Finally.
The Bears got one. Northern Colorado beat Northeastern State 23–17 Saturday night at Nottingham Field for the program's first win of the season, and they earned it the hard way — trailing 17–13 heading into the fourth quarter before putting up ten unanswered points to close it out.
How It Happened
UNC outgained the RiverHawks 410 yards to 320 and did most of the damage through the air: 306 passing yards and two touchdown throws, including a 71-yard strike that was the longest play of the night. The ground game chipped in 104 yards and a score.
The defense won the game's biggest moments. Four sacks, an interception, and — after Northeastern State's ten-point third quarter briefly flipped the game — a fourth-quarter shutout that gave the offense room to finish. A 48-yard field goal helped close the gap along the way. It wasn't spotless: seven penalties for 71 yards and a pick kept things tighter than they needed to be. But after three losses by a combined margin that included a one-point opener and a hard afternoon in Laramie, nobody in blue and gold is apologizing for style points.
What's Next
The Bears (1–3) stay home: Utah Tech comes to Nottingham Field next Saturday, September 26, at 6 p.m. — smack in the middle of Gotta Get to Greeley weekend, with Oktobrewfest running downtown the same day. Make a day of it: stein in the afternoon, kickoff at six. Show up for your city.