
BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: 81 Days Until Kickoff
6/15/2021 2:00:00 PM | Football
A look at No. 81 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.
#81
Tayvian Williams, WR: If you want to watch a Bobcat coach light up, ask about Tayvian Williams' spring. The junior flashed as a receiver and also saw some action at cornerback on an emergency basis, playing well. What impact he makes this fall remains to be seen, but a dynamic spring has put him in position to contribute. Tayvian's older brother Amandre Williams is a star defensive end for the Cats, and his father Tyrone was a standout at Wyoming and in the CFL.
Spotlight: Bill Cords entered college athletics as a scrappy three-year starting end for the Bobcat football team, but became a national figure two-and-a-half decades later at a school that hasn't fielded a football team since his sophomore year at Montana State. The Butte High School product started at left end all three seasons, rolling up 26 catches for 510 yards and five touchdowns for Herb Agocs' squad. After his outstanding Bobcat career Cords coached and taught in the high school ranks of his native Montana before joining Washington State's athletic department in 1971. Cords held down a number of roles at Wazzou, including freshman football head coach, assistant varsity football coach, intramural director, academic advisor, assistant AD, and associate AD, all the while working toward his master's and doctoral degrees, each of which he earned. In 1982 Cords became the AD at UTEP, and five years later took the top post at Marquette. While at Marquette he led the then-Warriors from independent status into the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, a charter membership in the Great Midwest, charter membership in Conference USA, and eventually into its current league, the Big East. During his time at MU, the school's sports programs thrived, capped by the men's basketball team's trip to the 2003 Final Four, and also completely revamped its athletic facilities.
Chronology: Bob Surdam (1956-57), Dick Nawotczynski (1959), Bill Cords (1960-61), Dick Larson (1963-64), Randy Pederson (1966-67), Tim Dunn (1969), Mark Nelson (1971), John McCaffrey (1973-75), Jeff Muri (1976), Toby Alt (1977-80), Mike Carle (1982), Mike Carrington (1983), Rob Fulton (1984-85), Von Narcisse (1986), Jerrod Watson (1987-88), Don Starke (1990), Scott Patchett (1991), Lance Reithmeier (1992), Mike Gollaher (1993-94), Eric East (1995-98), Seth Rorem (1999, Aaron Den Hartog (2000-01), Aaron Hill (2002), Branton Sherman (2003-04), Jevon Miller (2005), Kyle Begger (2006-2010), Michael Perryman (2011), Jacob Stanton (2013-14), Alex Tennant (2015), Dalton Daum (2016), Jabarri Johnson (2017-18), Tayvian Williams (2020-).
Other #81 Notes: Montana State backs have combined to rush for 81 individual 100-yard games since 2010. Nearly half of those, 40, have come on Jeff Choate's watch.
Branton Sherman is an interesting side note in Bobcat football history, a walk-on receiver in 2003-04 who appeared to have a bright future but departed after his redshirt freshman season. He is best known now as Richard Sherman's big brother… Aaron "Tiger" Hill arrived at MSU in a flash in the fall of 2002, helping boost the Bobcats to the program's first Big Sky title since1984 by catching 47 passes for 721 yards. He led the team with nine touchdown catches. But the Oregon State transfer was gone just as fast, leaving MSU after that brilliant season.
#81
Tayvian Williams, WR: If you want to watch a Bobcat coach light up, ask about Tayvian Williams' spring. The junior flashed as a receiver and also saw some action at cornerback on an emergency basis, playing well. What impact he makes this fall remains to be seen, but a dynamic spring has put him in position to contribute. Tayvian's older brother Amandre Williams is a star defensive end for the Cats, and his father Tyrone was a standout at Wyoming and in the CFL.
Spotlight: Bill Cords entered college athletics as a scrappy three-year starting end for the Bobcat football team, but became a national figure two-and-a-half decades later at a school that hasn't fielded a football team since his sophomore year at Montana State. The Butte High School product started at left end all three seasons, rolling up 26 catches for 510 yards and five touchdowns for Herb Agocs' squad. After his outstanding Bobcat career Cords coached and taught in the high school ranks of his native Montana before joining Washington State's athletic department in 1971. Cords held down a number of roles at Wazzou, including freshman football head coach, assistant varsity football coach, intramural director, academic advisor, assistant AD, and associate AD, all the while working toward his master's and doctoral degrees, each of which he earned. In 1982 Cords became the AD at UTEP, and five years later took the top post at Marquette. While at Marquette he led the then-Warriors from independent status into the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, a charter membership in the Great Midwest, charter membership in Conference USA, and eventually into its current league, the Big East. During his time at MU, the school's sports programs thrived, capped by the men's basketball team's trip to the 2003 Final Four, and also completely revamped its athletic facilities.
Chronology: Bob Surdam (1956-57), Dick Nawotczynski (1959), Bill Cords (1960-61), Dick Larson (1963-64), Randy Pederson (1966-67), Tim Dunn (1969), Mark Nelson (1971), John McCaffrey (1973-75), Jeff Muri (1976), Toby Alt (1977-80), Mike Carle (1982), Mike Carrington (1983), Rob Fulton (1984-85), Von Narcisse (1986), Jerrod Watson (1987-88), Don Starke (1990), Scott Patchett (1991), Lance Reithmeier (1992), Mike Gollaher (1993-94), Eric East (1995-98), Seth Rorem (1999, Aaron Den Hartog (2000-01), Aaron Hill (2002), Branton Sherman (2003-04), Jevon Miller (2005), Kyle Begger (2006-2010), Michael Perryman (2011), Jacob Stanton (2013-14), Alex Tennant (2015), Dalton Daum (2016), Jabarri Johnson (2017-18), Tayvian Williams (2020-).
Other #81 Notes: Montana State backs have combined to rush for 81 individual 100-yard games since 2010. Nearly half of those, 40, have come on Jeff Choate's watch.
Branton Sherman is an interesting side note in Bobcat football history, a walk-on receiver in 2003-04 who appeared to have a bright future but departed after his redshirt freshman season. He is best known now as Richard Sherman's big brother… Aaron "Tiger" Hill arrived at MSU in a flash in the fall of 2002, helping boost the Bobcats to the program's first Big Sky title since1984 by catching 47 passes for 721 yards. He led the team with nine touchdown catches. But the Oregon State transfer was gone just as fast, leaving MSU after that brilliant season.
Players Mentioned
Thursday, July 31
Monday, May 19
Wednesday, May 03
Wednesday, May 03




















