BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: One Dozen Days Left!
8/19/2019 8:07:00 AM | Football
A look at two important #12s in 2019, and a big-time 12-catch game in 1968
August 19: 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.
#12
Tucker Rovig, QB: Here's the thing about the quarterback position – in theory, there's only one on the field at a time. The Bobcat program skews that, of course, because as head coach Jeff Choate says, "We've recruited about 500 quarterbacks here." And that's funny because it's true. Four of MSU's defensive starting lineup alone played quarterback as recently as high school. But generally speaking, if you're the starter you're not likely to play a lot. That's why Choate described the conversation between him and "difficult." In spite of entering the season as the number two quarterback for the second straight season, Rovig plays a vital role in college football's 'next man up' reality. Three of the most important figures in Montana State's recent history were Tyler Thomas (2002), Cody Kempt (2010), and Jake Bleskin (2014-15), quarterbacks who lost close and hotly contested position battles but who pushed the team to playoff berths by remaining focused and team-oriented. "Tucker will be ready when we need him," Choate said upon announcing that Casey Bauman had earned the starting nod, and the fact that everyone in the Bobcat program considers that a fact is more of a testimony to Rovig than stats or honors could be.
Ty'Rhae Gibson, CB: Ty'Rhae Gibson was an important part of Montana State's success in 2018, rolling into special teams units and the cornerback position when injuries took a major toll. He is lengthy and physical, and has drawn kudos in the spring and during preseason camp alike. He is set to be a strong contributor in 2019.
12 – Catches by Ron Bain vs. Montana in 1968
Everyone remembers Montana State's stunning 1968 win in Missoula for Paul Schafer's 58 carries for 234 yards on a severely damaged knee, and rightfully so. But The Bobcat passing game provided some understated excellence, and was a key point in MSU's ability to stay in the game. Dennis Erickson threw for 282 yards in his final Cat-Griz game, completing 23 of his 39 passes. Kalispell's Ron Bain caught 12 of those passes for 152 yards to help his senior class complete a three-year sweep against the Grizzlies. That came at the expense of, among others, his brother Doug, a UM tailback. Each of the Bains scored a fourth-quarter touchdown in the 1968 rivalry game, but Ron's came in the last five minutes and cut UM's lead to 24-22. The Bobcat defense got the necessary stop, and when Schafer plunged into the end zone the Cats had scored 20 points in the game's final eight minutes to capture a thrilling victory. An older Bain brother, Frank, had played at UM in the early 1960s, and a younger brother, Dan, signed there in 1970 (he never lettered). But only Ron stakes a claim to a perfect record in Cat-Griz games. He remains one of Montana State's most productive receivers ever, with his 55.5 yards per game is fifth in school history and his 6-4 catches per game over the course of a season is tied for fourth. Bain became the first Bobcat in history to log a 1,000-yard receiving season in 1968, and his 1,110 yards that year remains the third-best mark in Bobcat annals.
Chronology: Burton Rivers (1926), Joe Dobeus (1927), Vincent O'Leary (1930), Jay Leland (1930), Ed Harding (1931), Harold Johnson (1934), Wilferd Atterbury (1937), Richard Huxford (1941), Gene Bourdet (1946-47), Cliff Steel (1948-49), Bob Mason (1950), Ace Cacciatore (1953-55), Gary Davies (1956-57), Darryl Dupuis (1958-59), Ken Christison (1961-63), Bob Stephan (1964), Jan Stenerud (1965), Russ Dodge (1966-67), Craig Courter (1969), Tom Kiely (1971-72), Ken Burt (1973), Mark Schulte (1974), Delmar Jones (1975-78), Mark Swanson (1979), Dennis Stauch (1980), Kelly Bradley (1982-85), John Tetrault (1986-90), Ryan Flair (1991), Chad Mayer (1992-96), Eric Kinnaman (1997-99), Farhaad Azimi (2000-01), Brent Owens (2002-03), Travis Motley (2003), Tyler Bolton (2004-05), Jack Rolovich (2006-07), Cody Kempt (2008-10), David Dash (2011-13), Khari Garcia (2014-17), Ben Folsom (2015), Tucker Rovig (2017-), Ty'Rhae Gibson (2018-)
Other #12 Notes: The first look at Eric Kinnaman was what eventually shaped his career, a 5-9, 164 lb running back who was as tough as any Bobcat to come down the pike but affected by a string of injuries at a brutal position. He will always be remembered for what almost was, scoring a touchdown with just seconds left to put the Cats in position to win the Brawl of the Wild in 1997. That didn't come to pass, but Kinnaman was part of an impressive string of running backs during Cliff Hysell's time as MSU's head coach. His 1,045 career rushing yards in a truncated career was among MSU's top 25 career… Ken Christison was an All-Big Sky quarterback and a Big Sky champion javelin thrower for the Bobcats.
#12
Tucker Rovig, QB: Here's the thing about the quarterback position – in theory, there's only one on the field at a time. The Bobcat program skews that, of course, because as head coach Jeff Choate says, "We've recruited about 500 quarterbacks here." And that's funny because it's true. Four of MSU's defensive starting lineup alone played quarterback as recently as high school. But generally speaking, if you're the starter you're not likely to play a lot. That's why Choate described the conversation between him and "difficult." In spite of entering the season as the number two quarterback for the second straight season, Rovig plays a vital role in college football's 'next man up' reality. Three of the most important figures in Montana State's recent history were Tyler Thomas (2002), Cody Kempt (2010), and Jake Bleskin (2014-15), quarterbacks who lost close and hotly contested position battles but who pushed the team to playoff berths by remaining focused and team-oriented. "Tucker will be ready when we need him," Choate said upon announcing that Casey Bauman had earned the starting nod, and the fact that everyone in the Bobcat program considers that a fact is more of a testimony to Rovig than stats or honors could be.
Ty'Rhae Gibson, CB: Ty'Rhae Gibson was an important part of Montana State's success in 2018, rolling into special teams units and the cornerback position when injuries took a major toll. He is lengthy and physical, and has drawn kudos in the spring and during preseason camp alike. He is set to be a strong contributor in 2019.
12 – Catches by Ron Bain vs. Montana in 1968
Everyone remembers Montana State's stunning 1968 win in Missoula for Paul Schafer's 58 carries for 234 yards on a severely damaged knee, and rightfully so. But The Bobcat passing game provided some understated excellence, and was a key point in MSU's ability to stay in the game. Dennis Erickson threw for 282 yards in his final Cat-Griz game, completing 23 of his 39 passes. Kalispell's Ron Bain caught 12 of those passes for 152 yards to help his senior class complete a three-year sweep against the Grizzlies. That came at the expense of, among others, his brother Doug, a UM tailback. Each of the Bains scored a fourth-quarter touchdown in the 1968 rivalry game, but Ron's came in the last five minutes and cut UM's lead to 24-22. The Bobcat defense got the necessary stop, and when Schafer plunged into the end zone the Cats had scored 20 points in the game's final eight minutes to capture a thrilling victory. An older Bain brother, Frank, had played at UM in the early 1960s, and a younger brother, Dan, signed there in 1970 (he never lettered). But only Ron stakes a claim to a perfect record in Cat-Griz games. He remains one of Montana State's most productive receivers ever, with his 55.5 yards per game is fifth in school history and his 6-4 catches per game over the course of a season is tied for fourth. Bain became the first Bobcat in history to log a 1,000-yard receiving season in 1968, and his 1,110 yards that year remains the third-best mark in Bobcat annals.
Chronology: Burton Rivers (1926), Joe Dobeus (1927), Vincent O'Leary (1930), Jay Leland (1930), Ed Harding (1931), Harold Johnson (1934), Wilferd Atterbury (1937), Richard Huxford (1941), Gene Bourdet (1946-47), Cliff Steel (1948-49), Bob Mason (1950), Ace Cacciatore (1953-55), Gary Davies (1956-57), Darryl Dupuis (1958-59), Ken Christison (1961-63), Bob Stephan (1964), Jan Stenerud (1965), Russ Dodge (1966-67), Craig Courter (1969), Tom Kiely (1971-72), Ken Burt (1973), Mark Schulte (1974), Delmar Jones (1975-78), Mark Swanson (1979), Dennis Stauch (1980), Kelly Bradley (1982-85), John Tetrault (1986-90), Ryan Flair (1991), Chad Mayer (1992-96), Eric Kinnaman (1997-99), Farhaad Azimi (2000-01), Brent Owens (2002-03), Travis Motley (2003), Tyler Bolton (2004-05), Jack Rolovich (2006-07), Cody Kempt (2008-10), David Dash (2011-13), Khari Garcia (2014-17), Ben Folsom (2015), Tucker Rovig (2017-), Ty'Rhae Gibson (2018-)
Other #12 Notes: The first look at Eric Kinnaman was what eventually shaped his career, a 5-9, 164 lb running back who was as tough as any Bobcat to come down the pike but affected by a string of injuries at a brutal position. He will always be remembered for what almost was, scoring a touchdown with just seconds left to put the Cats in position to win the Brawl of the Wild in 1997. That didn't come to pass, but Kinnaman was part of an impressive string of running backs during Cliff Hysell's time as MSU's head coach. His 1,045 career rushing yards in a truncated career was among MSU's top 25 career… Ken Christison was an All-Big Sky quarterback and a Big Sky champion javelin thrower for the Bobcats.
Players Mentioned
QB
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S
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DB
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CB
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QB
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