University of Northern Colorado Athletics
University of Northern Colorado
4-4 , 2-4
Northern Arizona University
5-3 , 3-2
Team Stats
UNCO 0, NAU 7
NAU - Casey Jahn 40 yd run (Ryan Hawkins kick), 5 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:11
UNCO 0, NAU 14
NAU - Elijah Marks 6 yd pass from Case Cookus (Ryan Hawkins kick) 5 plays, 27 yards, TOP 1:35
UNCO 0, NAU 21
NAU - Emmanuel Butler 59 yd pass from Case Cookus (Ryan Hawkins kick) 3 plays, 75 yards, TOP 0:52
UNCO 7, NAU 21
UNCO - Trae Riek 36 yd run (Jamie Falloon kick), 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:08
UNCO 7, NAU 28
NAU - Emmanuel Butler 11 yd pass from Case Cookus (Ryan Hawkins kick) 7 plays, 68 yards, TOP 4:01
UNCO 7, NAU 35
NAU - Casey Jahn 11 yd run (Ryan Hawkins kick), 9 plays, 99 yards, TOP 3:50
UNCO 7, NAU 42
NAU - Emmanuel Butler 5 yd pass from Case Cookus (Ryan Hawkins kick) 13 plays, 64 yards, TOP 1:43
UNCO 7, NAU 49
NAU - Elijah Marks 41 yd pass from Case Cookus (Ryan Hawkins kick) 4 plays, 86 yards, TOP 1:13
UNCO 7, NAU 56
NAU - Emmanuel Butler 1 yd pass from Case Cookus (Ryan Hawkins kick) 6 plays, 66 yards, TOP 2:41
UNCO 7, NAU 63
NAU - RJ Rickert 22 yd pass from Case Cookus (Ryan Hawkins kick) 8 plays, 61 yards, TOP 3:34
UNCO 14, NAU 63
UNCO - Trae Riek 22 yd run (Jamie Falloon kick), 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:11
UNCO 21, NAU 63
UNCO - Stephen Miller 30 yd pass from Jacob Knipp (Jamie Falloon kick) 4 plays, 68 yards, TOP 1:54
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Northern Arizona Hands @UNCBEARSFB Haunting 63-21 Loss
10/31/2015 6:29:00 PM | Football
The 63 points allowed are now tied as the most points given up since 2007 when Northern Colorado lost to #23 Hawai'i 63-6.
The Lumberjacks led wire-to-wire in the affair and put up 668 total yards of offense and held UNC to 302 yards with the ball.
NAU also did a good job of limiting the Bears special teams return game, giving up just one return for 21 yards.
After two strong performances redshirt freshman quarterback, Jacob Knipp experienced some growing pains, finishing 21-of-37 for 171 yards with two interceptions and one TD pass.
A stout NAU defense forced UNC to punt nine times throughout the game, including four straight, which is the most the team has had to punt in any game this season.
"My hat's off to NAU, they came out and started with a bang and we had a hard time defending that," head coach Earnest Collins Jr. said. "It's part of the game, it happens. We were on the other side of it when we beat UC Davis and now our guys experienced it. It's all a part of the process of growing into a successful program. It's how the team responds to this loss is what I want to see."
One bright spot from the loss came from redshirt freshman running back, Trae Riek. Riek scored two of three touchdowns for the team and racked up 112 yards on 17 touches (6.6 ypc), the second time this season he's broken into the century mark.
Northern Arizona started the game off with a bang scoring four times in the first quarter alone.
After an INT and a punt, it appeared the offense finally got things under control, going 75 yards in eight plays with Riek breaking free on a 36-yard scamper to the end zone, to make it a 21-7 game in favor of the Lumberjacks with 5:41 remaining in the quarter.
NAU kept their foot on the gas pedal however, scoring three more times in the half, including a nine play, 99-yard drive midway through the second quarter to make a 35-7 contest.
Northern Arizona took a 42-7 lead into halftime.
"We just didn't come out and execute the way we wanted to," Riek said on the loss. "Northern Arizona played solid on both sides of the ball and we couldn't match it. They did a good job of containing our offense. We just have to put all our focus on Portland State now."
The second half began the same as the first with more Lumberjack offense, this time scoring three touchdowns throughout the entire third period, while holding Northern Colorado to four straight punts in the quarter.
NAU had a commanding 63-7 lead heading into the final 15:00 minutes of play.
UNC was able to string together a pair of scoring drives in the fourth quarter, more for pride than anything else.
The first TD in the fourth came from Riek. The redshirt freshman trucked his way 22 yards to the outside and eventually the end zone, taking it to 63-14 with 13:22 remaining in the game.
The second score was a 30-yard strike down the middle of the field from Knipp to junior wide out, Stephen Miller putting the finishing touches on a 68-yard drive.
Both teams traded the ball throughout the remainder of the game, until the clock hit zeros.
"This game is over now, it's in the past," added Collins. "We have to use this to fuel us tomorrow and when we start practice on Tuesday. It's a new week with another tough opponent in Portland State, so we have to be locked in and ready to go."
Defensively, junior linebacker Kyle Newsom led the team in tackles with nine on the day. Redshirt freshman, Ronald LaRue and junior safety Taylor Risner finished behind Newsom with six and seven apiece.
The Bears will look to rebound at home next Saturday, Nov. 7 for a game against #12 Portland State University. Kickoff is in the books for 12:00 p.m.
