BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: 62 Days Until Kickoff
7/4/2021 2:00:00 PM | Football
A look at No. 62 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.
#62
Dylan Porter, OL: The old saying in building an offensive line is get old and stay old. Dylan Porter hasn't gained valuable game experience (for reasons outside his control, mostly) but he enters his fourth season of college football in 2021. He spent a couple of seasons at Nevada before transferring to Montana State, and enters the fall as MSU's third offensive guard. A player with good strength, he is Zach Redd's backup at left guard.
Spotlight – Nic Stevenson: Montana State followed a trend throughout the 2000s of riding with an undersized, under-recruited Montana high school product at center. That began with Nic Stevenson in 2002. A Baker product, Stevenson came from a proud Bobcat family – in fact, his aunt Melanie Stocks runs the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Stevenson anchored the Bobcat line through the 2002 Big Sky Championship run, a great group of guys that in many ways gave Travis Lulay the luxury of transitioning into the starting quarterback role mid-season with very little pressure. Stevenson joined a line with Bobcat Hall of Famer Brent Swaggert and Brian Choi at tackle, and Mataio Toilolo and the inimitable Mike Quast at guard. Stevenson played in all 11 games in 2001 and started the first 12 of 2002, but a shoulder injury abruptly and prematurely ended his career. Stevenson was Second Team All-Big Sky in 2002. Other players that followed in Stevenson's lineage: Zach Wolf (out-of-state, but an excellent, uncer-recruited player) 2003-04, Jim Verlanic 2007-08, Shaun Sampson 2010-12.
Chronology: Bob Grine (1956), Bob Hyatt (1957), John Munk (1958), Jim Berg (1959-61), Milt Horton (1963), Clark Smith (1964-66), Gene Weyer (1967), Bob Beeker (1968), Leon Preston (1969-70, Wayne Norton 1971), Lonny Sanders (1974), Dan Ueland (1973, '75-77), Don Samuelson (1978-80), Don Leake (1981-82), Doug Richards (1983-84), Mike Vasquez (1985), Rob Fulton (1986-88), Joe Gradney (1989-92), Mike Nye (1993-95), Aaron Wilkins (1996), Brent Ludwig (1997-99), Nic Stevenson (2000-02), Troy Watson (2004), Neil Boyce (2005-07), Ben Tauanuu (2008-11), Brad Mathis (2012-13), Mitch Brott (2015), Kyle Murack (2016), Logan McDonald (2017-18), Dylan Porter (2020-).
More #62 Notes: The Bobcats have had good luck moving tight ends a couple of steps inward over the years, and two terrific end-turned-tackle stories landed at #62 consecutively. Aaron Wilkins volunteered to move to tackle in 1996 and started all 11 games. A season later Brent Ludwig moved to tackle from tight end, where he'd played at a true freshman, and became a terrific player. He would eventually become an All-Big Sky center.
#62
Dylan Porter, OL: The old saying in building an offensive line is get old and stay old. Dylan Porter hasn't gained valuable game experience (for reasons outside his control, mostly) but he enters his fourth season of college football in 2021. He spent a couple of seasons at Nevada before transferring to Montana State, and enters the fall as MSU's third offensive guard. A player with good strength, he is Zach Redd's backup at left guard.
Spotlight – Nic Stevenson: Montana State followed a trend throughout the 2000s of riding with an undersized, under-recruited Montana high school product at center. That began with Nic Stevenson in 2002. A Baker product, Stevenson came from a proud Bobcat family – in fact, his aunt Melanie Stocks runs the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Stevenson anchored the Bobcat line through the 2002 Big Sky Championship run, a great group of guys that in many ways gave Travis Lulay the luxury of transitioning into the starting quarterback role mid-season with very little pressure. Stevenson joined a line with Bobcat Hall of Famer Brent Swaggert and Brian Choi at tackle, and Mataio Toilolo and the inimitable Mike Quast at guard. Stevenson played in all 11 games in 2001 and started the first 12 of 2002, but a shoulder injury abruptly and prematurely ended his career. Stevenson was Second Team All-Big Sky in 2002. Other players that followed in Stevenson's lineage: Zach Wolf (out-of-state, but an excellent, uncer-recruited player) 2003-04, Jim Verlanic 2007-08, Shaun Sampson 2010-12.
Chronology: Bob Grine (1956), Bob Hyatt (1957), John Munk (1958), Jim Berg (1959-61), Milt Horton (1963), Clark Smith (1964-66), Gene Weyer (1967), Bob Beeker (1968), Leon Preston (1969-70, Wayne Norton 1971), Lonny Sanders (1974), Dan Ueland (1973, '75-77), Don Samuelson (1978-80), Don Leake (1981-82), Doug Richards (1983-84), Mike Vasquez (1985), Rob Fulton (1986-88), Joe Gradney (1989-92), Mike Nye (1993-95), Aaron Wilkins (1996), Brent Ludwig (1997-99), Nic Stevenson (2000-02), Troy Watson (2004), Neil Boyce (2005-07), Ben Tauanuu (2008-11), Brad Mathis (2012-13), Mitch Brott (2015), Kyle Murack (2016), Logan McDonald (2017-18), Dylan Porter (2020-).
More #62 Notes: The Bobcats have had good luck moving tight ends a couple of steps inward over the years, and two terrific end-turned-tackle stories landed at #62 consecutively. Aaron Wilkins volunteered to move to tackle in 1996 and started all 11 games. A season later Brent Ludwig moved to tackle from tight end, where he'd played at a true freshman, and became a terrific player. He would eventually become an All-Big Sky center.
Players Mentioned
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Wednesday, May 03
Wednesday, May 03
