UNC Bears Start Season Strong with 17-3 Victory over Chadron State

After a two-hour weather delay, the University of Northern Colorado opened its college football season with its first home victory under head coach Ed Lamb, earning a 17-3 win against Division II opponent Chadron State Saturday afternoon.

The Bears celebrated the milestone, but the victory came at a heavy cost. Starting quarterback, junior Peter Costelli, who missed most of last year with a knee injury, went down again midway through the third quarter after a 15-yard scramble. Lamb said in his postgame press conference that the team believes the injury will sideline Costelli for the rest of the season.

Before leaving the game, Costelli put up a solid performance, completing six of his twelve passes for 92 yards, highlighted by a 60-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brayden Munroe, and rushing for 42 yards and another score. This performance enabled the Bears to take a 14-0 lead by halftime.

The ground game supported Costelli's play. Northern Colorado finished with 163 rushing yards on 33 carries, with sophomore running back Mathias Price leading the way. Price rushed for 73 yards on 16 attempts, more than double the number of touches he received in his entire freshman season.

While the offense provided the early lead, the Bears' defense proved to be the difference-maker, especially in the second half. Northern Colorado recorded three sacks, with junior linebacker Hudson Voggesser, sophomore defensive lineman Makur Abram and junior safety Darrell Bryant Jr. each registering one. Bryant Jr.'s sack was likely the biggest, as it came on a second-and-goal while the Eagles were knocking on the door of the end zone. His play pushed Chadron State back six yards and forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal, their only points of the game.

In the fourth quarter, the defense delivered once more when cornerback Derrick Jones intercepted Chadron State quarterback DJ Ralph, shutting down a late drive and effectively sealing the win for the Bears.

Though the scoreboard favored Northern Colorado, Chadron State found ways to move the ball. Ralph finished 20-of-33 for 228 yards, finding rhythm against the Bears' secondary. Several of his completions pushed the Eagles deep into Bears territory. Still, each time, the Northern Colorado defense tightened and prevented touchdowns from being scored.

Special teams mistakes also hurt Chadron State. Kicker Wilson Yee went 1-for-3 on field goal attempts, missing two wide right. The Eagles' run game struggled as well, averaging only 3.4 yards per carry. Northern Colorado's defense consistently penetrated the backfield, tallying five tackles for loss to shut down the ground attack.

For Northern Colorado, the win marked a step in the right direction for Lamb, who was entering his third season as head coach of the program with a 1-22 record. The Bears struggled with consistency in 2023, but Saturday's performance showed signs of progress on both sides of the ball. The loss of their starting quarterback to injury could derail that progress.

Looking ahead, the Bears (1-0) will face a tougher challenge in Week 2 when they travel to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State. The Rams are coming off of a loss to Washington in Seattle, but they will still be a massive test for the Bears. The matchup will also feature a new starter under center for the Bears, as LSU and Monterey Peninsula College transfer Eric Gibson Jr. is set to take over the quarterback role in place of Costelli.

Chadron State (0-1) will try to bounce back next week when it travels to Kearney, Nebraska, to face the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The Lopers opened their season with a win against Wayne State and will look to carry that momentum into their matchup against the Eagles, who will be trying to avoid a second loss to start their season.