BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: 97 Days Until Kickoff!
5/31/2020 3:00:00 PM | Football
Nick Morasko enjoyed good times at MSU, persevered some bad times, and helped build a foundation of success
May 31: Bobcats by the Numbers takes a look at current and past Bobcats whose jersey numbers correspond to the number of days remaining before Montana State opens the 2020 football season against Long Island Post in Bobcat Stadium's annual Gold Rush game.
#97
No current Bobcat is assigned #97.
Bobcat Spotlight: #97 – Bobcat fans owe a debt of gratitude to teams and players that didn't enjoy tremendous success, fought through losing seasons but kept carrying on, bridging the gap between championship seasons and playoff berths. Keeping things going when the going is tough needs to be appreciated. Nick Morasko posted a tremendous career, starting three games as a true freshman defensive end in 1997 and all 11 as a sophomore. He followed a typical career arc by gaining strength and moving inside to tackle in 1999, missed the winless 2000 season with an injury, then logged 9.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks as a senior in 2001 when the Bobcats captured five wins. He earned First Team All-Big Sky honors that season, and his legacy was helping build the brilliant Bobcat defenses that won championships in 2002, '03, and '05.
More #97 – It's a moment that will never be forgotten. Just before three o'clock on the afternoon of December 8, 1984, Joe Roberts stepped in front of a Tom Erhardt pass near the Montana State goal line. Had the pass safely landed in the hands of a Rhode Island receiver, the fate of that NCAA Division I-AA semifinal game would likely have been sealed there and then. Instead, Roberts secured the ball, and began a 97-yard journey that through the shadows that ended in a glorious dogpile in a snowbank just outside of Reno H. Sales Stadium's south end zone. 97 yards. Roberts wasn't really touched until a teammate plastered him into the snow at the run's completion. One week later, the Cats won the program's third National Championship by beating Louisiana Tech in South Carolina, but the season – and program history – would have been quite different had Joe Roberts not stepped in front of that pass in the bright sunshine then dashed through the shadows and into the snow.
Chronology: Gregg Wilks (1983), Terry Martinson (1984-85), Jared Wright (1986), Bryan Krumwiede (1987-90), Wade Rademacher (1991-93), Jon Bednarz (1994), Jarrod Beekley (1995), Justin Morris (1996), Nick Morasko (1997-2001), Ben Smith (2002), Nick Gilchrist (2003-04), Chris Kolone (2005-2008), Derek DeJong (2010), Zach Logan (2011), Connor Thomas (2013-15), Lewis Kidd (2016), Wilson Brott (2017-18), Marcus Wehr (2019).
#97
No current Bobcat is assigned #97.
Bobcat Spotlight: #97 – Bobcat fans owe a debt of gratitude to teams and players that didn't enjoy tremendous success, fought through losing seasons but kept carrying on, bridging the gap between championship seasons and playoff berths. Keeping things going when the going is tough needs to be appreciated. Nick Morasko posted a tremendous career, starting three games as a true freshman defensive end in 1997 and all 11 as a sophomore. He followed a typical career arc by gaining strength and moving inside to tackle in 1999, missed the winless 2000 season with an injury, then logged 9.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks as a senior in 2001 when the Bobcats captured five wins. He earned First Team All-Big Sky honors that season, and his legacy was helping build the brilliant Bobcat defenses that won championships in 2002, '03, and '05.
More #97 – It's a moment that will never be forgotten. Just before three o'clock on the afternoon of December 8, 1984, Joe Roberts stepped in front of a Tom Erhardt pass near the Montana State goal line. Had the pass safely landed in the hands of a Rhode Island receiver, the fate of that NCAA Division I-AA semifinal game would likely have been sealed there and then. Instead, Roberts secured the ball, and began a 97-yard journey that through the shadows that ended in a glorious dogpile in a snowbank just outside of Reno H. Sales Stadium's south end zone. 97 yards. Roberts wasn't really touched until a teammate plastered him into the snow at the run's completion. One week later, the Cats won the program's third National Championship by beating Louisiana Tech in South Carolina, but the season – and program history – would have been quite different had Joe Roberts not stepped in front of that pass in the bright sunshine then dashed through the shadows and into the snow.
Chronology: Gregg Wilks (1983), Terry Martinson (1984-85), Jared Wright (1986), Bryan Krumwiede (1987-90), Wade Rademacher (1991-93), Jon Bednarz (1994), Jarrod Beekley (1995), Justin Morris (1996), Nick Morasko (1997-2001), Ben Smith (2002), Nick Gilchrist (2003-04), Chris Kolone (2005-2008), Derek DeJong (2010), Zach Logan (2011), Connor Thomas (2013-15), Lewis Kidd (2016), Wilson Brott (2017-18), Marcus Wehr (2019).
Players Mentioned
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