Fred Chez leads halfback Tenney Babcock to a hole, 1927
BOBCAT CALENDAR: Montana State Star Fred Chez Led the Cats to Victory Over Utah State in His Hometown of Ogden, Utah, Today in 1927
10/15/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
That matchup was the last one against his brother Dick for Ott Romney during his time at Montana State
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
October 15
SPOTLIGHT: Montana State's 13-6 win over Utah State today in 1927 stands out for a few reasons.
For one, it pitted brothers from a famous Utah sporting family on opposite sidelines as Bobcat coach Ott Romney led the Blue and Gold against his brother, Utah Aggies coach Smilin' Dick Romney, for the final time. (That rivalry continued in a different form the next year when Ott was coaching at BYU). The game was played in Ogden, Utah, not only the site of Weber College, which eventually became Weber State University of the Big Sky Conference, but it was the hometown of Bobcat star Fred Chez.
Chez, a junior, played a crucial role in this game. With the Bobcats at the Aggie 40 he opened the scoring in the second quarter by tossing a pass that Herschell Hurd caught at the five and carried into the end zone. In the third quarter Utah State blocked a Montana State punt and a player named Bergson "picked up the ball and galloped forty yards for Utah's lone score," according to the 1928 Montanan. On the ensuing kickoff Ott Gardner "made good use of the interference given him by his team mates and tore off a beautiful ninty yard run for Montana's final touch-down."
Fred Chez's inclusion in the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame's fourth induction class - he was one of the first 16 inducted as individuals - is indicative of the achievements.
Chez came to Montana State from Ogden, Utah, part of a extremely productive group of student-athletes from the Beehive State to congregate on the Bozeman campus in the 1920s, lettered in football and was Junior and Senior Class President. He also served in the student senate twice. He prepped at the Tennessee Military Institute in 1920 and 1921, and starred at Ogden High in 1922 and 1923. He was Honorable Mention All-City in 1922, but was injured much of his senior season. One source had him transferring to Montana State from Centre College in Kentucky. He played for the Bobkittens in 1926, and was listed in the junior class of the 1926-27 Montanan.
During his first year at Montana State Chez made quite an impression. In his second year, the 1927-28 academic year, he was Junior Class President and earned 1st Team All-Rocky Mountain Conference honors at fullback. With a paucity of quality linemen the next year, Chez moved to guard and again earned 1st Team All-Rocky Mountain Conference honors, and was named Honorable Mention All-America. He joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and was a member of Les Bouffons as one of the top 10 senior men.
The Bobcats finished 8-8-1 in Chez's two years on the varsity, but in that time finished 6-3 in the Rocky Mountain Conference with two wins over Wyoming and single wins against BYU (1-0), Colorado (1-0), Utah State (1-1), and Northern Colorado (1-0). The Cats lost both starts against Colorado College.
Chez was eventually named to Montana State All-Time Teams by the 1933 Exponent and the 2000 Billings Gazette. Wrote the Exponent in naming him to the school's first-ever all-time squad: "Fred graduated from Montana State College with the reputation of being one of the smartest and hardest hitting linemen of all. He was captain of the 1927 and a more consistent player could not be found. Although not as heavy as a line man should be made up in speed and fighting spirit what he lacked in beef."
Following his time at Montana State Chez went on to a long, successful coaching and teaching career which began in Kalispell and took him and his family to Sheridan, Wyoming, Greeley, Colorado, Great Falls, and Medford, Oregon. Chez's 1944 Great Falls Bison squad won the Montana State Championship.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2016 - at Weber State 45, MSU 27
2011 - MSU 41, NAU 24
2005 - at Portland State 44, MSU 41
1994 - at Idaho 27, MSU 13
1988 - MSU 51, Boise State 7 - Homecoming
1983 - Fresno State 31, MSU 12 - Homecoming
1977 - MSU 31, at Idaho State 0
1966 - MSU 49, Idaho State 0
1960 - MSU 14, at Idaho State 9
1955 - MSU 29, Northern Colorado 7 - Homecoming
1949 - MSU 19, Idaho State 14
1938 - MSU 10, Western State 0 HC
1932 - at Wyoming 13, MSU 7
1927 - MSU 13, Utah State 6 at Ogden
1921 - at Utah State 30, MSU 7
1913 - MSU 32, Anaconda Independents 6
1910 - at Montana Tech 14, MSU 0
October 15
SPOTLIGHT: Montana State's 13-6 win over Utah State today in 1927 stands out for a few reasons.
For one, it pitted brothers from a famous Utah sporting family on opposite sidelines as Bobcat coach Ott Romney led the Blue and Gold against his brother, Utah Aggies coach Smilin' Dick Romney, for the final time. (That rivalry continued in a different form the next year when Ott was coaching at BYU). The game was played in Ogden, Utah, not only the site of Weber College, which eventually became Weber State University of the Big Sky Conference, but it was the hometown of Bobcat star Fred Chez.
Chez, a junior, played a crucial role in this game. With the Bobcats at the Aggie 40 he opened the scoring in the second quarter by tossing a pass that Herschell Hurd caught at the five and carried into the end zone. In the third quarter Utah State blocked a Montana State punt and a player named Bergson "picked up the ball and galloped forty yards for Utah's lone score," according to the 1928 Montanan. On the ensuing kickoff Ott Gardner "made good use of the interference given him by his team mates and tore off a beautiful ninty yard run for Montana's final touch-down."
Fred Chez's inclusion in the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame's fourth induction class - he was one of the first 16 inducted as individuals - is indicative of the achievements.
Chez came to Montana State from Ogden, Utah, part of a extremely productive group of student-athletes from the Beehive State to congregate on the Bozeman campus in the 1920s, lettered in football and was Junior and Senior Class President. He also served in the student senate twice. He prepped at the Tennessee Military Institute in 1920 and 1921, and starred at Ogden High in 1922 and 1923. He was Honorable Mention All-City in 1922, but was injured much of his senior season. One source had him transferring to Montana State from Centre College in Kentucky. He played for the Bobkittens in 1926, and was listed in the junior class of the 1926-27 Montanan.
During his first year at Montana State Chez made quite an impression. In his second year, the 1927-28 academic year, he was Junior Class President and earned 1st Team All-Rocky Mountain Conference honors at fullback. With a paucity of quality linemen the next year, Chez moved to guard and again earned 1st Team All-Rocky Mountain Conference honors, and was named Honorable Mention All-America. He joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and was a member of Les Bouffons as one of the top 10 senior men.
The Bobcats finished 8-8-1 in Chez's two years on the varsity, but in that time finished 6-3 in the Rocky Mountain Conference with two wins over Wyoming and single wins against BYU (1-0), Colorado (1-0), Utah State (1-1), and Northern Colorado (1-0). The Cats lost both starts against Colorado College.
Chez was eventually named to Montana State All-Time Teams by the 1933 Exponent and the 2000 Billings Gazette. Wrote the Exponent in naming him to the school's first-ever all-time squad: "Fred graduated from Montana State College with the reputation of being one of the smartest and hardest hitting linemen of all. He was captain of the 1927 and a more consistent player could not be found. Although not as heavy as a line man should be made up in speed and fighting spirit what he lacked in beef."
Following his time at Montana State Chez went on to a long, successful coaching and teaching career which began in Kalispell and took him and his family to Sheridan, Wyoming, Greeley, Colorado, Great Falls, and Medford, Oregon. Chez's 1944 Great Falls Bison squad won the Montana State Championship.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2016 - at Weber State 45, MSU 27
2011 - MSU 41, NAU 24
2005 - at Portland State 44, MSU 41
1994 - at Idaho 27, MSU 13
1988 - MSU 51, Boise State 7 - Homecoming
1983 - Fresno State 31, MSU 12 - Homecoming
1977 - MSU 31, at Idaho State 0
1966 - MSU 49, Idaho State 0
1960 - MSU 14, at Idaho State 9
1955 - MSU 29, Northern Colorado 7 - Homecoming
1949 - MSU 19, Idaho State 14
1938 - MSU 10, Western State 0 HC
1932 - at Wyoming 13, MSU 7
1927 - MSU 13, Utah State 6 at Ogden
1921 - at Utah State 30, MSU 7
1913 - MSU 32, Anaconda Independents 6
1910 - at Montana Tech 14, MSU 0
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