BOBCAT CALENDAR: Montana State won its sixth straight game against the University today in 1903
11/26/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
A late fumble return by UM broke its three-year scoreless streak against the College
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
November 26
SPOTLIGHT: By sunset today in 1903, the Montana Agricultural College had won the state collegiate football championship for the fifth time in its seven seasons. It would be many years before the College enjoyed this kind of sustained success, but that was unknown at the time. What was known was the the College had beaten the University for the sixth straight time.
It was a well-rested Montana State team that hosted the University on Thanksgiving Day today in 1903. The school's initial schedule featured only three games, and a return game after Montana Tech and MAC battled to a scoreless tie in Bozeman never materialized. In fact, the Exponent said the College team played "after a week of absolute idleness, practiced only four days before the game."
On a snowy, sloppy field at the Fairgrounds, Montana State captain Charles Ray scored on a 40-yard run to open the scoring, and the "farmers" forced a UM safety for an 8-0 lead. After the second half kickoff, Bozeman forced "the varsity up the hill" and scored on a Ray one-yard run to extend the lead to 13-0, then tacked on another safety. Montana's only score of the day came on a 45-yard fumble return by Ed Corbin late in the game, and in fact it snapped a three-year scoreless streak by the University against Montana State.
Following the day's game, Bozeman's J.J. Kelly hosted a Thanksgiving meal for both teams at the Bozeman hotel - "The menus were both certainly swell," the Exponent opined - and then the College's Bouffon social club hosted the visiting team at a dance in the Story mansion. "There were about twenty-five who came in the party from Missoula," according to the Exponent.
BONUS: Montana State's only 1903 game other than the Bobcat-Grizzly win was a tie against Montana Tech (the School of Mines, as it was then called in the newspapers). The teams mostly slugged it out near the middle of the field. The day's best scoring opportunity came when Butte recovered the second half kickoff at the MAC 27, but Bozeman held on downs.
Tech was scheduled to host the Aggies later in the season, but fell short on financial resources and the game was canceled. With an in-state record of 1-0-1, Montana State was conceded the 1903 State Championship. The University lost twice to the School of Mines.
BOBCAT GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
1936 - MSU 26, at Montana Tech 7
1903 - MSU 13, UM 6
FINIS: From the very beginning, the Cat-Griz football game has been about family, whether uniting, or dividing only to reunite later. Below are the families that played for each school from 1897 until 1905...
MONTANA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE
Brittan - A., Ed
Flaherty - Charles, Dick, George, Will
Jeffers - Clifford, Clarence
Ray - Charles, Willis
Robinson - Don, Will
UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
Fisher - Eugene, John
Greenough - King, Earl, Paul, Leo
Heyfron - Dan, Gilbert
Sedman - Ellis, Oscar
Williams - Arthur, Frank
As the November, 1903 Exponent pondered: "Talk about the Flaherties in our team; how many Greenoughs grow in the balmy Bitter Root basin?"
November 26
SPOTLIGHT: By sunset today in 1903, the Montana Agricultural College had won the state collegiate football championship for the fifth time in its seven seasons. It would be many years before the College enjoyed this kind of sustained success, but that was unknown at the time. What was known was the the College had beaten the University for the sixth straight time.
It was a well-rested Montana State team that hosted the University on Thanksgiving Day today in 1903. The school's initial schedule featured only three games, and a return game after Montana Tech and MAC battled to a scoreless tie in Bozeman never materialized. In fact, the Exponent said the College team played "after a week of absolute idleness, practiced only four days before the game."
On a snowy, sloppy field at the Fairgrounds, Montana State captain Charles Ray scored on a 40-yard run to open the scoring, and the "farmers" forced a UM safety for an 8-0 lead. After the second half kickoff, Bozeman forced "the varsity up the hill" and scored on a Ray one-yard run to extend the lead to 13-0, then tacked on another safety. Montana's only score of the day came on a 45-yard fumble return by Ed Corbin late in the game, and in fact it snapped a three-year scoreless streak by the University against Montana State.
Following the day's game, Bozeman's J.J. Kelly hosted a Thanksgiving meal for both teams at the Bozeman hotel - "The menus were both certainly swell," the Exponent opined - and then the College's Bouffon social club hosted the visiting team at a dance in the Story mansion. "There were about twenty-five who came in the party from Missoula," according to the Exponent.
BONUS: Montana State's only 1903 game other than the Bobcat-Grizzly win was a tie against Montana Tech (the School of Mines, as it was then called in the newspapers). The teams mostly slugged it out near the middle of the field. The day's best scoring opportunity came when Butte recovered the second half kickoff at the MAC 27, but Bozeman held on downs.
Tech was scheduled to host the Aggies later in the season, but fell short on financial resources and the game was canceled. With an in-state record of 1-0-1, Montana State was conceded the 1903 State Championship. The University lost twice to the School of Mines.
BOBCAT GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
1936 - MSU 26, at Montana Tech 7
1903 - MSU 13, UM 6
FINIS: From the very beginning, the Cat-Griz football game has been about family, whether uniting, or dividing only to reunite later. Below are the families that played for each school from 1897 until 1905...
MONTANA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE
Brittan - A., Ed
Flaherty - Charles, Dick, George, Will
Jeffers - Clifford, Clarence
Ray - Charles, Willis
Robinson - Don, Will
UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
Fisher - Eugene, John
Greenough - King, Earl, Paul, Leo
Heyfron - Dan, Gilbert
Sedman - Ellis, Oscar
Williams - Arthur, Frank
As the November, 1903 Exponent pondered: "Talk about the Flaherties in our team; how many Greenoughs grow in the balmy Bitter Root basin?"
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