BOBCAT CALENDAR: The 1966 Bobcats Used Special Teams to Make their Last Visit to Old Dornblaser Stadium Special Today in 1966
11/5/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
Montana State matched its largest margin of victory to that point with a 38-0 whitewashing of the Grizzlies
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
November 5
SPOTLIGHT: The Cat-Griz game played today in 1966 brought together programs heading in opposite directions.
Montana State had won its first title in the still-young Big Sky Conference in 1964, and even in a difficult, injury-plagued 1965 season the Bobcats beat the Grizzlies for the eighth time in the previous 10 get-togethers.
While Bobcat fans were still settling into this new reality, they had barely settled into old Dornblaser Stadium on the central UM campus before Jan Stenerud nailed a short field goal to give the Cats a 3-0 lead. On MSU's next drive Don Hass rambled 55 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 Bobcat cushion.
A fumble on MSU's third drive thwarted a scoring chance, but after converting a fake punt to extend the team's fourth drive Dennis Erickson hit Gary Richards on a 12-yard touchdown pass for a 17-0 lead the visitors took into halftime.
If there was any scant hope in the heart of Grizzly fans, it was exterminated decisively on the second half kickoff. Dodge ran it back 90 yards for a touchdown, MSU's first kick return for a touchdown against the Grizzlies, and after the next Griz possession Gary Popiel ran a UM punt back 74 yards for a touchdown. Montana State had touched the ball twice in the third quarter without running a single offensive play, and had two touchdowns to show for it.It was the first punt return for a score in the series since 1936, and was only MSU's third punt return for a score against the Grizzlies.
Montana State's victory was historic. The Bobcats won for the fourth time in six trips to old Dornblaser after compiling losing their first seven games there. It marked MSU's first shutout since the 0-0 tie in 1928 and the first shutout victory since the 5-0 win in 1908. The 38-0 win also matched the largest margin of victory ever for MSU in the series, along with 38-0 wins in 1899 and 1902.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2015 - at Southern Utah 38, MSU 21
2011 - MSU 44, at Weber St 24
2005 - MSU 37, Sac St 14
1994 - MSU 44, WNM 6
1988 - at UM 17, MSU 3
1983 - Eastern Wash 22, MSU 17
1977 - at NAU 28, MSU 21
1966 - MSU 38, at UM 0
1961 - at UM 10, MSU 6
1955 - Montana 19, MSU 0
1924 - at Wyoming 18, MSU 17
1921 - at Mont. Wesleyan 16, MS 0
1920 - MSU 35, Carroll 0
1915 - MSU 14, All-Stars 0
FINIS: The punt and kickoff returns for Montana State in the 1966 Cat-Griz game marked the first time in the series any team had scored on two different kick returns in one game.
November 5
SPOTLIGHT: The Cat-Griz game played today in 1966 brought together programs heading in opposite directions.
Montana State had won its first title in the still-young Big Sky Conference in 1964, and even in a difficult, injury-plagued 1965 season the Bobcats beat the Grizzlies for the eighth time in the previous 10 get-togethers.
While Bobcat fans were still settling into this new reality, they had barely settled into old Dornblaser Stadium on the central UM campus before Jan Stenerud nailed a short field goal to give the Cats a 3-0 lead. On MSU's next drive Don Hass rambled 55 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 Bobcat cushion.
A fumble on MSU's third drive thwarted a scoring chance, but after converting a fake punt to extend the team's fourth drive Dennis Erickson hit Gary Richards on a 12-yard touchdown pass for a 17-0 lead the visitors took into halftime.
If there was any scant hope in the heart of Grizzly fans, it was exterminated decisively on the second half kickoff. Dodge ran it back 90 yards for a touchdown, MSU's first kick return for a touchdown against the Grizzlies, and after the next Griz possession Gary Popiel ran a UM punt back 74 yards for a touchdown. Montana State had touched the ball twice in the third quarter without running a single offensive play, and had two touchdowns to show for it.It was the first punt return for a score in the series since 1936, and was only MSU's third punt return for a score against the Grizzlies.
Montana State's victory was historic. The Bobcats won for the fourth time in six trips to old Dornblaser after compiling losing their first seven games there. It marked MSU's first shutout since the 0-0 tie in 1928 and the first shutout victory since the 5-0 win in 1908. The 38-0 win also matched the largest margin of victory ever for MSU in the series, along with 38-0 wins in 1899 and 1902.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2015 - at Southern Utah 38, MSU 21
2011 - MSU 44, at Weber St 24
2005 - MSU 37, Sac St 14
1994 - MSU 44, WNM 6
1988 - at UM 17, MSU 3
1983 - Eastern Wash 22, MSU 17
1977 - at NAU 28, MSU 21
1966 - MSU 38, at UM 0
1961 - at UM 10, MSU 6
1955 - Montana 19, MSU 0
1924 - at Wyoming 18, MSU 17
1921 - at Mont. Wesleyan 16, MS 0
1920 - MSU 35, Carroll 0
1915 - MSU 14, All-Stars 0
FINIS: The punt and kickoff returns for Montana State in the 1966 Cat-Griz game marked the first time in the series any team had scored on two different kick returns in one game.
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