University of Northern Colorado Athletics
University of Northern Colorado
2-0
Abilene Christian University
0-2
Team Stats
UNCO 0, ACU 7
ACU - D. Sealey 49 yd run (B. Conn kick), 5 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:14
UNCO 7, ACU 7
UNCO - Hakeem Deggs 26 yd pass from Kyle Sloter (Jamie Falloon kick) 4 plays, 52 yards, TOP 0:53
UNCO 14, ACU 7
UNCO - Trae Riek 3 yd run (Jamie Falloon kick), 6 plays, 67 yards, TOP 2:34
UNCO 21, ACU 7
UNCO - Stephen Miller 22 yd pass from Kyle Sloter (Jamie Falloon kick) 9 plays, 81 yards, TOP 3:59
UNCO 28, ACU 7
UNCO - Alex Wesley 37 yd pass from Kyle Sloter (Jamie Falloon kick) 1 plays, 37 yards, TOP 0:06
UNCO 28, ACU 14
ACU - DJ Fuller 27 yd pass from D. Sealey (B. Conn kick) 2 plays, 61 yards, TOP 0:21
UNCO 28, ACU 21
ACU - D. Sealey 1 yd run (B. Conn kick), 10 plays, 73 yards, TOP 2:33
UNCO 28, ACU 28
ACU - D. Sealey 2 yd run (B. Conn kick), 6 plays, 58 yards, TOP 1:10
UNCO 35, ACU 28
UNCO - Trae Riek 20 yd pass from Kyle Sloter (Jamie Falloon kick) 6 plays, 61 yards, TOP 1:12
UNCO 42, ACU 28
UNCO - Kyle Sloter 22 yd run (Jamie Falloon kick), 6 plays, 81 yards, TOP 2:22
UNCO 42, ACU 35
ACU - A. Duncan 46 yd run (B. Conn kick), 1 plays, 46 yards, TOP 0:09
UNCO 48, ACU 35
UNCO - M. McCauley 9 yd pass from Kyle Sloter (Jamie Falloon kickblocked) 8 plays, 70 yards, TOP 3:15
UNCO 48, ACU 42
ACU - D. Sealey 1 yd run (B. Conn kick), 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:32
UNCO 48, ACU 49
ACU - T. James 2 yd run (B. Conn kick), 9 plays, 38 yards, TOP 3:18
UNCO 48, ACU 52
ACU - N. Grau 21 yd field goal 4 plays, 5 yards, TOP 1:26
UNCO 55, ACU 52
UNCO - Alex Wesley 59 yd pass from Kyle Sloter (Jamie Falloon kick) 3 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:13
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
@UNCBEARSFB Best Abilene Christian in Texas Shootout
9/10/2016 9:21:00 PM | Football
After starting QB, Jacob Knipp went down with a shoulder injury the Bears sideline was left motionless. Fortunately, it only took a few seconds for the energy to come surging back as second stringer, Kyle Sloter proved more than capable of leading the offense. Sloter made his mark, throwing for 408 yards with 6 TDs passes, leading UNC to a 55-52 win over Abilene Christian.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Knipp was under center for just three snaps until a hard hit from ACU took him out of the game, but it was as if he never left with Sloter at the helm of the offense.
The senior QB came out guns blazing, opening his night 7-for-7 with 136 yards passing and two TD passes, just in the first two drives.
The Bears were able to put up 21 of their 55 points in the first quarter thanks to catches from Stephen Miller, Alex Wesley and a three-yard scamper from Trae Riek.
Wesley finished the night with a career-high 112 yards on three catches with two TDs. Miller complimented Wesley with 89 yards on four haul-ins and one touchdown reception.
It quickly turned into a dog fight after ACU scored three straight TDs to make it 28-28 shortly before halftime.
With momentum swaying the Wildcats way, UNC got a breath of fresh air late in the second quarter on a roughing the kicker penalty that gave the Bears a new set of downs and a ball spot in ACU territory.
Northern Colorado made the most of the situation, scoring four plays later on a 20-yard pass to Riek to make it 35-28 at half.
The second half was just as thrilling as each team matched one another blow-for-blow.
ACU took its first lead of the second half in the third quarter on a touchdown after a Sloter INT, his only of the game, to go up 49-48.
Trailing 52-48 in the fourth after an ACU field goal, the QB shrugged off the pick and drove the offense 75 yards in three plays, capping it off with a 59-yard TD pass to Wesley. The touchdown was eventually the game winner as the defense held the Wildcats to just a field goal in the fourth quarter.
GAME CHANGER:
Kyle Sloter stepped up and performed when the team needed him to. Coming off the bench, Sloter finished with a career-high in every passing category. After it was all said and done, he tossed the pigskin for 408 yards on 25-of-32 attempts. He was good for six TD passes and only 1 INT.
KEY STAT:
Redshirt sophomore running back, Trae Riek was once again a jack-of-all-trades in the win. Riek filled the stat sheet with 212 all-purpose yards.
IN THEIR WORDS:
Head Coach Earnest Collins Jr.:
"We came out on fire and then they came back in the second quarter and we couldn't stop them – what I will say about this game is that our offense did an unbelievable job and our defense stepped up in the last eight to nine minutes of the game when we needed them."
On Sloter's performance:
"We talk about it all the time – somebody goes down, next man up. He (Sloter) came in and he had an unbelievable football game."
Quarterback, Kyle Sloter:
"Our team just stuck together through the ups and the downs and the defense stepped up for us in the end when we were stumbling. As a backup quarterback you're never really planning on playing, but when your number is called you have to be ready. Knipp is great guy and a great competitor – when he went down I knew it was my time and I had to be ready."
NOTABLES:
- Kyle Sloter tied the all-time single game TD Passing Record with 6 against ACU. He shares the record with former QB, Corte McGuffey who set the record in 1998 against Adams State.
- The 689 yards of offense is a Division I program record and is the most total yards UNC has put up since 2002, when the produced 690 against Central Missouri State.
- Trae Riek rushed over the century mark with 136 yards on the night. He also hauled in 76 yards receiving for 212 all-purpose yards.
- Linebacker, Bryan Stansbury produced a career-high in tackles on the night with 10.
- UNC gave up 565 yards of total offense to the Wildcats on the evening.
- Wide out, Alex Wesley had a career-high 112 yards receiving with 2 TDs, tying a career-best for touchdown receptions.
- Northern Colorado has now won the last six games against Abilene Christian.
- Head Coach Earnest Collins Jr. improves to 4-0 against Texas teams
- The Bears are 2-0 for the second time in as many seasons
UP NEXT:
Northern Colorado rounds out its two-game road swing by visiting in-state rival Colorado State next Saturday, Sept. 17 at 2:05 p.m. The next home game for UNC will be Oct. 1 in the Big Sky opener against Northern Arizona. Tickets for the NAU game can be purchased here.
