BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: Happy 4th of July! There are 57 Days Until the Gold Rush Game!
7/4/2018 1:33:00 PM | Football
Tyrone Fa'anono moves around well for a big man, fitting for a guys who helps in a number of positions
July 4: Bobcats by the Numbers takes a look at current and past Bobcats whose jersey numbers correspond to the number of days remaining before Montana State opens the 2018 football season against Western Illinois in Bobcat Stadium's annual Gold Rush game on August 30.
#57
Tyrone Fa'anono, DL: For a guy who has been a productive player in the Bobcat program for four years, Tyrone Fa'anono doesn't generate much buzz – unless you talk to members of the MSU coaching staff. The senior from Oxnard, California, has produced since earning significant playing time as a true freshman in 2014. He registered 2.5 tackles-for-loss, including a sack, that season, and responded with four TFLs, three sacks, the next. He played only two games before an injury shut him down in 2016, but in 2017 posted a career high 40 tackles, with six behind the line. But Fa'anono is also a versatile piece, with the quickness and strength to play on the interior of the line and the explosiveness to play outside. He's also helped bulk up the linebacker corps against strong run teams. How Fa'anono helps the Bobcats on defense in 2018 is anyone's guess – that he'll help, though, is a given.
Spotlight: Every day, there he was, churning out extra reps – sometimes by himself, often with teammates – on the Bobcat practice fields. J.C. Murray was a good player who turned himself into a standout. Murray anchored MSU's offensive line in the early 1990s, earning First Team All-Big Sky numbers in 1995. Murray also won a Big Sky shot put title the next spring in outdoor track and field.
Chronology: Mark Eibner (1980-81), Zach Peters (1982-84), Mychal Kempt (1985-89), Stan Campbell (1990), J.C. Murray (1992-95), Dan Noll (1996), Dennis Morris (2000), Travis Busse (2001), Brant Birkeland (2002-06), Justin Hill (2007-08), Casey Dennehy (2009-11), Cale Howells (2012), Tyrone Fa'anono (2015-)
Bonus Note for #57: Brant Birkeland never earned All-America honors. Only his senior season, his fourth as a starter or major contributor, did Big Sky coaches name him Honorable Mention All-Big Sky. But he owns three Big Sky Conference Championship rings, and he earned them. Birkeland played both offensive and defensive line as a freshman before settling into a starting role on the offensive front for the next three seasons. He won academic honors all four seasons, including National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete honors as a senior. A cousin of former Bobcat receiver Scott Turnquist, Birkeland played a key role in MSU's 2005 Big Sky title run, covering a guard spot which allowed Jeff Bolton to move to center. Bolton was so dominant in that role that he was named Rimington Trophy Winner as the top center in the FCS.
One More Thought: The number 57 – as in 57 yards – occupies a special place in one of the thrilling moments of Montana State's football history. That was the length of the punt return by Junior Adams early in the fourth quarter of Montana State's 32-17 win at Weber State on September 8, 2001. That win terminated an 18-game losing streak, and Adams' punt return helped seal the victory.
#57
Tyrone Fa'anono, DL: For a guy who has been a productive player in the Bobcat program for four years, Tyrone Fa'anono doesn't generate much buzz – unless you talk to members of the MSU coaching staff. The senior from Oxnard, California, has produced since earning significant playing time as a true freshman in 2014. He registered 2.5 tackles-for-loss, including a sack, that season, and responded with four TFLs, three sacks, the next. He played only two games before an injury shut him down in 2016, but in 2017 posted a career high 40 tackles, with six behind the line. But Fa'anono is also a versatile piece, with the quickness and strength to play on the interior of the line and the explosiveness to play outside. He's also helped bulk up the linebacker corps against strong run teams. How Fa'anono helps the Bobcats on defense in 2018 is anyone's guess – that he'll help, though, is a given.
Spotlight: Every day, there he was, churning out extra reps – sometimes by himself, often with teammates – on the Bobcat practice fields. J.C. Murray was a good player who turned himself into a standout. Murray anchored MSU's offensive line in the early 1990s, earning First Team All-Big Sky numbers in 1995. Murray also won a Big Sky shot put title the next spring in outdoor track and field.
Chronology: Mark Eibner (1980-81), Zach Peters (1982-84), Mychal Kempt (1985-89), Stan Campbell (1990), J.C. Murray (1992-95), Dan Noll (1996), Dennis Morris (2000), Travis Busse (2001), Brant Birkeland (2002-06), Justin Hill (2007-08), Casey Dennehy (2009-11), Cale Howells (2012), Tyrone Fa'anono (2015-)
Bonus Note for #57: Brant Birkeland never earned All-America honors. Only his senior season, his fourth as a starter or major contributor, did Big Sky coaches name him Honorable Mention All-Big Sky. But he owns three Big Sky Conference Championship rings, and he earned them. Birkeland played both offensive and defensive line as a freshman before settling into a starting role on the offensive front for the next three seasons. He won academic honors all four seasons, including National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete honors as a senior. A cousin of former Bobcat receiver Scott Turnquist, Birkeland played a key role in MSU's 2005 Big Sky title run, covering a guard spot which allowed Jeff Bolton to move to center. Bolton was so dominant in that role that he was named Rimington Trophy Winner as the top center in the FCS.
One More Thought: The number 57 – as in 57 yards – occupies a special place in one of the thrilling moments of Montana State's football history. That was the length of the punt return by Junior Adams early in the fourth quarter of Montana State's 32-17 win at Weber State on September 8, 2001. That win terminated an 18-game losing streak, and Adams' punt return helped seal the victory.
Players Mentioned
DL
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