BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: 20 Days Before Kickoff, and Another Quick Look at the Iron Tumbleweed
8/11/2019 12:05:00 PM | Football
Davine Tullis looks to provide the Bobcat offense a spark at receiver this fall
August 11: 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.
#20
Davine Tullis, WR: Davine Tullis is a fleet-footed receiver who spent the spring and summer trying the other side of the ball. He returns to his natural position for the 2019 season. He is part of a crowded receiver corps at the season's outset, but has turned heads during preseason camp.
20 – Touchdowns scored by Don Hass in 1966.
The legendary "Iron Tumbleweed," Don Hass, was well on his way to becoming a Bobcat icon before 1966, and would have been even without the brilliant and apt nickname coined by then-Billings sportswriter Norm Clarke. But his junior season, 1966, was one of the greatest ever seen in these parts. Hass scored 2.0 touchdowns per game (20 total) in 1966, all on the ground. That remains a school record, and was a Big Sky record until 1991. He became the first Bobcat in 64 years to score five touchdowns in a game when he did so against North Dakota that season (Will Flaherty scored five against the Grizzlies in 1902).
Chronology: Kenneth Freese (1930), Keith Ario (1931), Charles Stroup (1934), Jack Dooley (1937), Russell Leland (1940), Jim Peterson (1941), Harry Perrigo (1946), Ed Krisman (1947-48), Tom Doman (1953-55), George Marinkovich (1957), Gary Alley (1961), Dale Jackson (1963), Jim Tuss (1964-66), Don Valero (1967-68), Jim Bauer (1969-71), Bob Burns (1972-74), Jerry Reisig (1975-76), Rick Henson (1977), Ken Hopballe (1978), Tony Boddie (1979-82), Thomas Cory (1983), Rob Pouliot (1984-88), Bucky Haynes (1980-92), Da'Ron Comier (1993), Mark Frank (1994), Chris Handy (1995), Mark Sandersfeld (1996), Mike Woodberry (1998-2001), Ryan Force (2002-06), Isaiah Taito (2007-08), CJ Palmer (2009-11), Keith Leenders (2012), Brandon Davis (2013-), Jaylen Price (2013-14), Noah James (2015-16), Dre Jackson (2017-)
Other #20 Notes: Keith Ario is a strong example of the impact an education can have on one's life, and he put his money where his mouth was. A noted philanthropist, Arior gave $1 million to Bobcat Athletics for student-athlete scholarships, and also contributed to medical-related fields and other charitable organizations. He started as an end on the Bobcat football team in from 1927-30, and as a basketball player he played shoulder-to-shoulder with the remnants of the Golden Bobcats, particularly Max Worthington. College Humor Magazine named Ario Third Team All-America in 1931. He hailed from Great Falls, where his father Victor worked as a saddlemaker after immigrating from Austria and by 1903 had created the Victor Ario Saddlery Company. After his time at Montana State, which Keith would later call "the finest time of my life," he took over the family business. He sold to his partners in the late 1950s and continued to thrive as a businessman and community member in Great Falls into the early years of the 21st Century… Utter 'Thorpe' around Bobcat fans of a certain generation with enough access to then-head coach Mike Kramer and a mental image of Ryan Force immediately comes to mind. Force came to Montana State as a walk-on in 2002 and emerged as a special teams standout during MSU's Big Sky Championship of 2003. He logged 64 tackles with four interceptions in 2004, and was Second Team All-Big Sky in 2005. He rose to that same level as a senior in 2006, and as a three-year starter was an important member of two Big Sky Championship teams and a two FCS Playoff squads. He was one of Kramer's favorite topics. MSU's head coach raved about his athleticism, his versatility as a player, and gave the ultimate compliment when he said Force "is certainly on the level of play established by Kane Ioane." 'Thorpe' was a great player for the Bobcats during an important time of the program's revival.
#20
Davine Tullis, WR: Davine Tullis is a fleet-footed receiver who spent the spring and summer trying the other side of the ball. He returns to his natural position for the 2019 season. He is part of a crowded receiver corps at the season's outset, but has turned heads during preseason camp.
20 – Touchdowns scored by Don Hass in 1966.
The legendary "Iron Tumbleweed," Don Hass, was well on his way to becoming a Bobcat icon before 1966, and would have been even without the brilliant and apt nickname coined by then-Billings sportswriter Norm Clarke. But his junior season, 1966, was one of the greatest ever seen in these parts. Hass scored 2.0 touchdowns per game (20 total) in 1966, all on the ground. That remains a school record, and was a Big Sky record until 1991. He became the first Bobcat in 64 years to score five touchdowns in a game when he did so against North Dakota that season (Will Flaherty scored five against the Grizzlies in 1902).
Chronology: Kenneth Freese (1930), Keith Ario (1931), Charles Stroup (1934), Jack Dooley (1937), Russell Leland (1940), Jim Peterson (1941), Harry Perrigo (1946), Ed Krisman (1947-48), Tom Doman (1953-55), George Marinkovich (1957), Gary Alley (1961), Dale Jackson (1963), Jim Tuss (1964-66), Don Valero (1967-68), Jim Bauer (1969-71), Bob Burns (1972-74), Jerry Reisig (1975-76), Rick Henson (1977), Ken Hopballe (1978), Tony Boddie (1979-82), Thomas Cory (1983), Rob Pouliot (1984-88), Bucky Haynes (1980-92), Da'Ron Comier (1993), Mark Frank (1994), Chris Handy (1995), Mark Sandersfeld (1996), Mike Woodberry (1998-2001), Ryan Force (2002-06), Isaiah Taito (2007-08), CJ Palmer (2009-11), Keith Leenders (2012), Brandon Davis (2013-), Jaylen Price (2013-14), Noah James (2015-16), Dre Jackson (2017-)
Other #20 Notes: Keith Ario is a strong example of the impact an education can have on one's life, and he put his money where his mouth was. A noted philanthropist, Arior gave $1 million to Bobcat Athletics for student-athlete scholarships, and also contributed to medical-related fields and other charitable organizations. He started as an end on the Bobcat football team in from 1927-30, and as a basketball player he played shoulder-to-shoulder with the remnants of the Golden Bobcats, particularly Max Worthington. College Humor Magazine named Ario Third Team All-America in 1931. He hailed from Great Falls, where his father Victor worked as a saddlemaker after immigrating from Austria and by 1903 had created the Victor Ario Saddlery Company. After his time at Montana State, which Keith would later call "the finest time of my life," he took over the family business. He sold to his partners in the late 1950s and continued to thrive as a businessman and community member in Great Falls into the early years of the 21st Century… Utter 'Thorpe' around Bobcat fans of a certain generation with enough access to then-head coach Mike Kramer and a mental image of Ryan Force immediately comes to mind. Force came to Montana State as a walk-on in 2002 and emerged as a special teams standout during MSU's Big Sky Championship of 2003. He logged 64 tackles with four interceptions in 2004, and was Second Team All-Big Sky in 2005. He rose to that same level as a senior in 2006, and as a three-year starter was an important member of two Big Sky Championship teams and a two FCS Playoff squads. He was one of Kramer's favorite topics. MSU's head coach raved about his athleticism, his versatility as a player, and gave the ultimate compliment when he said Force "is certainly on the level of play established by Kane Ioane." 'Thorpe' was a great player for the Bobcats during an important time of the program's revival.
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