BOBCAT GAME DAY NOTEBOOK #9: Bruin Fleischmann Adapts to New Environs in Bobcat Program

BOZEMAN, Mont. (Oct. 31, 2026) – Montana State tight end Bruin Fleischmann characterizes his career at the U.S. Air Force Academy, culminating with his graduation last spring, as a life-changing experience that he treasures. It was so impactful that after he completes his final season of college football with the Bobcats, and concludes his master's degree, he'll return to a path leading him to a career there as a professor.

But there were things he missed during his time at the USAFA, which included four years as a tight end for the Falcons football team.

"The little things," he said, "like being able to close your door in the afternoon to take a nap. You can't do that as a freshman. Or having a wristwatch to see what time it is during basic training. There was a six week period where I didn't know what time it was. I'd have to see how high the sun was in the sky to try to tell what time it was."

Fleischmann has enjoyed playing his final season of football at Montana State. He has joined his brother, Titan, an All-America offensive lineman for the Cats who has spoken glowingly throughout his career about the experience of playing at MSU and the school's rabid supporters.

"Titan would always tell me about that, and I was like, yeah, it's cool, but I'm sure it's not that crazy because it's a small town, Bozeman, Montana," he said. "But that's completely wrong. The environment and the culture and the community and their passion for football is awesome. You drive down any street, you'll see countless Montana State flags and football flags specifically, which is really cool. And it's awesome to have people want to go to your game and to be cherished by the community. And I feel like we honor that and we try to give back to that as well, which is really cool."

MSU head coach Brent Vigen appreciates how the younger Fleischmann has bolstered a talented tight end corps. "Bruin's been a real positive addition to our program," he said. "We felt that would be the case. We were already pretty deep and talented at that position, so I really appreciate his willingness to come in and find a role, wherever that might be, and I think he's embraced the opportunity to be here with Titan and be part of our program."

Bruin Fleischmann contributed throughout his time at Air Force, but the Falcons run a triple option attack. He said the transition was a struggle because a new system "inherently (brings) different technique. So thinks like backside cutoff blocking at Air Force is completely different than here. So adjusting to that and figuring out a new way of (playing) football is unique."

The finances of college football also proved an eye-opening experience for Bruin Fleischmann. At a service academy each student is on equal footing, with schooling and room and board provided. But contemporary and emerging factors Name-Image-and-Likeness and revenue sharing monies don't exist.

"I was in two NCAA Football (video) games, and I didn't get a cent from that," he said with a smile. "I didn't even get a copy. So we didn't know anything about money, we were just there playing football because it was fun and it's something to do other than the military. It's a good getaway."

The military lifestyle changed Fleischmann "very much for the better," he said, which his brother Titan strongly acknowledges. "The first time I saw him when he came back from the Academy after the initial stretch he was a completely different cat. He grew up a lot."

Titan Fleischmann describes a fidgety high school student who suddenly, after basic training, "didn't move around, he didn't pace, his eyes didn't bounce around, he just stood there, and when he would talk to you and have a conversation he would look you right in the eye. He was dialed in. I was like, 'Holy moly, where's my brother?'"

Bruin Fleischmann graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Management and a minor in Global Logistics, and he earned his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Space Force. During his time as an undergraduate he studied STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) related fields, which will allow him to function in a new and continually emerging service branch that deals with assets such as satellites, cybercommunications, weather and cyberwarfare.

Next spring, after completing his MS in Innovation and Management at MSU, he'll return to Colorado Springs to the Peterson Space Force Base to "do a year of space training, learning how to operate in space and what we know space to be right now." After that, he is on track to teach management at the Air Force Academy.

But for now, he's enjoying a different football experience. He's enjoying the academic environment that Montana State offers. And he enjoys the little things. "I like," he said, "being able to close my door."

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Fleischmann's presence will surely be accentuated today, because fellow tight end Carter Curnow will miss the game with an injury. Receiver Taco Dowler and safety Taki Uluilakepa also remain out.

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The Bobcat football program honors Military/Ag Appreciation Day with a Warriors & Quiet Waters patch today. That program, based in Bozeman, aids military personnel by teaching fly fishing and accentuating the peacefulness of mountains and rivers. MSU is wearing camo jerseys today.

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The Bobcats have played an unlucky 13 games on Halloween previously. The most recent was a 44-38 loss at North Dakota in 2015, and MSU's all-time record on Halloween is 5-6-2. The first two of those games were both 0-0 ties with Montana Tech.

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October 31 provided one of the momentous achievements in Bobcat football history, when Frosty Peters drop-kicked a "world's record" 17 field goals in a freshman game against Billings Poly (now Rocky Mountain College) in 1924. Whispers of the stunt began on campus during the week, and were confirmed when Bobkitten players began falling down short of the goal line on what would have been unimpeded touchdown runs.

Peters transferred from Montana State to Illinois before the 1925 season, and was billed as the "next Red Grange." He never quite lived up to that incredible hype, but was a solid player for the Illini and also became the NFL player to drop-kick a field goal as conventional place-kicking emerged.

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Brent Vigen's teams now own a 41-4 record in Big Sky Conference games.

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The Bobcats own 25 consecutive Big Sky Conference home wins. That is a program record.

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Players Mentioned

Carter Curnow

Taco Dowler

Bruin Fleischmann

Titan Fleischmann

Taki Uluilakepa

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