Cody Kirk rushed for 475 yards in four games against UNC
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
BOBCAT HISTORY LESSON: MSU's Long Series with Northern Colorado Began in 1923
11/8/2019 11:18:00 AM | Football
The series spans two conferences and nearly 100 years
Montana State's long series with Northern Colorado began in 1923 and spans two conferences. Here is a look:
All-Time Series: Montana State leads 21-10-1 in this series that began in 1923, when both schools competed in the Rocky Mountain Conference.
In Bozeman: Montana State leads 12-4-1 in Bozeman.
At Opponent: The Bobcats own a 9-6 advantage in Greeley, 4-1 at Nottingham Field. MSU's scoring advantage in those five games is 131-96, an average of 26.2-to-19.2.
Streaks and Stuff
Since Northern Colorado earned its first victory as a Big Sky member against the Cats in 2007, Montana State owns eight straight wins in this series. That is the longest streak by either team in the series, although Northern Colorado won five games with a tie in succession from 1934-39. In the first three of those years the Bears held Montana State without a point.
Here's a Good Story
Some of the best teams in Bobcat history have traveled to Greeley, with one common result – a hard-fought battle. Montana State's last trip to Greeley ended with a game-winning field goal by Gabe Peppenger, and only twice since World War II have the Bobcats won a game at Greeley by more than two touchdowns. The most recent was a 25-7 win in 2009 that was a closely-contested game for most of its life, and the other was a 32-13 win by a Montana State team that had competed in its first-ever bowl game the previous season.
But Montana State's first game against the Bears, a 1923 contest at Greeley's old Jackson Field, still stands as Montana State's most decisive win in the series. The Exponent headline told the story as it was – "Colorado Game – Easy Victory" – concisely and accurately. The Bobcats won 48-12 in spite of trailing 3-0 to begin the second quarter after a 49-yard drop-kick by the "Colorado Teachers."
The damage was done by "the two Romneys," as the Exponent referred to Floyd, playing for his older brother Ott, and Rube. Like his older brother, Floyd had starred at Utah before transferring to Montana State. While Ott had moved north a decade earlier to complete his college career then launched his coaching career at MSC and in Billings before returning to Salt Lake City, Floyd followed his brother in 1922 and played his final two seasons for the Cats. On that November afternoon in Greeley, "Floyd and Rube Romney formed an excellent passing combination which the locals could not break up and between them they scored five out of the seven touchdowns made by the Bobcast," according to the 1924 Montanan. Frank Hatfield scored the others, one a 75-yarder and the other a 50-yard dash. Floyd Romney, Montana State's star fullback, also logged a pick-six and caught a touchdown pass from Hatfield.
That day began a long series between the Bobcats and Bears under the auspices of the old Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference. The Bobcats won the next three meetings, all in Bozeman – 59-0 in 1924, 9-6 in 1926, and 6-2 in 1928. After falling dormant for a few years the series was resumed in 1934, with UNC holding the upper hand. The Bears won in 1934, 1935 and 1936, but in the mid-1930s the league underwent a massive makeover. Colorado left first, then Wyoming, Colorado A&M (later called Colorado State), BYU, Utah and Utah State departed to form the Skyline Conference, leaving Montana State and several smaller Colorado schools. Idaho State also joined eventually.
The Bears enjoyed their longest stretch of success against the Cats in the years leading to World War II. Northern Colorado won four straight, and after a scoreless tie in 1938 won again in 1939. The Bobcats scored only 29 points in those six games. Montana State won 7-0 in 1940, dropped a 7-6 affair in Greeley in 1941, and played nine more times after the War. That ended after the 1956 season, though, when Montana State became an Independent. UNC remained in the Rocky Mountain Conference. The series resumed in 2003, as Northern Colorado began exploring entry into the Big Sky Conference, which occurred in 2006. The Bobcats own a 9-1 record as Big Sky rivals.
Memory
One player with good memories against Northern Colorado is Cody Kirk. Montana State's star running back from 2010-13, Kirk gashed the Bears for 202 yards in 2011, a record in the series. He gained 475 yards on 76 carries during his Bobcat career against UNC, scoring five touchdowns.
All-Time Series: Montana State leads 21-10-1 in this series that began in 1923, when both schools competed in the Rocky Mountain Conference.
In Bozeman: Montana State leads 12-4-1 in Bozeman.
At Opponent: The Bobcats own a 9-6 advantage in Greeley, 4-1 at Nottingham Field. MSU's scoring advantage in those five games is 131-96, an average of 26.2-to-19.2.
Streaks and Stuff
Since Northern Colorado earned its first victory as a Big Sky member against the Cats in 2007, Montana State owns eight straight wins in this series. That is the longest streak by either team in the series, although Northern Colorado won five games with a tie in succession from 1934-39. In the first three of those years the Bears held Montana State without a point.
Here's a Good Story
Some of the best teams in Bobcat history have traveled to Greeley, with one common result – a hard-fought battle. Montana State's last trip to Greeley ended with a game-winning field goal by Gabe Peppenger, and only twice since World War II have the Bobcats won a game at Greeley by more than two touchdowns. The most recent was a 25-7 win in 2009 that was a closely-contested game for most of its life, and the other was a 32-13 win by a Montana State team that had competed in its first-ever bowl game the previous season.
But Montana State's first game against the Bears, a 1923 contest at Greeley's old Jackson Field, still stands as Montana State's most decisive win in the series. The Exponent headline told the story as it was – "Colorado Game – Easy Victory" – concisely and accurately. The Bobcats won 48-12 in spite of trailing 3-0 to begin the second quarter after a 49-yard drop-kick by the "Colorado Teachers."
The damage was done by "the two Romneys," as the Exponent referred to Floyd, playing for his older brother Ott, and Rube. Like his older brother, Floyd had starred at Utah before transferring to Montana State. While Ott had moved north a decade earlier to complete his college career then launched his coaching career at MSC and in Billings before returning to Salt Lake City, Floyd followed his brother in 1922 and played his final two seasons for the Cats. On that November afternoon in Greeley, "Floyd and Rube Romney formed an excellent passing combination which the locals could not break up and between them they scored five out of the seven touchdowns made by the Bobcast," according to the 1924 Montanan. Frank Hatfield scored the others, one a 75-yarder and the other a 50-yard dash. Floyd Romney, Montana State's star fullback, also logged a pick-six and caught a touchdown pass from Hatfield.
That day began a long series between the Bobcats and Bears under the auspices of the old Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference. The Bobcats won the next three meetings, all in Bozeman – 59-0 in 1924, 9-6 in 1926, and 6-2 in 1928. After falling dormant for a few years the series was resumed in 1934, with UNC holding the upper hand. The Bears won in 1934, 1935 and 1936, but in the mid-1930s the league underwent a massive makeover. Colorado left first, then Wyoming, Colorado A&M (later called Colorado State), BYU, Utah and Utah State departed to form the Skyline Conference, leaving Montana State and several smaller Colorado schools. Idaho State also joined eventually.
The Bears enjoyed their longest stretch of success against the Cats in the years leading to World War II. Northern Colorado won four straight, and after a scoreless tie in 1938 won again in 1939. The Bobcats scored only 29 points in those six games. Montana State won 7-0 in 1940, dropped a 7-6 affair in Greeley in 1941, and played nine more times after the War. That ended after the 1956 season, though, when Montana State became an Independent. UNC remained in the Rocky Mountain Conference. The series resumed in 2003, as Northern Colorado began exploring entry into the Big Sky Conference, which occurred in 2006. The Bobcats own a 9-1 record as Big Sky rivals.
Memory
One player with good memories against Northern Colorado is Cody Kirk. Montana State's star running back from 2010-13, Kirk gashed the Bears for 202 yards in 2011, a record in the series. He gained 475 yards on 76 carries during his Bobcat career against UNC, scoring five touchdowns.
Players Mentioned
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