Coming into the rivalry matchup, oddsmakers pegged the Bears to lose by more than five touchdowns. As the underdog, the University of Northern Colorado football team played a tight game against Colorado State University on Saturday. With remarkable offensive and defensive plays, the Bears came up short against the Rams 21-17 following a controversial call late in the fourth quarter.
After a 17-3 win against Chadron State on August 30, the Bears hoped to keep their win streak alive going into their matchup against the Rams. Quarterback Kia'i Keone silenced the Canvas Stadium crowd early with a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Junior quarterback Eric Gibson Jr. threw for 160 yards, helping set up scoring opportunities on offense. On the defensive side, sophomore safety Cam Chapa made an interception return that flipped momentum, and junior defensive line Ezra Ekuban registered a sack and forced a fumble that set up UNC’s first score. Late in the second quarter, the Bears extended their lead with a field goal from senior kicker Jacob Willig. By halftime, the Bears had quieted 36,000 fans and led the Rams 10-0.
Colorado State regrouped after halftime. Rams quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi led a drive capped by a touchdown from sophomore running back Lloyd Avant, trimming the score to 10-7.
UNC responded immediately with Gibson connecting to junior wide receiver Carver Cheeks on a 25-yard pass on fourth down. A CSU penalty put the Bears at the 5-yard line, and junior running back Aliou-Rocco Traore pushed through for another Bears touchdown, making the score 17-7 with 7:15 left in the third.
Colorado State leaned heavily on its ground game to avoid the upset. Avant carried 11 times for 68 yards and scored twice, including a third-quarter touchdown that tied the game at 14-14. Fowler-Nicolosi added 131 passing yards and connected with junior wide receiver Armani Winfield for key first downs. The Rams scored again late in the third to make the score 17-14 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Bears’ defense forced turnovers and recovered a fumble at the 40-yard line with five minutes remaining in the game, but CSU stayed tight. With 44 seconds left, Fowler-Nicolosi ran for a 13-yard touchdown, sending the crowd into a frenzy as CSU grabbed its first lead of the night over UNC.
With the Bears trailing, Gibson fired a 30-yard pass, pushing the Bears up to the 45-yard line.
As 8 seconds on the clock ticked down, Gibson appeared to hit Cheeks in the end zone for what looked like a game-winning touchdown before yellow flags were thrown on the field. The celebration from Bears fans was short-lived. Officials called an incomplete pass, negating the score and sinking the Bears’ hopes for a shocking upset.
When asked in the post-game press conference if they were surprised the Bears’ touchdown was overturned, CSU linebacker Jacob Ellis and defensive back Jahari Rogers admitted they were.
“Yes, we’re not going to lie,” Rogers said.
“From my angle, it looked like he caught it,” Ellis added.
Up next for Colorado State, the Rams will stay at home to take on the University of Texas at San Antonio on Saturday, September 20 at 7:30 p.m. Meanwhile, the Northern Colorado Bears will hit the road to face South Dakota on Saturday, September 13, at 12:00 p.m. MST in Vermillion.
UNC came within inches of a statement win. Instead, CSU left Canvas Stadium with a hard-fought victory, while the Bears walked away proving that they belonged on the same field.
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