Tommy Mellott
Photo by: Garrett Becker
BOBCAT GAME DAY NOTEBOOK: Tommy Mellott Made History Against Cal Poly, and the Cats Look to Do the Same Tonight in Ogden
10/15/2021 7:00:00 PM | Football
Montana State-Weber State showdown marks only the second time the schools have met with each nationally-ranked
OGDEN, Utah – When Tommy Mellott found a crease and headed north in Bobcat Stadium in last Saturday's win over Cal Poly, it was apparent even before he'd reached the first down marker that he was going to score.
"As soon as (offensive coordinator Taylor Housewright) called the play I thought, 'He's gonna take it and score,'" said Bobcat quarterback Matthew McKay.
But the historic nature of that 74-yard touchdown run is, one week later, still emerging. The last player from Butte to score a touchdown for the Bobcats was Frank Green, who caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Bozeman's Kasey Harte against Eastern Washington in 1999. A Bobcat from Butte scored at least one touchdown in every season from 1961 to 1982 except for 1968-70. In 1960, Butte Central's Bill Mulcahy tossed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Johnson, and Mulcahy scored a touchdown himself two seasons later. In the meantime, Bill Cords (three in 1961 and two in 1962) and Mulcahy's former Butte Central teammate Steve Good (one in 1961) each crossed the goal line.
A pair of quarterbacks sit atop the leaderboard of touchdowns by MSU players from Butte (since 1956, when full stats became available). Barry Sullivan leads all Bobcats from the Mining City with a dozen touchdowns from 1979-82, while his predecessor, Paul Dennehy, scored 11 (1976-78). Don Ueland scored eight from 1973-76, but his 51-yard scoring jaunt in the 1974 Cat-Griz game was longest by a Bobcat from Butte.
Until Mellott came along. The brilliant freshman's 74-yarder is the longest by a Montana State player from Butte since at least 1956. It matches Isaiah Ifanse's 74-yard touchdown earlier this season as the longest by a Bobcat this season, and is tied as the fifth-longest in Reno H. Sales/Bobcat Stadium history. (Sales himself, a Montana State grad and member of the school's first football team, has a strong sporting legacy in Butte during his long career as a mineralogist there.)
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The trickle of players back into the Bobcat lineup continues this week with the expected return of fullback RJ Fitzgerald and the possibility that tight end Ryan Davis and receiver Nate Stewart may be available. Fitzgerald and Davis each play key roles in the MSU offense and have been part-time starters during their careers, while Stewart's brilliant spring and preseason camp had him in position to start before an injury sidetracked him.
* * * * *
Friday's showdown between ninth-ranked Montana State and No. 19 Weber State marks a rare occasion in this series. The only previous meeting between the two Big Sky Conference charter members with both teams nationally ranked was 2009, when the No. 25 Bobcats used a stunning, game-ending goal line stand to beat WSU 26-21 and give the program its first truly significant win. It might be overly-dramatic to call that a program-changing victory, but it definitely set the course for Big Sky Championships from 2010-12.
Montana State has faced seven nationally-ranked Wildcat teams during the Division I era (since 1978, when polls became available), with only the 2009 win and a 10-7 1998 decision (both in Ogden) standing as Bobcat wins. The teams met with Montana State nationally-ranked 12 times (including 2005-07, 2009-11, and 2012-13), with the Bobcats claiming nine victories. Two of the three losses happened at Stewart Stadium.
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Montana State's impressive scoring explosion has the Bobcats ranked 13th in the FCS in scoring (38.0 points per game), and also has the team making some school history. The Bobcats have scored at least 40 points in four games this season, and at least 30 in all five games since the season-opening 19-16 loss at Wyoming. Here is a look at how that stacks up in MSU history:
40-point Games, Season – 7 in 2015, 7 in 2014, 6 in 2019, 6 in 1966, 4 in 2021, 4 in 2011, 4 in 2010, 4 in 1984.
30-point Game Streaks – 9 straight in 2011, 8 in 2015, 7 in 1973, 6 in 2013, 5 in 2021, 5 in 1984, 4 in 2012, 4 in 2010, 4 in 1966, 4 in 1956.
The Bobcats scored at least 40 points against Division I opponents eight times in the 1990s and 14 times in the 2000s. This year's team has already accomplished that four times. Jeff Choate's final team did so six times, and in his four seasons the Bobcats passed the 40-point mark 11 times. In the 2010s, the Cats topped 40 points in 38 different games, 33 times against Division I foes.
#GoCatsGo
"As soon as (offensive coordinator Taylor Housewright) called the play I thought, 'He's gonna take it and score,'" said Bobcat quarterback Matthew McKay.
But the historic nature of that 74-yard touchdown run is, one week later, still emerging. The last player from Butte to score a touchdown for the Bobcats was Frank Green, who caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Bozeman's Kasey Harte against Eastern Washington in 1999. A Bobcat from Butte scored at least one touchdown in every season from 1961 to 1982 except for 1968-70. In 1960, Butte Central's Bill Mulcahy tossed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Johnson, and Mulcahy scored a touchdown himself two seasons later. In the meantime, Bill Cords (three in 1961 and two in 1962) and Mulcahy's former Butte Central teammate Steve Good (one in 1961) each crossed the goal line.
A pair of quarterbacks sit atop the leaderboard of touchdowns by MSU players from Butte (since 1956, when full stats became available). Barry Sullivan leads all Bobcats from the Mining City with a dozen touchdowns from 1979-82, while his predecessor, Paul Dennehy, scored 11 (1976-78). Don Ueland scored eight from 1973-76, but his 51-yard scoring jaunt in the 1974 Cat-Griz game was longest by a Bobcat from Butte.
Until Mellott came along. The brilliant freshman's 74-yarder is the longest by a Montana State player from Butte since at least 1956. It matches Isaiah Ifanse's 74-yard touchdown earlier this season as the longest by a Bobcat this season, and is tied as the fifth-longest in Reno H. Sales/Bobcat Stadium history. (Sales himself, a Montana State grad and member of the school's first football team, has a strong sporting legacy in Butte during his long career as a mineralogist there.)
* * * * *
The trickle of players back into the Bobcat lineup continues this week with the expected return of fullback RJ Fitzgerald and the possibility that tight end Ryan Davis and receiver Nate Stewart may be available. Fitzgerald and Davis each play key roles in the MSU offense and have been part-time starters during their careers, while Stewart's brilliant spring and preseason camp had him in position to start before an injury sidetracked him.
* * * * *
Friday's showdown between ninth-ranked Montana State and No. 19 Weber State marks a rare occasion in this series. The only previous meeting between the two Big Sky Conference charter members with both teams nationally ranked was 2009, when the No. 25 Bobcats used a stunning, game-ending goal line stand to beat WSU 26-21 and give the program its first truly significant win. It might be overly-dramatic to call that a program-changing victory, but it definitely set the course for Big Sky Championships from 2010-12.
Montana State has faced seven nationally-ranked Wildcat teams during the Division I era (since 1978, when polls became available), with only the 2009 win and a 10-7 1998 decision (both in Ogden) standing as Bobcat wins. The teams met with Montana State nationally-ranked 12 times (including 2005-07, 2009-11, and 2012-13), with the Bobcats claiming nine victories. Two of the three losses happened at Stewart Stadium.
* * * * *
Montana State's impressive scoring explosion has the Bobcats ranked 13th in the FCS in scoring (38.0 points per game), and also has the team making some school history. The Bobcats have scored at least 40 points in four games this season, and at least 30 in all five games since the season-opening 19-16 loss at Wyoming. Here is a look at how that stacks up in MSU history:
40-point Games, Season – 7 in 2015, 7 in 2014, 6 in 2019, 6 in 1966, 4 in 2021, 4 in 2011, 4 in 2010, 4 in 1984.
30-point Game Streaks – 9 straight in 2011, 8 in 2015, 7 in 1973, 6 in 2013, 5 in 2021, 5 in 1984, 4 in 2012, 4 in 2010, 4 in 1966, 4 in 1956.
The Bobcats scored at least 40 points against Division I opponents eight times in the 1990s and 14 times in the 2000s. This year's team has already accomplished that four times. Jeff Choate's final team did so six times, and in his four seasons the Bobcats passed the 40-point mark 11 times. In the 2010s, the Cats topped 40 points in 38 different games, 33 times against Division I foes.
#GoCatsGo
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