BOBCAT CALENDAR: Montana State Welcomes Ott Romeny, Era of Success
5/30/2020 4:00:00 PM | Football
Returning hero generates wave of spirit on Montana State campus
98 Years Ago – 1922
Each day leading to Montana State's 2020 season opener, scheduled for September 5, we will look at the season as many years ago as it is days until kickoff of the Gold Rush game.
98 YEARS AGO – In the summer of 1914, Fred Bennion arrived in Bozeman after some very successful years coaching at Utah. He is believed to be the first player ever to catch a touchdown pass for the Utes, and compiled a 16-8-3 record coaching football at his alma mater. Bennion had a solid tenure at Montana State, leading a reorganized Bobcat team (the school would adopt that nickname shortly after Bennion's arrival) to an 11-7-5 record over four seasons. Bennion didn't come to Montana State alone, though. He brought with him a brilliant quarterback, George Ottinger Romney, who eight years after his season as the team's quarterback in 1914 (he had only one season of eligibility remaining) returned to Montana State as the head football and basketball coach and director of athletics and physical education.
It's hard to overstate the enthusiasm with which Romney's return was met. The 1923 Montanan staff dedicated the school's annual to him: "To Ott Romney to whom we are indebted for the creation of a student body consciousness of our college traditions and for giving to Bobcat Spirit a new and great significance by a correct interpretation of these traditions – this book is dedicated" After starring in football and basketball for three seasons at Utah, then spending one year in grad school without competing in athletics at Harvard, Romney made the most of his final year of college sports in 1914. He quarterbacked the football team, starred in basketball, played baseball, won the quarter-mile in the state intercollegiate track and field meet, played on the tennis team, and was on the debate squad. Romeny proceeded to coachin at Billings High School in 1916, then joined the Navy in 1918. After three years or turning out championship high school teams in Salt Lake City, Romney returned to Montana State in 1922.
The Bobcats beat the Billings Independents club team 46-6 to open the season, and four days later beat Mt. St. Charles, now Carroll College, 26-3. From there the waters got choppy. Montana State lost to Utah State 39-6 at home, and travelled to Fargo for a 48-0 loss to North Dakota State. The team then beat Rocky Mountain College 34-6 and Montana Tech 10-0, before closing the season with a 12-0 loss to Gonzaga and a 7-6 defeat in Missoula.
The 1922 Cat-Griz game in Missoula was one for the ages, and the Weekly Exponent headline says it all: Bobcats Conquer The Bruins, Final Score Not Yet Determined. The Bobcats neutralized a much bigger University squad with a "bewildering variety of forward passes that paved the way to the only touchdown scored." The recorded final score: University 7, College 6.
MOST COMMON STARTING LINEUP: Center-John Brittain, Guard-Champ Hannon, Guard-Donald LeCornu, Tackle-Frank Cowan, Tackle-Frank Knight, End-Frank Hatfield, End-John Mashin, Quarterback-Ray McCarren, Halfback-Arthur MacDonald, Halfback-Glenn Fox, Fullback-Bill Bowden.
POST-SEASON HONORS: All-America – none. All-Rocky Mountain – Tackle Pat Morphey. All-State – 1st Team – Ray McCarren, QB; Eugene Robertson, G. 2nd Team – Pat Morphey, T; John Mashin, E; Fat Asbury, C.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: none
ROCKY MOUNTAIN STANDINGS: The Bobcats again played only one game against a conference rival, a 39-6 home loss to Utah State.
Each day leading to Montana State's 2020 season opener, scheduled for September 5, we will look at the season as many years ago as it is days until kickoff of the Gold Rush game.
98 YEARS AGO – In the summer of 1914, Fred Bennion arrived in Bozeman after some very successful years coaching at Utah. He is believed to be the first player ever to catch a touchdown pass for the Utes, and compiled a 16-8-3 record coaching football at his alma mater. Bennion had a solid tenure at Montana State, leading a reorganized Bobcat team (the school would adopt that nickname shortly after Bennion's arrival) to an 11-7-5 record over four seasons. Bennion didn't come to Montana State alone, though. He brought with him a brilliant quarterback, George Ottinger Romney, who eight years after his season as the team's quarterback in 1914 (he had only one season of eligibility remaining) returned to Montana State as the head football and basketball coach and director of athletics and physical education.
It's hard to overstate the enthusiasm with which Romney's return was met. The 1923 Montanan staff dedicated the school's annual to him: "To Ott Romney to whom we are indebted for the creation of a student body consciousness of our college traditions and for giving to Bobcat Spirit a new and great significance by a correct interpretation of these traditions – this book is dedicated" After starring in football and basketball for three seasons at Utah, then spending one year in grad school without competing in athletics at Harvard, Romney made the most of his final year of college sports in 1914. He quarterbacked the football team, starred in basketball, played baseball, won the quarter-mile in the state intercollegiate track and field meet, played on the tennis team, and was on the debate squad. Romeny proceeded to coachin at Billings High School in 1916, then joined the Navy in 1918. After three years or turning out championship high school teams in Salt Lake City, Romney returned to Montana State in 1922.
The Bobcats beat the Billings Independents club team 46-6 to open the season, and four days later beat Mt. St. Charles, now Carroll College, 26-3. From there the waters got choppy. Montana State lost to Utah State 39-6 at home, and travelled to Fargo for a 48-0 loss to North Dakota State. The team then beat Rocky Mountain College 34-6 and Montana Tech 10-0, before closing the season with a 12-0 loss to Gonzaga and a 7-6 defeat in Missoula.
The 1922 Cat-Griz game in Missoula was one for the ages, and the Weekly Exponent headline says it all: Bobcats Conquer The Bruins, Final Score Not Yet Determined. The Bobcats neutralized a much bigger University squad with a "bewildering variety of forward passes that paved the way to the only touchdown scored." The recorded final score: University 7, College 6.
MOST COMMON STARTING LINEUP: Center-John Brittain, Guard-Champ Hannon, Guard-Donald LeCornu, Tackle-Frank Cowan, Tackle-Frank Knight, End-Frank Hatfield, End-John Mashin, Quarterback-Ray McCarren, Halfback-Arthur MacDonald, Halfback-Glenn Fox, Fullback-Bill Bowden.
POST-SEASON HONORS: All-America – none. All-Rocky Mountain – Tackle Pat Morphey. All-State – 1st Team – Ray McCarren, QB; Eugene Robertson, G. 2nd Team – Pat Morphey, T; John Mashin, E; Fat Asbury, C.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: none
ROCKY MOUNTAIN STANDINGS: The Bobcats again played only one game against a conference rival, a 39-6 home loss to Utah State.
Leon Costello Press Conference: Kennedy-Stark Athletic Center
Thursday, July 31
A Conversation with President Dr. Waded Cruzado | Montana State Athletics
Monday, May 19
Big Cats, Little Trucks - Willie Patterson
Wednesday, May 03
Matt Houk Introductory Press Conference
Wednesday, May 03
