The Bears have something to play for in November, an only recent reality for perennial Big Sky Conference doormat Northern Colorado.
UNC entered November with a 5-3 record, identical to a Montana team ranked in the top 20 of the FCS all season. The Bears won three of their first five Big Sky Conference games to enter the season’s final month alone in fifth place in the standings, two spots ahead of the 2-3 Griz.
Northern Colorado entered the final three games of the regular season with chance to make the post season if the Bears could win out. That would mean wins over first-place North Dakota and Montana at home before finishing at Cal Poly.
UNC quarterback Kyle Sloter/by UNC Athletics
UND’s defense completely stonewalled UNC’s run game and its rushing attack piled up 290 yards on the ground in a 23-13 win to move to 7-0 in league play. Still, the Bears have games against two straight ranked teams and a chance to move to the playoff bubble. A 7-4 Northern Colorado with wins over Montana, Cal Poly, Northern Arizona and Portland State along with a competitive showing in a loss to No. 4 Eastern Washington would put UNC in the playoff conversation for the first time since moving to Division I in 2006.
“This is the first time we have been in this position when we are playing for something this time of year,” Collins said before last week’s loss. “We are looking forward to it.”
In that scenario, a 34-21 loss to give UC Davis its lone Big Sky win would likely keep Northern Colorado out. Even a split of its remaining two games will push UNC to 6-5, marking the second straight winning record for a team that joined the Big Sky in 2006. Northern Colorado’s resume would benefit from two wins over Top 20 teams after a season in which the team’s wins have come over Rocky Mountain College of the Frontier Conference, transitioning FCS program Abilene Christian (55-52), NAU (4-2, 5-4), struggling Sac State (27-19) and in overtime against reeling Portland State (2-4, 3-6).
The playoffs have essentially started for the Griz as well. Montana likely cannot afford a loss to the Bears or the Montana State Bobcats if UM hopes to get into the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
Northern Colorado finished 6-5 last season, the best finish under Collins and in the program’s Division I era. Collins went winless in his first season in 2011. The Bears won three straight down the stretch to finish 5-6 in 2012, including a program-best four Big Sky wins, a total UNC can tie with one more league victory. The 2013 Bears did not win a conference game and lost to Division II Colorado State-Pueblo. The 2014 Bears went 3-8.
QUICK HITS
Location: Greeley, Colorado
Nickname: Bears.
Founded: 1889. Established as the State Normal School of Colorado, UNC has a long history of teacher education and is recognized as an earlier innovator in the field. In addition to education awards and rankings, UNC claims nationally ranked programs in business, performing and visual arts, nursing, and sports and exercise science.
Enrollment: The university has 12,084 and an endowment of $81.49 million.
Stadium: Nottingham Field. The 8,533-seat venue was build in 1994 for $4 million. The Bears won back-to-back Division II national titles under former Montana head coach Joe Glenn in 1996 and 1997 and averaged more than 4,500 fans per game in the then-6,500-seat venue. Attendance peaked in 1999 with an average of 6,650 and then again in 2005 with 7,510 per game. UNC hasn’t averaged 5,000 fans a game since 2010. UNC has drawn 4,207 per game in five home games this season.
THE TEAM (1-5 in the Big Sky, 2-7 overall)
Northern Colorado Earnest Collins Jr./by Brooks Nuanez
The Coach: Earnest Collins Jr. The UNC alum was a standout defensive back and punt returner for Joe Glenn between 1991 and 1994. His coaching career began as the defensive backs coach at Northwest Missouri State from 1996-1999. He coached defensive backs and coordinated the special teams at UNC from 2000-2003 before spending five seasons in the FBS. He coached at Kansas from 2003-2006 and spent 2007 at Central Florida. Collins Jr. became the head coach at Alcorn State in 2009 and spent that season and the next one before his hiring at UNC. His is 20-45 overall, 12-34 against Big Sky competition as his sixth season nears its end.
THE OFFENSE
Trae Riek, running back, 5-11, 200, sophomore — Riek has struggled to stay healthy in two years as Northern Colorado’s featured back. When he is in top form, he’s one of the most underrated and dangerous offensive weapons in the Big Sky.
As a redshirt freshman, Riek rushed for 796 yards and seven touchdowns in essentially seven games. Riek rushed for more than 100 yards three different times and averaged 5.4 yards per carry despite missing parts of four games to earn honorable mention All-Big Sky honors.
Two of UNC’s three league losses have come with Riek on the shelf as he deals with an ankle issue. Northern Colorado averaged just 2.8 yards per carry in its 34-21 loss to UC Davis. UNC managed just six yards last week against UND.
In his last outing, Riek carried the ball 12 times for 90 yards, including a 53-yard burst in the Bears’ win over Portland State, He also caught a 26-yard touchdown pass. He rushed for 109 yards on 13 carries (8.3 yards per carry) in a 27-19 win over Sac State. He rushed fro 107 yards on 21 carries (5.1 ypc) and caught two balls for 43 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown in UNC’s 21-18 win over NAU.
Riek is averaging 92.1 yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry. He’s rushed for 545 yards and three touchdowns.
If Riek can’t go against Montana, Brandon Cartegena will have to pick up the slack. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound junior has 431 yards and five touchdowns this season. He is averaging 5.6 yards per carry for an offense rushing for 170 yards per game.
Kyle Sloter, quarterback, 6-4, 215, senior — Sloter started a game as a redshirt freshman at quarterback at Southern Miss in 2013. A coaching change meant a position change for Sloter, who caught a few passes as a wide receiver in 2014.
He transferred to Northern Colorado before last season but lost the starting quarterback to redshirt freshman Jacob Knipp. He caught six passes.
Knipp went down in UNC’s first game. Sloter made the absolute most of his opportunity, throwing for 407 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for another touchdown against Abilene Christian.
Sloter has been one fo the Big Sky’s most productive quarterbacks this season. His efficiency of 150.2 is fourth in the league as is his 236.3 passing yards per game. Sloter is completing 62.7 percent of his passes for 2,127 yards and 21 touchdowns, the third-most in the league.
Stephen Miller, wide receiver, 6-3, 205, senior — Miller has quietly had one of the most productive seasons in the league.
His 92.2 yards per game is third in the Big Sky behind Eastern Washington stars Cooper Kupp and Kendrick Bourne. His 5.1 catches per game is ninth. Miller has 46 catches for 830 yards (18.0 yards per catch).
Miller caught 84 passes for 1,025 yards leading up to his final season.
Hakeem Deggs, wide receiver, 5-7, 157, junior — Deggs returned two kickoffs for touchdowns last season to earn first-team All-Big Sky and All-America honors. His 35.4 yards per kick return ranked second in the FCS.
This season, Deggs is averaging 19.5 yards on his 22 kick returns. But he’s been a more productive offensive weapons, catching 26 passes for 263 yards and six touchdowns.
THE DEFENSE
Thomas Singleton, safety, 5-10, 180, senior — Singleton played every single snap of the 2015 season at corner for the Bears. He finished third on the team with 77 tackles, including 39 solos and a tackle for loss. He also broke up five passes, notched an interception and forced a fumble.
Northern Colorado has made a habit of taking the ball away under Collins. However this season, UNC did not have a single interception its first seven games of the season. Singleton changed that with an interception against Portland State.
This season, Singleton has 65 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Mikail Dubose, defensive end, 6-2, 255, senior — Dubose’s breakout performance last season came in a five tackles for loss outing against Sacramento State. He finished the season with 51 tackles, five sacks and nine tackles for loss to earn third-team All-Big Sky honors.
The former Western Michigan transfer is again leading the charge up front for the Bears. He has 46 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, the latter two team highs.
Kyle Newsom, linebacker, 6-2, 230, senior — Newsom played two years at Feather River Community College before walking on and spending the 2014 season as a redshirt at Washington State.
Newsom came to Greeley before last season and earned a starting spot right away. He notched 71 tackles, 6.4 tackles for loss and a sack. This season, only Idaho State’s Mario Jenkins (9.7 tackles per game) averages more stops than UNC’s 9.6. Newsom is one of eight players in the league with at least 40 solo tackles.
Newsom has 86 tackles, including five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Marshaun Cameron, cornerback, 5-10, 185, redshirt freshman — Cameron earned Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors after recovering two red-zone fumbles against Northern Arizona.
In his first year as a starter in the secondary, Camoron has 58 tackles, a tackle for loss, two pass breakups and a forced fumble.
