| Montana State Bobcats football | |||
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| First season | 1897 | ||
| Athletic director | Peter Fields | ||
| Head coach | Rob Ash | ||
| 4th year, 29–17 (.630) | |||
| Home stadium | Bobcat Stadium (Bozeman, Montana) | ||
| Stadium capacity | 17,777 (seating); 20,247 (total) |
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| Stadium surface | FieldTurf | ||
| Location | Bozeman, Montana, U.S. | ||
| Conference | Big Sky | ||
| All-time record | 443–457–33 (.492) | ||
| Postseason bowl record | 3–1–2 | ||
| Claimed national titles | 3 (1956, 1976, 1984) | ||
| Conference titles | 19 (1938, 1946, 1947, 1954, 1956, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1979, 1982, 1984, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2011) | ||
| Colors | Blue and Gold | ||
| Fight song | Stand up and Cheer! | ||
| Rivals | Montana North Dakota[1] |
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| Website | MSUBobcats.com | ||
The Montana State Bobcats football program competes in the Big Sky Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision for Montana State University. The program began in 1897 and has won three national championships (1956, 1976, and 1984). They are the only college football program in the nation to win national championships on three different levels of competition, NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS).
The first championship came in Montana State's last season in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, which moved to NAIA in 1952 for a half century. The Bobcats were members of the RMAC from 1917 to 1956, after being an independent from 1897 to 1916. MSC rejoined the NCAA (College Division) in 1957, and had one of its most successful runs as an independent from 1957 to 1962 with six straight winning seasons, including an 8-2 mark in 1957 and 8-1 in 1958. In 1963, Montana State became a charter member of the Big Sky Conference, where it has won two national championships.
Montana State has won 19 conference titles, including 14 in the Big Sky Conference and five in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Bobcats have won conference titles in eight of the past nine decades and have won multiple conference titles in seven of the last eight decades. They have qualified for the NCAA playoffs six times, once as a Division II member and six times as a Division I-AA/FCS member. MSU has been in the post-season eleven times, most recently in 2011. Through the 2010 season, the Bobcats are 8-5-2 in postseason play.
The Bobcats play their home games at Bobcat Stadium, located at the south end of campus in Bozeman. Bobcat Stadium added 5,200 more seats to the south end zone in the summer of 2011 giving the stadium an official capacity of 17,777 up from 12,500 previously. Among other upgrades are an 18' x 37' LED video board, two scoreboards and sound system. In 2008 MSU replaced its natural grass playing surface with FieldTurf. Montana State is currently raising funds for lighting in hopes of extending the hours it can practice and play games.
Their primary rival is Montana, whom they meet in the annual Brawl of the Wild, to be held for the 112th time in 2012 in Missoula. Montana currently holds The Great Divide Trophy after a 36-10 win in Bozeman in 2011. The Bobcats are the reigning Big Sky Conference champions.
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| Date | Bowl | W/L | Opponent | PF | PA | Notes |
| January 1, 1947 | Harbor Bowl | T | New Mexico | 13 | 13 | |
| December 22, 1956 | Aluminum Bowl | T | St. Joesph's | 0 | 0 | NAIA final |
| December 12, 1964 | Camellia Bowl | W | Sacramento State | 28 | 7 | College Division quarterfinal |
| December 10, 1966 | Camellia Bowl | L | San Diego State | 7 | 28 | College Division quarterfinal |
| December 4, 1976 | Grantland Rice Bowl | W | @ North Dakota State | 10 | 3 | Div. II semifinal |
| December 11, 1976 | Pioneer Bowl | W | Akron | 24 | 13 | Div. II final |
| Total | 5 bowl games | 3-1-2 | 82 | 64 |
Division I FCS playoff results (known as "Division I-AA" from 1978 to 2005)
| Season | Teams | Round | Score | Head Coach | |||
| 1984 | 12 | First Round | bye | Dave Arnold (3–0) |
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| Quarterfinal | @ Montana State | 31 | Arkansas State | 14 | |||
| Semifinal | @ Montana State | 32 | Rhode Island | 20 | |||
| Final | Montana State | 19 | Louisiana Tech | 6 | |||
| 2002 | 16 | First Round | @ McNeese State | 21 | Montana State | 14 | Mike Kramer (1–3) |
| 2003 | 16 | First Round | @ Northern Iowa | 35 | Montana State | 14 | |
| 2006 | 16 | First Round | @ Montana State | 31 | Furman | 13 | |
| Quarterfinal | @ Appalachian State | 38 | Montana State | 17 | |||
| 2010 | 20 | Second Round | North Dakota State | 42 | @ Montana State | 17 | Rob Ash (1–1) |
| 2011 | 20 | Second Round | @ Montana State | 26 | New Hampshire | 25 | |
| 6th appearance | Overall record | 5-4 | |||||
In 1956, the Bobcats won a share of the NAIA title at the Aluminum Bowl in Little Rock, Arkansas, playing to a scoreless tie with the Pumas of St. Joseph's College from Rensselaer, Indiana. The game was aired on CBS television and radio. It was played on a rain-soaked field that thwarted MSU's offense, which had run for an average of 323.1 yards rushing and 31.2 points per game. The championship was the first for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and the 1956 team is a member of the RMAC Hall of Fame. The 1956 Bobcats of head coach Tony Storti were the fourth, and last, Montana State football team to go undefeated. They finished at 9-0-1.
Behind head coach Jim Sweeney in 1964, Montana State won the NCAA Western Regional College Division Championship, which existed from 1964 to 1972, with a 28-7 win over Sacramento State in the Camellia Bowl. The NCAA Western Regional was one of four regionals that led up to the selection of the NCAA College Division champion by poll. Upon the establishment of Division II in 1973, a full playoff system was introduced to determine the national champion. MSU is one of just two Big Sky Conference schools, along with Boise State, to win a Camellia Bowl game. The Bobcats finished the 1964 season at 7-4.
Montana State won the 1976 NCAA Division II championship at the Pioneer Bowl in Wichita Falls, Texas, beating the Akron Zips 24-13 with head coach Sonny Holland at the helm. MSU led 17-0 in the third quarter before Akron cut the lead to 17-13. Running back Tom Kostrba scored from seven yards out in the fourth quarter to seal the win. The Bobcats advanced to the championship game with a 17-16 quarterfinal win over the New Hampshire in Bozeman and a 10-3 semifinal win in the Grantland Rice Bowl over North Dakota State, after trailing 3-0 at halftime in Fargo. Kostrba ran for 100 yards in both playoff games and Don Ueland ran for 94 in the championship game. They finished the 1976 season with a 12-1 record, with their lone loss coming at Fresno State.
Eight years later, the Bobcats defeated Louisiana Tech 19-6 in the 1984 Division I-AA title game in Charleston, South Carolina, for their third national championship. Montana State, behind head coach Dave Arnold, beat Arkansas State 31-14, after falling behind 14-0, in the quarterfinals and Rhode Island 32-20, after trailing 20-12 entering the fourth quarter, in the semifinals. MSU took the lead on a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown by safety Joe Roberts, Jr. Quarterback Kelly Bradley threw for over 300 yards in each playoff game and had eight touchdown passes in the postseason. Tight end Joe Bignell hauled in 10 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns in the championship game. After a 2-2 start, the 1984 team finished 12-2 following a 1-10 season in 1983.
| Year | Coach | Record | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Tony Storti | 9-0-1 | 0-0 | St. Joesph's |
| 1976 | Sonny Holland | 12-1 | 24-13 | Akron Zips |
| 1984 | Dave Arnold | 12-2 | 19-6 | Louisiana Tech Bulldogs |
| Seasons | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | Mr. Lisle | 1 | 1-3-0 | .250 |
| 1898 | George Ahem | 1 | 0-2-0 | .000 |
| 1899 | W.J. Adams | 1 | 3-0-0 | 1.000 |
| 1900 | E.C. Woodruff | 1 | 2-1-0 | .666 |
| 1901-05 | A.G. Harbaugh | 2 | 3-3-1 | .500 |
| 1902-03 | J.E. Flynn | 2 | 5-0-2 | .857 |
| 1904 | Fred Ervin | 1 | 2-1-0 | .666 |
| 1908-10 | John H. McIntosh | 3 | 3-10-5 | .305 |
| 1911-12 | E.A. Dockstader | 2 | 0-4-1 | .100 |
| 1913 | Eugene F. Bunker | 1 | 2-2-0 | .500 |
| 1914-17 | Fred Bennionr | 4 | 11-7-5 | .586 |
| 1919 | Walter D. Powell | 1 | 1-3-1 | .300 |
| 1920-21 | D.V. Graves | 2 | 6-5-1 | .541 |
| 1922-27 | G. Ottiger "Ott" Romney | 6 | 28-20-21 | .580 |
| 1928-41 | Schubert R. Dyche | 12 | 37-53-7 | .417 |
| 1936-37 | Jack Croft | 2 | 6-9-1 | .406 |
| 1946-49 | Clyde Carpenter | 4 | 13-20-2 | .400 |
| 1950-51 | John H. Mason | 2 | 1-15-0 | .062 |
| 1954-55 | Walter "Wally" Lemm | 2 | 8-9-1 | .472 |
| 1952-57 | Tony Storti | 4 | 23-11-1 | .671 |
| 1958-62 | Herb Agocs | 5 | 30-13-2 | .688 |
| 1963-67 | Jim Sweeney | 5 | 31-20-0 | .607 |
| 1968-70 | Tom Parac | 3 | 9-20-0 | .310 |
| 1971-77 | Sonny Holland | 7 | 47-27-1 | .633 |
| 1978-81 | Sonny Lubick | 4 | 21-19-0 | .525 |
| 1982 | Doug Graber | 1 | 6-5-0 | .545 |
| 1983-86 | Dave Arnold | 4 | 18-29-0 | .382 |
| 1987-91 | Earle Solomonson | 5 | 15-40-0 | .272 |
| 1992-99 | Cliff Hysell | 8 | 42-46-0 | .477 |
| 2000-06 | Mike Kramer | 7 | 40-43-0 | .481 |
| 2007-present | Rob Ash | 4 | 38-18-0 | .678 |
| 1897-2010 | 31 coaches | 107 | 452-458-33 | .497 |
The Brawl of the Wild is the game between MSU and their primary rival; the University of Montana Grizzlies. Both teams play for The Great Divide Trophy. As of 2011, Montana leads the series 69-36-5.
The series has three distinct periods. From 1897 to 1916 the teams didn't belong to a conference and at times would play twice per year. Early seasons had seven games or less with one season seeing the Grizzlies play just one game. Four of the five ties in the series came during this era. Montana won 12 games to Montana State's 7.
In 1917 Montana State joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and in 1924 Montana joined the Pacific Coast Conference, the predecessor of today's Pac-12. The RMAC included several teams that would become Mountain West members. When MSU joined the RMAC included Colorado, Colorado State, Utah, Utah State, and Brigham Young. When UM joined the PCC included Stanford, California, UCLA, USC, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, and Idaho. The Bobcats remained in the RMAC through 1956, while the Grizzlies remained in the PCC through 1949 and joined the Skyline (aka Mountain States) Conference from 1951-1961. MSU was independent from 1957-1962 and UM was independent in 1950 and 1962. During this period UM enjoyed a 30-8-1 edge in Cat-Griz games.
Both schools entered the Big Sky Conference as charter members in 1963 with Montana holding a 42-15-2 series lead. From 1963 to 1985 Montana State enjoyed its most successful period of the Cat-Griz rivalry. MSU won 17 games to just six for UM. Following that Montana started "The Streak" when it won 16 straight games from 1986 to 2001. MSU ended the drought by winning three of four, while UM holds a 6-4 edge after "The Streak" with Montana winning the most recent game 36-10 in Bozeman. The Big Sky era shows Montana with a 28-21 lead.
Montana has won 22 of the last 26 meetings. Since MSU won its first national championship in 1956, the series shows UM with a 30-26 edge.
Quarterback from 1966 to 1968, head coach in college and professional football from 1982 to 2011.
Erickson engineered the greatest comeback in what is considered by many as the most exciting game in the Cat-Griz series. Erickson, flanker Ron Bain and running back Paul Schafer lead the comeback as the Bobcats clinch a tie for the Big Sky championship -- their third straight. Trailing 24-9, Montana State scored 20 points in the last nine minutes and won when Schafer, who had 58 carries for 234 yards in the game, dove into the end zone with 12 seconds left. The Grizzlies appeared to have the drive stopped at the MSU 32, but a facemask penalty gave the Cats new life on the 17.
In all, 34 points are scored in the final quarter. Bain's brother, Doug of the Grizzlies, gave the Montana a 17-9 lead early in the quarter on a pass from Ray Brum. After another UM touchdown made it 24-9 and it looked as if the Grizzlies would win going away, but the Bobcats weren't done. Schaefer scored on a short run with 8:15 to play and Erickson hit Bain for a touchdown with five minutes left bringing the Bobcats within 24-22.
After Schafer's touchdown, the Grizzlies nearly spoil things for MSU. UM takes over at the 20 with speedy receiver Ron Baines at quarterback. He gains 15 and another 15 are tacked on by an unnecessary roughness penalty. Baines then makes a circus run of 37 yards from midfield before he's dragged down at the MSU 13 after time expires. Bobcat QB Dennis Erickson is the difference.
"Erickson killed us," UM head coach Jack Swarthout says.
One Montana State Bobcat has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, this was Jan Stenerud. Stenerud starred on the varsity team with a then-record 59-yard field goal and 82 points scored as a senior. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the AFL's 1966 draft and scored 11 points in Kansas City's 23-7 Super Bowl IV win. He would later go on to play for the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings earning four trips to the Pro Bowl. He was inducted in 1991 and is the only pure kicker in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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