BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: 93 Days Before Kickoff!
6/4/2020 3:00:00 PM | Football
Montana State opens the 2020 season on September 5, and Kyle Rygg wears #93 for the Cats
June 4: 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 in Bobcat Stadium's annual Gold Rush game in September.
#93
Kyle Rygg, DL: Another young player likely to participate in the rejuvenation of MSU's interior defensive line, Kyle Rygg has shown promise during his time at Montana State, and he has also provided productivity. Rygg logged six tackles, including one sack, in his eight 2019 games. He was an all-conference and all-state performer at Sheldon High in Eugene, Oregon, where former Bobcat star receiver Mitchell Herbert played.
93 – The '93 season was, in many ways, magical for the Bobcat football team. A program that had floundered below break-even since the 1984 National Championship caught lightning in a bottle early and rode the energy to a seven-win season, which no MSU team bettered until 2006. Cliff Hysell's second season opened brilliantly, with Fred Moore and Clint Morton running wild on the Great Plains as the Bobcats bounced Western Illinois 29-16. After an expected loss at Washington State and a home win over overmatched Fort Lewis, the Bobcats gashed Weber State for 353 rushing yards in a 14-10 upset of the Wildcats on Homecoming. A narrow loss at NAU set up one of the dramatic stretches for the Blue and Gold in the 1990s. In consecutive weeks the Cats won a home thriller against Southern Utah, beat Idaho State on an interception return by Chris Steinbeisser in the closing seconds, topped #1 Idaho 40-35, then earned Montana State's first – and only – win in Bronco Stadium, drilling Boise State 42-21. The Bobcats wouldn't quite be able to squeeze out the win against Eastern Washington or Montana that it would have taken to boost the team into the I-AA Playoffs, but nonetheless it is remembered as a time of rekindling the passion of a proud program.
Chronology: Jerry Tomal (1980), Steve Niksich (1982), Mark Baker (1983), Mark Gibson (1984), Matt Spain (1985-86), John Galland (1988-90), Chris Steinbeisser (1991-94), AJ Stoneburner (1997), Nick Gerhard (2000), Eric Axlund (2001), Jason Nicastro (2002), Mike Feist (2003), Andy Matakis (2004-05), Dan Ogden (2007-08), Lee Perkins (2010-14), Matt Brownlow (2015-16), Kyle Rygg (2017-)
Other 93 Notes: One of the key moments of the '93 season came down to an amazing play by #93. It was Chris Steinbeisser, a one-time walk-on from Sidney who the coaches always described as possessing a "pit-bull mentality." Steinbeisser made a brilliant read and stepped in front of an Idaho State pass with just seconds remaining and the Bengals holding a narrow lead, and gave Montana State the win by racing the other way for a touchdown. Steinbeisser was a coach's dream. "We always tried to recruit over him," Cliff Hysell said privately several times, "and never could." … Jason Nicastro wasn't one of the headliners on Montana State's 2002 Big Sky-winning defense, but his arrival for one season was a tremendous spark. He transferred to MSU when Cal State Northridge dropped football, and started most of the season at nose tackle. His 48 tackles, nine for a loss, with 4.5 sacks, was important, but so too was his passion, his swagger, his flare. Jason Nicastro was a big part of that unforgettable 2002 Big Sky Championship.
Bonus for #93 – One of the great things about following teams closely, year in and year out, is the backstories. It's being able to trace great moments to their roots. Here is a great moment: it's 2016, the Bobcats haven't beaten the Grizzlies in four years, and with the third quarter winding down MSU holds an uncomfortable 24-7 lead that seems in imminent danger of shrinking. Montana faces a goal-to-go situation, pushes the ball to the MSU one with a couple of short gains, and it feels for all the world like regardless the lead the game is in the balance on this fourth down play. With the idea that the Grizzlies will be capable of shoving the Bobcats far back into the end zone, UM coach Bob Stitt calls a quarterback sneak. Brady Gustafson is stuffed. A play like this never boils down to one player. It can't. It's the ultimate football play, with 11 men on either side needing to do their job for their team to prevail. But when the play is whistled down and possession reversed, as Washington-Grizzly Stadium spiraled into silence, #93 sprinted to the visitors' sideline in jubilation. Matt Brownlow wasn't credited with the tackle, and there's no honest way of accurately crediting a tackle on such a play, but Brownlow helped provide necessary leverage – and this is not a short joke – by getting below the pile of humanity and helping form the stone wall. There would be tense moments as the game reached its climax, for sure, but Montana State's 24-17 win was sealed right there. Turning away that scoring opportunity tilted the math in MSU's favor, and the triumph was sweeter for no one more so than the walk-on nose tackle who played football without great distinction at two different high schools in Missoula before enrolling at Montana State with no idea of football glory. Brownlow was goaded into an open tryout, rose to what some called 'mascot' status by being a loveable, gregarious character, and took over a key role on the defensive line in his last few games due to injury. But when his number was called, he shined. Fate, in the form of a nasty knee injury, wouldn't even allow him to finish his final game. But no one in Missoula that day will forget the play that he helped trigger, which vaulted the Bobcats to a stunning upset win against their ancient rivals.
#93
Kyle Rygg, DL: Another young player likely to participate in the rejuvenation of MSU's interior defensive line, Kyle Rygg has shown promise during his time at Montana State, and he has also provided productivity. Rygg logged six tackles, including one sack, in his eight 2019 games. He was an all-conference and all-state performer at Sheldon High in Eugene, Oregon, where former Bobcat star receiver Mitchell Herbert played.
93 – The '93 season was, in many ways, magical for the Bobcat football team. A program that had floundered below break-even since the 1984 National Championship caught lightning in a bottle early and rode the energy to a seven-win season, which no MSU team bettered until 2006. Cliff Hysell's second season opened brilliantly, with Fred Moore and Clint Morton running wild on the Great Plains as the Bobcats bounced Western Illinois 29-16. After an expected loss at Washington State and a home win over overmatched Fort Lewis, the Bobcats gashed Weber State for 353 rushing yards in a 14-10 upset of the Wildcats on Homecoming. A narrow loss at NAU set up one of the dramatic stretches for the Blue and Gold in the 1990s. In consecutive weeks the Cats won a home thriller against Southern Utah, beat Idaho State on an interception return by Chris Steinbeisser in the closing seconds, topped #1 Idaho 40-35, then earned Montana State's first – and only – win in Bronco Stadium, drilling Boise State 42-21. The Bobcats wouldn't quite be able to squeeze out the win against Eastern Washington or Montana that it would have taken to boost the team into the I-AA Playoffs, but nonetheless it is remembered as a time of rekindling the passion of a proud program.
Chronology: Jerry Tomal (1980), Steve Niksich (1982), Mark Baker (1983), Mark Gibson (1984), Matt Spain (1985-86), John Galland (1988-90), Chris Steinbeisser (1991-94), AJ Stoneburner (1997), Nick Gerhard (2000), Eric Axlund (2001), Jason Nicastro (2002), Mike Feist (2003), Andy Matakis (2004-05), Dan Ogden (2007-08), Lee Perkins (2010-14), Matt Brownlow (2015-16), Kyle Rygg (2017-)
Other 93 Notes: One of the key moments of the '93 season came down to an amazing play by #93. It was Chris Steinbeisser, a one-time walk-on from Sidney who the coaches always described as possessing a "pit-bull mentality." Steinbeisser made a brilliant read and stepped in front of an Idaho State pass with just seconds remaining and the Bengals holding a narrow lead, and gave Montana State the win by racing the other way for a touchdown. Steinbeisser was a coach's dream. "We always tried to recruit over him," Cliff Hysell said privately several times, "and never could." … Jason Nicastro wasn't one of the headliners on Montana State's 2002 Big Sky-winning defense, but his arrival for one season was a tremendous spark. He transferred to MSU when Cal State Northridge dropped football, and started most of the season at nose tackle. His 48 tackles, nine for a loss, with 4.5 sacks, was important, but so too was his passion, his swagger, his flare. Jason Nicastro was a big part of that unforgettable 2002 Big Sky Championship.
Bonus for #93 – One of the great things about following teams closely, year in and year out, is the backstories. It's being able to trace great moments to their roots. Here is a great moment: it's 2016, the Bobcats haven't beaten the Grizzlies in four years, and with the third quarter winding down MSU holds an uncomfortable 24-7 lead that seems in imminent danger of shrinking. Montana faces a goal-to-go situation, pushes the ball to the MSU one with a couple of short gains, and it feels for all the world like regardless the lead the game is in the balance on this fourth down play. With the idea that the Grizzlies will be capable of shoving the Bobcats far back into the end zone, UM coach Bob Stitt calls a quarterback sneak. Brady Gustafson is stuffed. A play like this never boils down to one player. It can't. It's the ultimate football play, with 11 men on either side needing to do their job for their team to prevail. But when the play is whistled down and possession reversed, as Washington-Grizzly Stadium spiraled into silence, #93 sprinted to the visitors' sideline in jubilation. Matt Brownlow wasn't credited with the tackle, and there's no honest way of accurately crediting a tackle on such a play, but Brownlow helped provide necessary leverage – and this is not a short joke – by getting below the pile of humanity and helping form the stone wall. There would be tense moments as the game reached its climax, for sure, but Montana State's 24-17 win was sealed right there. Turning away that scoring opportunity tilted the math in MSU's favor, and the triumph was sweeter for no one more so than the walk-on nose tackle who played football without great distinction at two different high schools in Missoula before enrolling at Montana State with no idea of football glory. Brownlow was goaded into an open tryout, rose to what some called 'mascot' status by being a loveable, gregarious character, and took over a key role on the defensive line in his last few games due to injury. But when his number was called, he shined. Fate, in the form of a nasty knee injury, wouldn't even allow him to finish his final game. But no one in Missoula that day will forget the play that he helped trigger, which vaulted the Bobcats to a stunning upset win against their ancient rivals.
Players Mentioned
WR
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