Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
BOBCAT CALENDAR: Todd Graves Led MSU to a Win in Pocatello Today in 1991
10/26/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
The Bobcats' first league game against Portland State came 24 years ago today
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
October 26
SPOTLIGHT: Bobcat fans were looking for any positive that came its way in the fall of 1991, and literally the only straw to grasp occurred today 29 years ago when Montana State stymied Idaho State 16-7.
Montana State's defense smothered the Bengals on this night in Holt Arena, intercepting three passes and registering five sacks. Nose guard Jeff Newton sacked ISU's passer three times himself, and Corey Widmer logged six tackles with a pass deflection in overcoming a string of nagging injuries.
Idaho State's only score came on a fake field goal. Montana State's easy win snapped a six-game losing streak, but the glimmer of hope MSU fans carried into Cat-Griz week was exterminated on a frigid Saturday in Reno H. Sales Stadium. After that disappointing defeat - dropping Solomonson's record against MSU's ancient rival to 0-5 - the Bobcats lost their final three games of the season. Solomonson was fired after the 22-21 home loss to Eastern Washington.
While reigning Big Sky Defensive MVP Widmer carried considerable star power, and Newton reeled in Big Sky Player of the Week honors two days later, one of MSU's other defensive stars had a game-changing day. Inside linebacker Todd Graves intercepted two passes, and after the second one gave the Cats the ball he plunged into the end zone out of the team's heavy set on offense to put the game on ice for Montana State.
The Bobcats didn't enjoy a wealth of team success in the late '80s or '90s, and the eight seasons following the 1984 National Championship were particularly frustrating. The Cats won no more than four games in any of them. But the team certainly had a number of stars, many on the defensive side of the ball. An inside linebacker from Ridge, Washington, Graves deserves to be remembered. He teamed with tackle Corey Widmer to control the middle of the field in the first two seasons of the decade. His 243 tackles in 1990-91 led the team, and he added 14 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, two sacks, four forced fumbles and three recovered in that span. He intercepted three passes and broke up two others - with two of those picks coming in Holt Arena 29 years ago. Graves earned All-Big Sky as a junior.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2019 - North Dakota 16, #9 MSU 12
2013 - MSU 35, UC Davis 28
2002 - at Northern Arizona 20, MSU 17
1996 - MSU 24, Portland State 6
1991 - MSU 16, at Idaho State 7
1985 - MSU 41, UM 18
1974 - MSU 36, Idaho 21
1968 - MSU 20, NAU 15
1963 - at Idaho State 19, MSU 15
1957 - MSU 35, at Omaha 0
1946 - MSU 27, Northern Colorado 7
1940 - MSU 7, Northern Colorado 0
1935 - MSU 6, at Montana Tech 3
1929 - MSU 13, at Wyoming 0
FINIS: Today in 1996 Montana State finished a quick, middle-of-the-season glimpse into the future when the Bobcats beat Portland State 24-6 in Bozeman. That win came one week after MSU had beaten another new league rival, Cal State Northridge, 24-17. While Northridge exited after a quick five-year stay in the loop, Portland State has remained in the Big Sky, emerging as one of MSU's fun rivalries due to the number of MSU alums and former Bobcat players along the northern I-5 corridor.
October 26
SPOTLIGHT: Bobcat fans were looking for any positive that came its way in the fall of 1991, and literally the only straw to grasp occurred today 29 years ago when Montana State stymied Idaho State 16-7.
Montana State's defense smothered the Bengals on this night in Holt Arena, intercepting three passes and registering five sacks. Nose guard Jeff Newton sacked ISU's passer three times himself, and Corey Widmer logged six tackles with a pass deflection in overcoming a string of nagging injuries.
Idaho State's only score came on a fake field goal. Montana State's easy win snapped a six-game losing streak, but the glimmer of hope MSU fans carried into Cat-Griz week was exterminated on a frigid Saturday in Reno H. Sales Stadium. After that disappointing defeat - dropping Solomonson's record against MSU's ancient rival to 0-5 - the Bobcats lost their final three games of the season. Solomonson was fired after the 22-21 home loss to Eastern Washington.
While reigning Big Sky Defensive MVP Widmer carried considerable star power, and Newton reeled in Big Sky Player of the Week honors two days later, one of MSU's other defensive stars had a game-changing day. Inside linebacker Todd Graves intercepted two passes, and after the second one gave the Cats the ball he plunged into the end zone out of the team's heavy set on offense to put the game on ice for Montana State.
The Bobcats didn't enjoy a wealth of team success in the late '80s or '90s, and the eight seasons following the 1984 National Championship were particularly frustrating. The Cats won no more than four games in any of them. But the team certainly had a number of stars, many on the defensive side of the ball. An inside linebacker from Ridge, Washington, Graves deserves to be remembered. He teamed with tackle Corey Widmer to control the middle of the field in the first two seasons of the decade. His 243 tackles in 1990-91 led the team, and he added 14 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, two sacks, four forced fumbles and three recovered in that span. He intercepted three passes and broke up two others - with two of those picks coming in Holt Arena 29 years ago. Graves earned All-Big Sky as a junior.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2019 - North Dakota 16, #9 MSU 12
2013 - MSU 35, UC Davis 28
2002 - at Northern Arizona 20, MSU 17
1996 - MSU 24, Portland State 6
1991 - MSU 16, at Idaho State 7
1985 - MSU 41, UM 18
1974 - MSU 36, Idaho 21
1968 - MSU 20, NAU 15
1963 - at Idaho State 19, MSU 15
1957 - MSU 35, at Omaha 0
1946 - MSU 27, Northern Colorado 7
1940 - MSU 7, Northern Colorado 0
1935 - MSU 6, at Montana Tech 3
1929 - MSU 13, at Wyoming 0
FINIS: Today in 1996 Montana State finished a quick, middle-of-the-season glimpse into the future when the Bobcats beat Portland State 24-6 in Bozeman. That win came one week after MSU had beaten another new league rival, Cal State Northridge, 24-17. While Northridge exited after a quick five-year stay in the loop, Portland State has remained in the Big Sky, emerging as one of MSU's fun rivalries due to the number of MSU alums and former Bobcat players along the northern I-5 corridor.
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