990s, when MSU began creeping into the discussion of Big Sky title contenders, the Bobcats still hung their collective hat on defensive stars. Defensive ends such as Jason Hicks, Devlan Geddes and Neal Smith – a 2013 Wendy's Bobcat Hall of Fame inductee – grabbed the headlines, but for four seasons, 1994-98, Ty O'Connor was alongside those men, inside, doing the dirty work. A hard-nosed rancher from eastern Montana, O'Connor demanded extra attention inside which created pass rush lanes outside and tackle opportunities for linebackers. O'Connor never said much outside the locker room, but his passion and intensity were apparent. To those around the Bobcat program in the 1990s, O'Conner remains a revered figure for his outstanding work.
Through the Years: Herb Roberts (1956), Bob Grine (1957), Phil Schneider (1959), Phil Schneider (1960-61), Larry Jones (1963-64), Stan Szczepanczyk (1965), Mike Volmer (1966-69), Phil Rubert (1970), Larry Stevenson (1971), Paul Klaboe (1972-73), Tim Nixon (1974-76), Tim McVicker (1977-80), Eric Smith (1982), Dave Kuchar (1983-84), Pete Fusang (1985), Pat Harmon (1986), Corey Widmer (1987-90), Jeff Corbett (1991), Duff Wall (1992), Clay Allard (1993), Ty O'Connor (1994-98), Phil Espinoza (2000), Ben Smith (2001), Rory Canfield (2003), Sean Neil (2004-07), Neil Boyce (2008), Kyle Godecke (2011-)
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