BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: 66 Days Until Kickoff
6/30/2021 4:23:00 PM | Football
A look at the No. 66 in Montana State 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.
#66
Jersey number 66 is not currently assigned.
Spotlight – Ron Iverson: Find a good offense and you'll find good offensive linemen, and at Montana State if you find good offensive linemen they'll often have come to the Bobcats from a small Treasure State high school. Among the program's most prolific offenses until blocking rules began tipping toward the passing game in 1979, the Bobcats of the early '70s built on a familiar formula - a star running back, a trigger man that could get the ball where it needed to go, and a very good offensive line. Ron Iverson wore #66 from 1973-75, when the Cats gained nearly 8,000 yards on the ground over three seasons. Iverson came to Montana State after starring at Conrad High School for former Bobcat star Don Hammer. He captained championship football teams at Conrad, and as a Bobcat guard – and ag major – he plowed open holes for Steve Kracher to gain over 1,000 yards in 1974 and '75.
66 Rushes: Montana State's total in the 2018 FCS Playoff win against Incarnate Word. Montana State rambled for 339 yards that day, the second-most in the school's post-season history, with Isaiah Ifanse's school playoff record 139 yards leading the way.
#66 Notes: The number 66 is vacant at the time after two-year starting tackle Connor Wood transferred to Missouri in June. Wood is believed to be the first Bobcat ever to transfer to an SEC school, but it is not the most high-profile program a Montana State player has joined. On September 6, 1916, Bobcat stars Radford "Punk" Taylor and Cy Gatton departed on a stock train bound for Madison, Wisconsin, where each would join the University of Wisconsin's freshman team. After that season Gatton joined the U.S. Army, trained as a pilot, and after serving during World War I with distinction he perished in the last days of the war after his plane was shot down in France. Taylor also served in the Army during World War I, then rejoined the Badgers in 1919. He never landed a full-time starting role, though he was credited for his outstanding blocking on a teammate's long touchdown run against Chicago. In the summer of 1925, Frosty Peters transferred to Illinois, where he eventually starred for the Fighting Illini as a quarterback and drop-kick specialist. More recently, William Kofe (Arizona State, 2005-06, via Dixie State College), Demonte King (Arizona State, 2017-18, via Long Beach City College) and Tre'von Strong (Utah, 2017-18, and Southern Illinois, 2019) each landed at Pac 12 programs after leaving Montana State
Chronology: Cecil Kent (1956), Darryl Hueth (1957), Dick Kramer (1958), Dan Greer (1959), Tom Monterossi (1960-63), Tay Roy Kibble (1966-68), Dan Korber (1968-69), Roger Martin (1970), Dave Clutch (1971), Ron Iverson (1972-74), Jim Regan (1975), John Beach (1977), Byrl Thompson (1978), Gary Fickle (1979-80), Bill Schmidt (1981-84), Pat Williams (1985-86), Ken Eiden (1987-91), Eric Paulson (1992-93), Lance Lanning (1994), Adam Houts (1996-97), Carlton Carpenter (1999), Steve Gunnels (2001), Jose Sanchez (2002), Chris Smith (2004-07), Clint Mentzel (2008-09), Andrew Alt (2013-14), Bryan Wilkes (2015), Luke Channer (2016), Connor Wood (2017-20)
#66
Jersey number 66 is not currently assigned.
Spotlight – Ron Iverson: Find a good offense and you'll find good offensive linemen, and at Montana State if you find good offensive linemen they'll often have come to the Bobcats from a small Treasure State high school. Among the program's most prolific offenses until blocking rules began tipping toward the passing game in 1979, the Bobcats of the early '70s built on a familiar formula - a star running back, a trigger man that could get the ball where it needed to go, and a very good offensive line. Ron Iverson wore #66 from 1973-75, when the Cats gained nearly 8,000 yards on the ground over three seasons. Iverson came to Montana State after starring at Conrad High School for former Bobcat star Don Hammer. He captained championship football teams at Conrad, and as a Bobcat guard – and ag major – he plowed open holes for Steve Kracher to gain over 1,000 yards in 1974 and '75.
66 Rushes: Montana State's total in the 2018 FCS Playoff win against Incarnate Word. Montana State rambled for 339 yards that day, the second-most in the school's post-season history, with Isaiah Ifanse's school playoff record 139 yards leading the way.
#66 Notes: The number 66 is vacant at the time after two-year starting tackle Connor Wood transferred to Missouri in June. Wood is believed to be the first Bobcat ever to transfer to an SEC school, but it is not the most high-profile program a Montana State player has joined. On September 6, 1916, Bobcat stars Radford "Punk" Taylor and Cy Gatton departed on a stock train bound for Madison, Wisconsin, where each would join the University of Wisconsin's freshman team. After that season Gatton joined the U.S. Army, trained as a pilot, and after serving during World War I with distinction he perished in the last days of the war after his plane was shot down in France. Taylor also served in the Army during World War I, then rejoined the Badgers in 1919. He never landed a full-time starting role, though he was credited for his outstanding blocking on a teammate's long touchdown run against Chicago. In the summer of 1925, Frosty Peters transferred to Illinois, where he eventually starred for the Fighting Illini as a quarterback and drop-kick specialist. More recently, William Kofe (Arizona State, 2005-06, via Dixie State College), Demonte King (Arizona State, 2017-18, via Long Beach City College) and Tre'von Strong (Utah, 2017-18, and Southern Illinois, 2019) each landed at Pac 12 programs after leaving Montana State
Chronology: Cecil Kent (1956), Darryl Hueth (1957), Dick Kramer (1958), Dan Greer (1959), Tom Monterossi (1960-63), Tay Roy Kibble (1966-68), Dan Korber (1968-69), Roger Martin (1970), Dave Clutch (1971), Ron Iverson (1972-74), Jim Regan (1975), John Beach (1977), Byrl Thompson (1978), Gary Fickle (1979-80), Bill Schmidt (1981-84), Pat Williams (1985-86), Ken Eiden (1987-91), Eric Paulson (1992-93), Lance Lanning (1994), Adam Houts (1996-97), Carlton Carpenter (1999), Steve Gunnels (2001), Jose Sanchez (2002), Chris Smith (2004-07), Clint Mentzel (2008-09), Andrew Alt (2013-14), Bryan Wilkes (2015), Luke Channer (2016), Connor Wood (2017-20)
Players Mentioned
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