Coldest Game?

[AFCAT]

1985 Home game Idaho state??? if memory serves. Redshirt frosh, didn't play. -70 windchill. 1 person in the stands with a sleeping bag on. Parents up in the box drinking hot chocolate.

My Mom talks about that game. She said by the end of the game, there were just a few fans left in the stands and they were all huddled together.

I just checked the weather for that day and the highs were in the upper 20s to low 30s, so I doubt a -70 degree wind chill. Must have been a different game.

[BelgradeBobcat]

There was a Cat griz game in Bozeman in the late 80s (87 or 89 probably) that was below zero. That mightve been with wind chill but it was frigid. I remember the score was 8-2 griz at one point but I think the final was a little higher.
Does anyone else recall that game?

Edit- it was 1989, final was 17-2

Oh I remember that one. MSU offense in the Solomonson era was terrible in any kind of weather. I remember the Bobcats went up 2-0 when the griz were punting and the snap flew over the punters head and landed somewhere in the Figgins Subdivision south of the stadium. I think for a brief moment we thought we might win 2-0, but alas that didn't hold up. MSU added extra bleachers to the north endzone, but didn't need them.

[JDoub]

1985 Home game Idaho state??? if memory serves. Redshirt frosh, didn't play. -70 windchill. 1 person in the stands with a sleeping bag on. Parents up in the box drinking hot chocolate.

My Mom talks about that game. She said by the end of the game, there were just a few fans left in the stands and they were all huddled together.

I just checked the weather for that day and the highs were in the upper 20s to low 30s, so I doubt a -70 degree wind chill. Must have been a different game.

Idaho, not Idaho State - it was our last home game of the season - this was before Cat-griz always ends the regular season.

Coldest game I've ever dressed out for - temps in single digits at kick-off, wind chill we heard at kick-off was -20 to -30 F and it got colder from there

Our D game plan - stop the run, they won't be able to throw as much in the weather.

Scott Linehan torched us all afternoon for 300+ yards - Eric Yarber seemed to have a hundred catches - killed us like 34-0 - they won the Big Sky then lost to Eastern Washington in the playoffs

(As I remember) Also remember watching Yarber win a Super Bowl a couple years later with the Redskins

[CodyCat]

I think it has to be the 2010 Cat/Griz game or the 2014 South Dakota State playoff game in Bozeman.

That 2010 game comes to mind for me as well. But, the 2014 Jacks game, I remember it being a whiteout and somehow we made it before the roads closed. But, I don't remember it being super cold. I also remember their RB running for around a million yards and rumor has it he is still running.

[Catsrgrood]

I think it has to be the 2010 Cat/Griz game or the 2014 South Dakota State playoff game in Bozeman.

That 2010 game comes to mind for me as well. But, the 2014 Jacks game, I remember it being a whiteout and somehow we made it before the roads closed. But, I don't remember it being super cold. I also remember their RB running for around a million yards and rumor has it he is still running.

That’s kind of my recollection as well, I remember the crazy snow, and it was cold, but I don’t recall it being bitter cold. I could be way off though.

[Common Cat]

I think it has to be the 2010 Cat/Griz game or the 2014 South Dakota State playoff game in Bozeman.

That 2010 game comes to mind for me as well. But, the 2014 Jacks game, I remember it being a whiteout and somehow we made it before the roads closed. But, I don't remember it being super cold. I also remember their RB running for around a million yards and rumor has it he is still running.

I think his last name was Zenner. Remember Prukop wearing the largest brace imaginable to get through that game? Haha

[94VegasCat]

1985 Home game Idaho state??? if memory serves. Redshirt frosh, didn't play. -70 windchill. 1 person in the stands with a sleeping bag on. Parents up in the box drinking hot chocolate.

I figured you’d chime in. I was at that game. Damn cold

[BobcatDel]

I think it has to be the 2010 Cat/Griz game or the 2014 South Dakota State playoff game in Bozeman.

That 2010 game comes to mind for me as well. But, the 2014 Jacks game, I remember it being a whiteout and somehow we made it before the roads closed. But, I don't remember it being super cold. I also remember their RB running for around a million yards and rumor has it he is still running.

I think his last name was Zenner. Remember Prukop wearing the largest brace imaginable to get through that game? Haha

I was at the SDSU game in 2014 when Zenner ran all over us and Prukop played a good game even though injured with that brace. It was 2 degrees above zero when I got out of the pickup. And it was snowing. I had all my duck hunting gear on and my pacs so stayed comfortable…but it was indeed chilly.

Coldest game I can remember playing in was in high school 1968. Damn blizzard…….at times I could swear you couldn’t see the goal posts on the other end of the field….or just see the outline of the goal posts. Wind chill just drove the cold into you. I was playing at the time so on the field and keeping somewhat warm…..but those poor buggers that had to stand on the sidelines…..geez I felt for them….no heaters or heated seats.

The other really cold game that didn’t happen outside was a State Class C playoff or championship game (not sure which). It was in the 1970s sometime. I did go to the game but my memory has faded and as I recall it was somewhere around 20 below zero so they moved the game into the field house….played on the dirt….had to make some adjustments because of length of the field….width was ok but length was the issue. I can’t remember if any of the punts hit the upper structure or not….


Edit: I dug up the Box Score on the 2014 SDSU game and the official game temp was 1 degree above zero with 5 to 15 mph wind and snow.

[CatBlitz]

I thought that Cat-gris game in 2003 was below zero. Was that just one of those days that was warmer by the time the game started and Corey Smith ran the opening kickoff back? I had a lot of whiskey in me that day.

No that was the coldest I've ever been at a game. Standing in the West side shade didn't help.

[MTCowpoke22]

Some of those Cat-Griz games in the early 2000s were damn cold. I remember going to a game, not Cat-Griz, sometime in 2010-2013 that was extremely cold. Wore coveralls and took in a dog bed to sit on because the East side bleachers don't ever get warm. I thought it was against Portland State, but I could be wrong.

Coldest game I've ever been a part of was the 1996 Class C Title game in Terry. It was below -10 degrees at kickoff, and there was a pretty stiff breeze.

[ruralcat]

I actually stayed quite warm during the 96 game in Terry. Helped that I spent most of the day trying to run down Scobey Spartans

[RickRund]

The "76" playoff game against New Hampshire. Remember -3 with a wind out of the east. Thank goodness for Southern Comfort.

A softball game in Lewistown in the late 70s I think. Playing a loser out on a Sunday morning, 9am game. COLD and heavy snow. Only game I can ever remember being kind of glad we lost. It was absolutely miserable.

[onceacat]

I think it has to be the 2010 Cat/Griz game or the 2014 South Dakota State playoff game in Bozeman.

That 2010 game comes to mind for me as well. But, the 2014 Jacks game, I remember it being a whiteout and somehow we made it before the roads closed. But, I don't remember it being super cold. I also remember their RB running for around a million yards and rumor has it he is still running.

I think his last name was Zenner. Remember Prukop wearing the largest brace imaginable to get through that game? Haha

I was at the SDSU game in 2014 when Zenner ran all over us and Prukop played a good game even though injured with that brace. It was 2 degrees above zero when I got out of the pickup. And it was snowing. I had all my duck hunting gear on and my pacs so stayed comfortable…but it was indeed chilly.

Coldest game I can remember playing in was in high school 1968. Damn blizzard…….at times I could swear you couldn’t see the goal posts on the other end of the field….or just see the outline of the goal posts. Wind chill just drove the cold into you. I was playing at the time so on the field and keeping somewhat warm…..but those poor buggers that had to stand on the sidelines…..geez I felt for them….no heaters or heated seats.

The other really cold game that didn’t happen outside was a State Class C playoff or championship game (not sure which). It was in the 1970s sometime. I did go to the game but my memory has faded and as I recall it was somewhere around 20 below zero so they moved the game into the field house….played on the dirt….had to make some adjustments because of length of the field….width was ok but length was the issue. I can’t remember if any of the punts hit the upper structure or not….


Edit: I dug up the Box Score on the 2014 SDSU game and the official game temp was 1 degree above zero with 5 to 15 mph wind and snow.

I vaguely remember that being touted on the news as the coldest ever kickoff for a game in Bobcat Stadium...but I could have that wrong.

[LTown Cat]

I don’t know the year but Lulay was playing vs PSU. Cold, windy, rainy weather. The old south end zone bleachers where the wind blew right through them. I was wet and miserable.

[MSU01]

MSU's media guide has weather information for every season since 1971. The three coldest home games were SDSU in 2014 (1 degree), Cat/Griz in 2003 (6 degrees - the Corey Smith game), and Idaho State also in 2014 (7 degrees).

[Helcat72]

1985 Home game Idaho state??? if memory serves. Redshirt frosh, didn't play. -70 windchill. 1 person in the stands with a sleeping bag on. Parents up in the box drinking hot chocolate.

My Mom talks about that game. She said by the end of the game, there were just a few fans left in the stands and they were all huddled together.

I agree...this was the coldest game I ever attended and I've only missed 3 Bobcat games since the late 70's. It was against Idaho. I had to go because it was the year after the championship and I couldn't miss Kelly Bradley play, although several of the 1984 team were gone.
I had 2 jackets two pairs of insulated pants on and a sleeping bag. The wind chill was just like above. At the beginning of the game their were about 500 people in the stands...I don't know how many at the end...but I left at halftime.

[MSU01]

The 1985 Idaho game was 18 degrees with a 22 mph wind according to the media guide.

[rfischer94]

Some of those Cat-Griz games in the early 2000s were damn cold. I remember going to a game, not Cat-Griz, sometime in 2010-2013 that was extremely cold. Wore coveralls and took in a dog bed to sit on because the East side bleachers don't ever get warm. I thought it was against Portland State, but I could be wrong.

Coldest game I've ever been a part of was the 1996 Class C Title game in Terry. It was below -10 degrees at kickoff, and there was a pretty stiff breeze.

I remember going to a game in that timeframe when it was cold as BALLS. I think it was Idaho State. My buddy and I put our boots under the hand dryers in the bathroom to warm them up.

[John K]

One that came to mind immediately for me, which no one else has mentioned yet, is the 1991 Cat-griz game. The frigid temps for that one are notable because that was before Cat-griz was the last game of the season. I don't remember the exact date, but I know it was still October, not even November yet. It's the one and only time that I left a game early because it was just too effing cold. At halftime we went out to sit in our vehicle to warm up a bit before the 2nd half, and none of the four of us wanted to go back inside the stadium when halftime was over. We ended up watching the rest of the game at the Hideaway, and I met Jan Stenerud there. I'm pretty sure the high that day was below zero, and the lows the night before and night after were somewhere in the minus 10-15 range, which were record lows for those dates. In fact I believe the nighttime lows in many areas of Montana were the coldest temps ever recorded during the month of October. It was a boring game too....gris won 16-9, in what was the 6th game of the streak and Earle the Pearl's last Cat-griz game. We finished 2-9 that season, Earle was fired and our long national Bobcat nightmare was over. At least in terms of getting rid of Earle, although the streak continued for 10 more years after that.

[Norsky19]

1985 Home game Idaho state??? if memory serves. Redshirt frosh, didn't play. -70 windchill. 1 person in the stands with a sleeping bag on. Parents up in the box drinking hot chocolate.

My Mom talks about that game. She said by the end of the game, there were just a few fans left in the stands and they were all huddled together.

I agree...this was the coldest game I ever attended and I've only missed 3 Bobcat games since the late 70's. It was against Idaho. I had to go because it was the year after the championship and I couldn't miss Kelly Bradley play, although several of the 1984 team were gone.
I had 2 jackets two pairs of insulated pants on and a sleeping bag. The wind chill was just like above. At the beginning of the game their were about 500 people in the stands...I don't know how many at the end...but I left at halftime.

That must have been you I spotted up there!
Coach Arnold made me give my ski gloves to a starting linebacker who brought gloves that looked like golf gloves. He made me trade with him and I was not a happy camper. Plus my ski gloves were destroyed. Seriously asked myself why I was there.