BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: 86 Days Before Kickoff We Look at Senior Receiver Lance McCutcheon
6/10/2021 2:00:00 PM | Football
A look at No. 86 in Bobcat Football history...
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 2021 football season at Wyoming on September 4.
#86
Lance McCutcheon, WR: When Lance McCutcheon's football career is over, maybe when he's gathering with former teammates or bringing his own family to Bobcat games years from now, he'll have many good stories to tell. But none will be better than when he spins tales about the Bobcats' home playoff win over Albany in 2019. And he won't have to exaggerate. McCutcheon caught two passes, both for touchdowns, that covered 91 yards in the win that pushed MSU into the quarterfinals. The most spectacular was a one-handed third-quarter catch that erased any doubt about the game's outcome. McCutcheon is part of a tremendous migration of talent down 11th Street from Bozeman High to the Montana State campus. Likely starters on this year's Bobcat team from BHS include McCutcheon and linebacker Callahan O'Reilly, but MSU nine former Hawks begin 2021 on the MSU roster.
For his part, McCutcheon has provided both stability and big-play ability to the MSU receiving corps. He caught three passes for 128 yards in 2017, including a 64-yard touchdown and a 59-yarder. Last fall he played in all 13 games, catching 15 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. He enters his junior season as a presumptive starter. Among Bozeman High products, McCutcheon's 522 is the most in Bobcat history among hometown products, eclipsing Chad Mayer's 374 and Jay Groepper's 299.
If you squint a little and let your imagination go you can see in McCutcheon reflections of a couple of past 86s. The general outline will remind you of two of MSU's best-ever receivers, Scott Turnquist and Tanner Bleskin, tall in-state receivers with good hands, far better speed than they ever received credit for, and most especially that blend of toughness and pride in the program that leads to great things. As a freshman straight out of Bozeman High, McCutcheon caught three passes for 128 yards and a touchdown last season.
Specific to McCutcheon's 2021 season, a single word emerges when the topic turns to MSU's most experienced receiver – leadership. In his quietly confident way, McCutcheon's voice has become heard in a receiver room that recently featured captains Travis Jonsen and Kevin Kassis. That is an important thing, and not one to be taken for granted. It was undoubtedly comfortable for younger pass-catchers in that room with a couple of stars leading the way, and less so to step out of that familiar territory. But McCutcheon has done so, and a stellar senior season is hopefully in store.
Spotlight: Montana State's back-to-back Big Sky title teams of 2002 and '03 had a number of stars. Receiver Scott Turnquist may not have risen to that level… but without a lot of people realizing it, he may have. A championship-level high school football and track coach in Indianapolis and the son of a successful coach, Turnquist quietly rose to third on the MSU career receiving yards chart with 1,856 (a mark that's now fifth) and fourth in catches (135, now sixth). Unfairly tagged a 'possession' receiver, Turnquist was just plain good, and was involved in one of the most memorable pass plays in Bobcat history. With time running out in MSU's game at Sacramento State in 2002, quarterback Travis Lulay kept the last play of regulation alive, desperately evading the pass rush before flipping the ball to Turnquist. The scrappy Billings Skyview product was dragged down by his face mask, giving MSU and untimed play. The Bobcats took advantage by drilling a short field goal, giving Montana State an improbable 31-30 win and, eventually, a share of the Big Sky Championship.
Chronology: Bill Mack (1956), Brad Lowell (1957-59), Bert Emery (1960), Archie Warwick (1961-63), Dave Pawlowski (1965), Dennis Muhlbeier (1966-67), Gary Gustafson (1968-70), Randy Martinson (1971), Gary Fetveit (1972), Brad Daws (1973-75), Les Sherrill (1976), Tom Fox (1977-80), Joe Bignell (1981-84), Terry Duncan (1985), Okey Ezeonu (1986-87), Scott McFarland (1988-90), Pat Gulick (1991-95), Travis Hille (1996), Matt Neumann (1997), Scott Turnquist (2000-03), Nick Parker (2004-05), Joe Roberts (2006-07), DeSean Thomas (2008), Tanner Bleskin (2009-13), Keon Stephens (2015-16), Lance McCutcheon (2017-)
Other 86 Notes: A substantial amount of Treasure State star power has worn #86 in the Blue and Gold, beginning with Gary Gustafson. A legitimate star who moved across the mountains and up the valley from Ennis, Gustafson earned All-Big Sky honors twice and All-America plaudits as a senior. Bozeman's Brad Daws wore #86 as a Bobcat All-America in the early '70s (with his son Dusty wearing 96 while earning national honors a generation later). Joe Bignell (Deer Lodge) was an All-America that helped lead MSU to the 1984 National Championship, Pat Gulick (Whitefish) was a terrific player as a tight end in the early '90s, Scott Turnquist (Billings) was a sensational receiver on the 2002 and '03 Big Sky championship teams, and Tanner Bleskin (Great Falls) was one of the program's most productive receivers ever.
#86
Lance McCutcheon, WR: When Lance McCutcheon's football career is over, maybe when he's gathering with former teammates or bringing his own family to Bobcat games years from now, he'll have many good stories to tell. But none will be better than when he spins tales about the Bobcats' home playoff win over Albany in 2019. And he won't have to exaggerate. McCutcheon caught two passes, both for touchdowns, that covered 91 yards in the win that pushed MSU into the quarterfinals. The most spectacular was a one-handed third-quarter catch that erased any doubt about the game's outcome. McCutcheon is part of a tremendous migration of talent down 11th Street from Bozeman High to the Montana State campus. Likely starters on this year's Bobcat team from BHS include McCutcheon and linebacker Callahan O'Reilly, but MSU nine former Hawks begin 2021 on the MSU roster.
For his part, McCutcheon has provided both stability and big-play ability to the MSU receiving corps. He caught three passes for 128 yards in 2017, including a 64-yard touchdown and a 59-yarder. Last fall he played in all 13 games, catching 15 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. He enters his junior season as a presumptive starter. Among Bozeman High products, McCutcheon's 522 is the most in Bobcat history among hometown products, eclipsing Chad Mayer's 374 and Jay Groepper's 299.
If you squint a little and let your imagination go you can see in McCutcheon reflections of a couple of past 86s. The general outline will remind you of two of MSU's best-ever receivers, Scott Turnquist and Tanner Bleskin, tall in-state receivers with good hands, far better speed than they ever received credit for, and most especially that blend of toughness and pride in the program that leads to great things. As a freshman straight out of Bozeman High, McCutcheon caught three passes for 128 yards and a touchdown last season.
Specific to McCutcheon's 2021 season, a single word emerges when the topic turns to MSU's most experienced receiver – leadership. In his quietly confident way, McCutcheon's voice has become heard in a receiver room that recently featured captains Travis Jonsen and Kevin Kassis. That is an important thing, and not one to be taken for granted. It was undoubtedly comfortable for younger pass-catchers in that room with a couple of stars leading the way, and less so to step out of that familiar territory. But McCutcheon has done so, and a stellar senior season is hopefully in store.
Spotlight: Montana State's back-to-back Big Sky title teams of 2002 and '03 had a number of stars. Receiver Scott Turnquist may not have risen to that level… but without a lot of people realizing it, he may have. A championship-level high school football and track coach in Indianapolis and the son of a successful coach, Turnquist quietly rose to third on the MSU career receiving yards chart with 1,856 (a mark that's now fifth) and fourth in catches (135, now sixth). Unfairly tagged a 'possession' receiver, Turnquist was just plain good, and was involved in one of the most memorable pass plays in Bobcat history. With time running out in MSU's game at Sacramento State in 2002, quarterback Travis Lulay kept the last play of regulation alive, desperately evading the pass rush before flipping the ball to Turnquist. The scrappy Billings Skyview product was dragged down by his face mask, giving MSU and untimed play. The Bobcats took advantage by drilling a short field goal, giving Montana State an improbable 31-30 win and, eventually, a share of the Big Sky Championship.
Chronology: Bill Mack (1956), Brad Lowell (1957-59), Bert Emery (1960), Archie Warwick (1961-63), Dave Pawlowski (1965), Dennis Muhlbeier (1966-67), Gary Gustafson (1968-70), Randy Martinson (1971), Gary Fetveit (1972), Brad Daws (1973-75), Les Sherrill (1976), Tom Fox (1977-80), Joe Bignell (1981-84), Terry Duncan (1985), Okey Ezeonu (1986-87), Scott McFarland (1988-90), Pat Gulick (1991-95), Travis Hille (1996), Matt Neumann (1997), Scott Turnquist (2000-03), Nick Parker (2004-05), Joe Roberts (2006-07), DeSean Thomas (2008), Tanner Bleskin (2009-13), Keon Stephens (2015-16), Lance McCutcheon (2017-)
Other 86 Notes: A substantial amount of Treasure State star power has worn #86 in the Blue and Gold, beginning with Gary Gustafson. A legitimate star who moved across the mountains and up the valley from Ennis, Gustafson earned All-Big Sky honors twice and All-America plaudits as a senior. Bozeman's Brad Daws wore #86 as a Bobcat All-America in the early '70s (with his son Dusty wearing 96 while earning national honors a generation later). Joe Bignell (Deer Lodge) was an All-America that helped lead MSU to the 1984 National Championship, Pat Gulick (Whitefish) was a terrific player as a tight end in the early '90s, Scott Turnquist (Billings) was a sensational receiver on the 2002 and '03 Big Sky championship teams, and Tanner Bleskin (Great Falls) was one of the program's most productive receivers ever.
Players Mentioned
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