BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: It's Troy Andersen Days Until Kickoff!
8/20/2021 3:37:00 PM | Football
A look at the no. 15 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.
#15
Troy Andersen, RB: When you sit down and process Troy Andersen's first three seasons at Montana State, things become pretty blurry. He was a really good running back in 2017, right? Big Sky Freshman of the Year, right? But after spending the spring of 2018 as a linebacker, his preferred position, Jeff Choate shocked the FCS that summer by moving Andersen to quarterback. That position change was prompted by Chris Murray's departure from the squad and Travis Jonsen's off-season injury that forced the dual threat quarterback out of spring ball. Enter Andersen, who followed a tough start capped a historic season with the Miracle in Missoula and a home playoff win. Back at linebacker one season later, Andersen was brilliant until sidelined by injury. He earned All-America honors playing quarterback in 2018 and linebacker in 2019, and it's an open debate on how good Andersen can be playing primarily at one position. Regardless of how 2021 looks, it's been an amazing amount of fun watching this ranch kid who grea up as a Bobcat do things that no one thought could be done.
Spotlight – Jinx Anderson: There are names that wind through the fabric of Bobcat Athletics like a thread, weaving together different eras and different teams, great times and bad ones, and one of those is Jinx Anderson. Glen F. Anderson came to Bozeman from Lethbridge, Alberta, in the fall of 1939, and immediately impacted Montana State's small, close-knit campus community. During his time as a student Jinx Anderson was an SAE, contributed as a student senator, was Commissioner of Athletics and the student rep on the Athletics Council, belonged to the Septemvri honorary, was an M Club member, and played both varsity football and basketball. As a football player he walked among the Golden Ghosts, those that left Montana State never to return from service to their country in World War II, and in basketball he was part of the team that was invited to both the Denver AAU and NIBA (forerunner of NAIA) national tournaments but had to decline because of coach Brick Breeden's illness. Anderson was "a great longshot artist for the Bobcats as well as being an extremely clever dribbler and his graduation in 1943 was mourned by MSC fans," according to the 1951 basketball media guide. After graduating in industrial chemistry and a stint in the Marines during World War II, he began his coaching career in Manhattan and then Laurel. A return to Bozeman beckoned, and as the school's first-ever Bobkitten (freshman) coach in both football and basketball, he "helped young men cross the bridge from high school to college," according to the school's 1949 basketball prospectus. After Brick Breeden's retirement as head coach in 1953 Anderson seems to have departed Bobcat Athletics and his trail runs dry. But for a decade-and-a-half he was a major contributor to the Cats and to Montana State.
Chronology: Frank Coffin (1926), Francis Wilson (1927), Elmer Mencer (1930-31), Everett Best (1930), Glenn Hansen (1934), Bill Holloway (1937), Jinx Anderson (1941), Billy Odneal (1946-49), Bill Leary (1950), Del Lingle (1953-54), Corey Lamey (1983), Duffy Cox (1984), Anders Larsson (1985-88), Rich Brady (1989-90), Tim Klinger (1991-92), Tyson Tucker (1993-97), Kevin Flatow (1999-00), Tyler Thomas (2001-02), Cory Carpenter (2003-07), Jason Cunningham (2008-11), Cody Cleveland (2011-12), Austin Barth (2013-16), Brody Grebe (2020), Troy Andersen (2017-19, 2021)
Other #15 Notes: Jason Cunningham wore #15 as Montana State's kicker from 2008-11, and remains prominent on the school's all-time lists. His 357 points is a Bobcat record, he has two of the top four scoring seasons in school history, and he is one of only two players in school history to kick two 50-yard field goals in one game.
#15
Troy Andersen, RB: When you sit down and process Troy Andersen's first three seasons at Montana State, things become pretty blurry. He was a really good running back in 2017, right? Big Sky Freshman of the Year, right? But after spending the spring of 2018 as a linebacker, his preferred position, Jeff Choate shocked the FCS that summer by moving Andersen to quarterback. That position change was prompted by Chris Murray's departure from the squad and Travis Jonsen's off-season injury that forced the dual threat quarterback out of spring ball. Enter Andersen, who followed a tough start capped a historic season with the Miracle in Missoula and a home playoff win. Back at linebacker one season later, Andersen was brilliant until sidelined by injury. He earned All-America honors playing quarterback in 2018 and linebacker in 2019, and it's an open debate on how good Andersen can be playing primarily at one position. Regardless of how 2021 looks, it's been an amazing amount of fun watching this ranch kid who grea up as a Bobcat do things that no one thought could be done.
Spotlight – Jinx Anderson: There are names that wind through the fabric of Bobcat Athletics like a thread, weaving together different eras and different teams, great times and bad ones, and one of those is Jinx Anderson. Glen F. Anderson came to Bozeman from Lethbridge, Alberta, in the fall of 1939, and immediately impacted Montana State's small, close-knit campus community. During his time as a student Jinx Anderson was an SAE, contributed as a student senator, was Commissioner of Athletics and the student rep on the Athletics Council, belonged to the Septemvri honorary, was an M Club member, and played both varsity football and basketball. As a football player he walked among the Golden Ghosts, those that left Montana State never to return from service to their country in World War II, and in basketball he was part of the team that was invited to both the Denver AAU and NIBA (forerunner of NAIA) national tournaments but had to decline because of coach Brick Breeden's illness. Anderson was "a great longshot artist for the Bobcats as well as being an extremely clever dribbler and his graduation in 1943 was mourned by MSC fans," according to the 1951 basketball media guide. After graduating in industrial chemistry and a stint in the Marines during World War II, he began his coaching career in Manhattan and then Laurel. A return to Bozeman beckoned, and as the school's first-ever Bobkitten (freshman) coach in both football and basketball, he "helped young men cross the bridge from high school to college," according to the school's 1949 basketball prospectus. After Brick Breeden's retirement as head coach in 1953 Anderson seems to have departed Bobcat Athletics and his trail runs dry. But for a decade-and-a-half he was a major contributor to the Cats and to Montana State.
Chronology: Frank Coffin (1926), Francis Wilson (1927), Elmer Mencer (1930-31), Everett Best (1930), Glenn Hansen (1934), Bill Holloway (1937), Jinx Anderson (1941), Billy Odneal (1946-49), Bill Leary (1950), Del Lingle (1953-54), Corey Lamey (1983), Duffy Cox (1984), Anders Larsson (1985-88), Rich Brady (1989-90), Tim Klinger (1991-92), Tyson Tucker (1993-97), Kevin Flatow (1999-00), Tyler Thomas (2001-02), Cory Carpenter (2003-07), Jason Cunningham (2008-11), Cody Cleveland (2011-12), Austin Barth (2013-16), Brody Grebe (2020), Troy Andersen (2017-19, 2021)
Other #15 Notes: Jason Cunningham wore #15 as Montana State's kicker from 2008-11, and remains prominent on the school's all-time lists. His 357 points is a Bobcat record, he has two of the top four scoring seasons in school history, and he is one of only two players in school history to kick two 50-yard field goals in one game.
Players Mentioned
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