University of Northern Colorado Athletics
A Look Back: The 1994 Northern Colorado Football Team
9/30/2014 6:19:00 PM | Football
The 1994 Bears were highlighted with success, posting a 7-4 overall record and featuring a dominant special teams returner in current head coach Earnest Collins Jr.
GREELEY, Colo. – In the spirit of homecoming we'll be taking a look back at the football teams through the decades each day leading up to Saturday's (Oct. 4) game against Northern Arizona at 1:30 p.m., continuing with the 1994 team.
The 1994 squad was during the golden years of Bears' football under head coach Joe Glenn. Glenn won back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championships in 1996-97. Northern Colorado posted a commendable, 7-4 overall record and went 6-3 in the Northern Central Conference, tying for third place. Glenn's tenure at UNC lasted 11 seasons, compiling an overall record of, 98-35.
The team produced four All-Americans in Jeff Peace, Adam Popielarcheck, Ryan Anderson, and Chris Bennett, also generating an NFL Player in John Roberts.
This was also the year that current head coach Earnest Collins Jr. broke the single-season punt return yards record, netting 497-yards on the ground, a feat that has yet to be matched in Bears' history.
All-Time Single Season Records that year (Number indicates spot on all-time record list):
Rushing yards- 15. Darnell Brooks (829-yards)
Punt Return Yards- 1. Earnest Collins Jr. (497-yards)
Quarterback Sacks- 4. Adam Popielarcheck (16 sacks)
Field Goals- 4. Ryan Anderson (14 FGs)
Blocked Kicks- 4. Chad Eastin (3 blocks)
All-Time Single Game Records that year (Number indicates spot on all-time record list):
Punt Return Yards- 7. Earnest Collins Jr. vs. North Dakota St. (11/5/94) 114-yards
Quarterback Sacks- 2. Adam Popielarcheck vs. Augustana (9/17/94) 4 sacks.
Interceptions- 2. Chris Bennett vs. Augustana (9/17/94) 3 INTs
Longest Field Goal- 6. Ryan Anderson vs. South Dakota (1994) 50-yards
Longest Rushing Play- 14. Darnell Brooks vs. South Dakota (1994) 67-yards
Longest Punt Return- 5. Earnest Collins Jr. vs. North Dakota St. (1994) 83-yards (TD)
Season Results:
1994 (7-4, 6-3 NCC/T3rd)
S 3 Western State L, 26-31
S 10 at Colorado Mesa W, 66-28
S 17 *at Augustana W, 17-16
S 24 *at South Dakota State W, 28-13
O 1 *North Dakota W, 21-6
O 8 *South Dakota (HC) W, 28-16
O 15 *at St. Cloud State L, 10-16
O 22 *Minnesota State L, 28-41
O 29 *at Nebraska-Omaha L, 19-30
N 5 *North Dakota State W, 29-7
N 12 *at Morningside W, 31-16
*indicates conference game.
Check back in with www.UNCBears.com tomorrow as we highlight the 1984 Bears football team. For tickets to this Saturday's homecoming game against Northern Arizona call 1-970-351-4TIX or click here to order them online.
