BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: 57 Days til Kickoff, and a Thrilling 57-yard Punt Return
7/5/2019 3:10:00 PM | Football
Junior Adams changed Bobcat history by returning a punt 57 yards to help the Cats end an 18-game losing streak in 2001
July 5: In addition to a quick look at players wearing the jersey number corresponding to the number of days remaining until Montana State's season opener at Texas Tech on August 31, Bobcats by the Numbers brings you another tidbit or two aligning with that number.
#57
Caleb Mancini, K: Caleb Mancini arrives as a developmental kicker from San Marcos, California, this fall. He is expected to add depth as a place kicker and punter.
57 – Yards covered on a touchdown Junior Adams scored off a punt return in the fourth quarter of Montana State's 32-17 win over Weber State on September 8, 2001. That win terminated an 18-game Bobcat losing streak.
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…. 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.
#57
Caleb Mancini, K: Caleb Mancini arrives as a developmental kicker from San Marcos, California, this fall. He is expected to add depth as a place kicker and punter.
57 – Yards covered on a touchdown Junior Adams scored off a punt return in the fourth quarter of Montana State's 32-17 win over Weber State on September 8, 2001. That win terminated an 18-game Bobcat losing streak.
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…. 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.
Players Mentioned
DL
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