BOBCAT CALENDAR: Don Hass' Fantastic 1966 Season Hit a Statistical Peak 54 Years Ago Today
10/29/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
Hass' five touchdowns against North Dakota tied a 64-year old record
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
October 29
SPOTLIGHT: Don Hass did a lot of amazing things as Montana State's star tailback in the mid-1960s, but his day on the high plains of North Dakota today in 1966 remains pretty special in Bobcat annals.
First, some context. North Dakota was an excellent football program in the 1950s and '60s, and in 1966 the Fighting Sioux sailed through September and early October. UND opened by whipping the Grizzlies and Idaho State, and entered its rivalry showdown against North Dakota State with a 5-0 record. North Dakota was edged by the Bison 18-15, and looked forward to getting back on the winning track against Montana State.
Instead, the Fighting Sioux incurred their worst loss of 1966. The Bobcats roared into Grand Forks on a record-setting offensive pace, and rolled right through the Green and White. Hass led the onslaught, carrying 26 times for 110 yards and on finding the Memorial Stadium end zone five times. This was the first five-TD game by a Bobcat since Will Flaherty's famous five scores against the University in 1902. Hass' 30 points set a school record, since touchdowns were worth only four points when Flaherty piled them up around the turn of the 20th century. In fact, Hass was the only Bobcat to score five touchdowns in a game between Flaherty's heroic feat in 1902 and Cody Kirk accomplishing the same thing in 2013.
Hass' 1966 season remains a thing of wonder. In 11 games (counting the Camellia Bowl), he carried 256 times for 1,460 yards, 5.7 yards per rush, with 20 touchdowns. Each of those figures set Bobcat records that stood for a number of years.
With the win at North Dakota Montana State raised its record to 7-1, and followed it by blowing out the Grizzlies. The Cats dropped their regular season finale at Tulsa, a major college program, 13-10, and then fell to an uber-talented San Diego State team in the Camellia Bowl 28-7. North Dakota followed the loss to MSU with a 30-20 win at Augustana and a 62-0 drubbing of Morningside. The team then beat Parsons 42-24 in the Pecan Bowl.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2011 - MSU 54, Idaho State 13
2005 - MSU 29, NAU 22
1994 - at EWU 34, MSU 31 2OT
1988 - NAU 28, MSU 17
1983 - MSU 28, UM 8
1977 - MSU 24, UM 19
1966 - MSU 59, at North Dak 21
1960 - MSU 26, NDSU 14
1955 - at Idaho St 20, MSU 0
1949 - UM 34, MSU 12 at Butte
1938 - MSU 20, Portland 0 at Butte
1932 - MSU 7, at Montana Tech 0
1927 - at Purdue 39, MSU 7
1921 - at Gonzaga 7, MSU 2
1904 - MSU 30, Billings Senior 4
October 29
SPOTLIGHT: Don Hass did a lot of amazing things as Montana State's star tailback in the mid-1960s, but his day on the high plains of North Dakota today in 1966 remains pretty special in Bobcat annals.
First, some context. North Dakota was an excellent football program in the 1950s and '60s, and in 1966 the Fighting Sioux sailed through September and early October. UND opened by whipping the Grizzlies and Idaho State, and entered its rivalry showdown against North Dakota State with a 5-0 record. North Dakota was edged by the Bison 18-15, and looked forward to getting back on the winning track against Montana State.
Instead, the Fighting Sioux incurred their worst loss of 1966. The Bobcats roared into Grand Forks on a record-setting offensive pace, and rolled right through the Green and White. Hass led the onslaught, carrying 26 times for 110 yards and on finding the Memorial Stadium end zone five times. This was the first five-TD game by a Bobcat since Will Flaherty's famous five scores against the University in 1902. Hass' 30 points set a school record, since touchdowns were worth only four points when Flaherty piled them up around the turn of the 20th century. In fact, Hass was the only Bobcat to score five touchdowns in a game between Flaherty's heroic feat in 1902 and Cody Kirk accomplishing the same thing in 2013.
Hass' 1966 season remains a thing of wonder. In 11 games (counting the Camellia Bowl), he carried 256 times for 1,460 yards, 5.7 yards per rush, with 20 touchdowns. Each of those figures set Bobcat records that stood for a number of years.
With the win at North Dakota Montana State raised its record to 7-1, and followed it by blowing out the Grizzlies. The Cats dropped their regular season finale at Tulsa, a major college program, 13-10, and then fell to an uber-talented San Diego State team in the Camellia Bowl 28-7. North Dakota followed the loss to MSU with a 30-20 win at Augustana and a 62-0 drubbing of Morningside. The team then beat Parsons 42-24 in the Pecan Bowl.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2011 - MSU 54, Idaho State 13
2005 - MSU 29, NAU 22
1994 - at EWU 34, MSU 31 2OT
1988 - NAU 28, MSU 17
1983 - MSU 28, UM 8
1977 - MSU 24, UM 19
1966 - MSU 59, at North Dak 21
1960 - MSU 26, NDSU 14
1955 - at Idaho St 20, MSU 0
1949 - UM 34, MSU 12 at Butte
1938 - MSU 20, Portland 0 at Butte
1932 - MSU 7, at Montana Tech 0
1927 - at Purdue 39, MSU 7
1921 - at Gonzaga 7, MSU 2
1904 - MSU 30, Billings Senior 4
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