University of Northern Colorado Athletics
University of Northern Colorado
Sacramento State
Football Preview: Northern Colorado Looks to Remain Undefeated at Home vs. Sacramento State
10/8/2014 8:55:00 PM | Football
This Saturday, Oct. 11 the Bears return to Nottingham Field to finish up their two-game home stand against Sacramento State. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.
Radio:Â 1310 KFKA
Live Stats:Â UNCBears.com
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PRE-GAME:
There will be a special recognition for legendary assistant coach Buck Rollins (1932-2014). Rollins coached for 22 seasons at UNC and passed away last spring after a battle with cancer. Rollins was defensive backs coach on 1969 team that went a perfect, 10-0. His squad brought in 24 interceptions that season, which lead all of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
GAME TIME:Â
The Northern Colorado football team (2-3, 1-1 Big Sky) looks to remain undefeated at Nottingham Field, finishing up its two-game home stand this Saturday, Oct. 11, squaring off against Sacramento State University (3-3, 0-2 Big Sky). Kickoff is in the books for 1:30 p.m. (MT).
LAST GAME:
The Bears continued to show resiliency at Nottingham Field recording three interceptions, two of them returned for touchdowns, two forced fumbles, and a 27-yard touchdown catch from senior wide receiver, Dimitri Stimphil to give Northern Colorado a, 24-17 upset over #25 Northern Arizona on homecoming last Saturday. This was the first time since defeating Idaho State, 29-9 in 2008 that UNC has picked up a 'W' on homecoming. It's also first time since the 2012 season that the Bears have defeated a conference opponent.
Junior quarterback, Jonathan Newsom started for the second game in a row and continued to show growth, going 14 of 24 for 158 yards, throwing his first career touchdown pass in a Northern Colorado uniform.Â
The Bears didn't get much out of the run game, but it wasn't from a lack of effort. Senior back, Robert Holland touched the ball 17 times for 54 yards and added three catches for 32 yards. Sophomore running back, Darius Graham saw six carries on the afternoon, gaining 24 yards in the win.
Junior linebacker, Ryan Gackle led UNC in tackles on the day with 10. Senior defensive end, Kyle Todd and sophomore cornerback, Brandon Lenoir weren't far behind with nine tackles each.
SACRAMENTO STATE:Â
Sacramento State had its best offensive game in school history but the Hornets could not make a final stand as Montana State scored with four seconds left to claim a 59-56 victory at Hornet Stadium on Saturday night.
The Hornets shattered the school record for total yards, compiling 694 yards. That mark broke the previous record of 641 set in 2003 against Idaho State. Quarterback Garrett Safron threw for 463 yards and rushed for a career high 146 to finish with a school record 609 yards of total offense. That total places him fourth in Big Sky single-game history. Safron's 463 passing yards place him second in school history and he now owns the top three marks in Hornet history. The senior also threw for five touchdowns for the third time in his career and completed 25-of-39 passes with an interception.
DeAndre Carter finished with 11 receptions for a career high 184 yards. Carter also moved into a tie for first place in school history. Nnamdi Agude also set a career best with 197 yards on only six receptions (32.8 yards per catch). The pair each went over 150 yards for the second straight week and remain the only duo in school history to do so in a single game.
Defensively, Damell Sankey led three Hornets in double figures with a career high 21 tackles. Henry Fernandez and Jaycee Totty added 11 and 10, respectively. Sankey's total is tied for the second most in school history.
THE COACHES:
Earnest Collins Jr. - Northern Colorado Record: 8-31 (4th year) Overall Record: 16-43 (6th year)
Jody Sears – Sac. St. Record: 3-3 (1st year) Overall Record: 7-22 (3rd year)
UP NEXT:
Northern Colorado will be back on the road next Saturday, Oct. 17, heading to Cheney, Washington to take on the #2 ranked Eagles of Eastern Washington (5-1, 2-0 Big Sky). Kickoff from Roos Field is set for 2:05 p.m.
