Preview: @UNCBearsFB Closes Season Hosting Cal Poly

Saturday, November 18

Greeley, Colo.

11:30 am

University of Northern Colorado

Cal Poly

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11/16/2017 12:16:00 PM | Football

Northern Colorado Notes Cal Poly Notes

Northern Colorado football closes out its 2017 season by hosting Cal Poly Saturday

By: By Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado (2-7, 1-6 Big Sky) football looks to end the 2017 season on the right note when they host Cal Poly (1-9, 1-6 Big Sky) Saturday morning. The Bears and Mustangs kick off at 11:30 am MT.

Fans unable to attend the game can watch on CET, or through Pluto TV and WatchBigSky.com. The game will also be telecasted over 1310 KFKA with Blue and Gold Gameday starting at 10:30 am.

Gameday Happenings
It's the final game of the year, and UNC is saying thanks to the fans for all of the support they have shown this season with Fan Appreciation Day. Lucky fans throughout the game have a chance to win a variety of prizes and giveaways including a set of tickets a UNC men's or women's basketball game.

The first 1,000 fans in the gates will receive a free rally town from game sponsor PDC Energy. All fans in attendance can take advantage of $1 popcorn at the concession stands.

Saturday's game is also Military Appreciation Day. All active and former military may purchase tickets to the game for themselves and family for just $5. Fees may apply to the purchase.

The Pepsi Fan Fest that includes live music, a beer garden, bounce houses and other great activities for the whole family before the game. The parking lots open at 9 am. Those attending the game can also reserve a spot in the tailgating area for just $25, or $35 for RVs, but should act quickly, as spots are going fast. For more information about Fan Fest and to reserve a tailgating spot, call or email Brian Lukas at brian.lukas@unco.edu or 970-351-4409.

Setting the Stage
- Northern Colorado and Cal Poly will both play their final game of the 2017 season on Saturday. UNC and Poly both seek its second Big Sky win of the season after both falling last weekend to Montana and Sacramento State, respectively.

- Northern Colorado saw mistakes compound on themselves, at Montana falling 44-14. UNC turned the ball over six times along with having a punt blocked in the loss. UM had a big second quarter against the Bears put 23 points on the board. UNC's Anthony Davis recorded his first 100 yards rushing game of his career, with 102 yards on the ground. Sixty-four of those 102 yards set up the team's first touchdown of the game. Marshaun Cameron also had a pick-six for Northern Colorado in the game.

- Cal Poly struggled to contain Sacramento State quarterback Kevin Thomson who passed for 247 yards and three touchdowns as the Hornets defeated the Mustangs 49-14. Sac St also held down Poly's triple-option offense, allowing just 141 rushing yards and 289 total offensive yards. The Hornets shutout the Mustangs until the final 11 minutes of the game.

- Both UNC and Cal Poly are 1-6 in Big Sky play, tied for 11th place. The winner of Saturday's game can tie North Dakota with a 2-6 record in conference play and possible Idaho State if they lose to Weber State.

Scouting Cal Poly
Cal Poly has struggled this season, entering the final game of the year with a 1-9 record overall and 1-6 in Big Sky play. The Mustangs, triple option offense has racked up 2,660 yards rushing this season, led by Jared Mohamed and his 106.5 yards per game. Seven different CP rushers have scored a touchdown on the ground this season. Mohamed and Khaleel Jenkins are tied for the lead with four apiece. Poly has used a pair of quarterbacks this year in Jenkins and Jake Jeffery. With the offense being run based, they have passed for just 1,216 yards combined this season. When the Mustangs decide to go to the air receiver Kyle Lewis is one of the main targets with five touchdowns this season.

Linebacker Mason Montgomery leads the Cal Poly defense with 86 tackles this season including 2.5 for a loss. Fellow linebacker RJ Mazolewski has been in opponent's backfields throughout the season with 6.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. The Mustangs have forced 15 turnovers this season, breaking down to seven interceptions and eight fumble recoveries. Poly's lone win of the season came against Portland State two weeks ago by the score of 35-28.

Last Time Against Poly
Northern Colorado and Cal Poly met in a win or go home season finale last season in what turned into a shootout of a game. The Mustangs outlasted the Bears 55-48. The two teams combined for 1,198 total yards, UNC passing for 438 and Poly rushing for 443 behind its triple-option offense. With all of the high powered offense, Hakeem Deggs ended up catching three touchdowns and accumulated 221 all-purpose yards.

History Against the Mustangs
UNC and Cal Poly have faced each other 12 times over the years. Poly leads the series over the Bears 10-2, including winning the past six games between the schools. The first meeting between UNC and Cal Poly came in 1958 in San Louis Obispo, with the Mustangs winning 25-6. Northern Colorado's two wins in the series came in 1978 (15-10) and 1982 (14-13). The two teams did not face each other from 1982 to 2004. Since the Mustangs joined the Big Sky the teams have met three times, twice at Cal Poly and once in Greeley.

On This Date
Northern Colorado seeks its first win when playing on November 18. The team is 0-3 on the on the date, most recently playing on it in 2006 when they lost at home to Northern Arizona.

The Month of November
UNC is 92-106-6 all-time in the month of November. Under head coach Earnest Collins, the team is 7-12.

See Wesley Run
Bear fans knew that Alex Wesley possesses great speed, as he is not only a football player for UNC but also a track and field athlete and Big Sky Champion. Wesley won the 400-meter dash both his freshman and sophomore season on the track team, bring those skills over to the football field. That speed was on display last week when he took a pass 83-yards for a touchdown against Sacramento State.

He has become one of the favorite targets of UNC's quarterbacks, catching a team-leading 52 passes for 923 yards and five touchdowns. He has led the team in receiving yards five times this year and is averaging 102.6 yards per game thanks to his 17.8 yards per catch. With 77 yards receiving on Saturday he will become the 10th player in UNC history to go over 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

Wesley turned in his best performance of the season against Southern Utah, catching 10 passes for 193 yards. He was key in setting up both of the team's touchdowns with catches of 65 and 47 yards to put UNC in prime scoring position. The 10 receptions in the game are the first time a Bear recorded 10 or more in a game since Jace Davis in 2013.

Party in the Backfield
Defensive end Keifer Morris has been a terror to opposing backfields all season long. The redshirt junior has a pair of three-game streaks recording a sack, including a current four-game streak going into this weekend. Morris has 8.0 on the year. In addition to the sacks, he has 12.0 tackles for a loss and a pair of QB hurries, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Morris ranks second in the conference and 18th in the nation with 0.89 sacks per game. As a team, Northern Colorado has recorded 21 sacks and has 45 tackles for a loss.

Running Through The Record Book
Running back Trae Riek has been working his way through the UNC record book ever since he stepped foot on the UNC campus. He joined special company in the game against Sacramento State, becoming the seventh player in program history to eclipse the 2,000 career rushing yards mark. Riek raked up 114 yards in the game to move over the 2,000-yard mark and currently, sits at 2,007 yards. The total ranks him eighth in the program's history for yards. The next person for Riek to pass in the record books is Chuck Taibi (1974-75) and his 2,191 yards.

Big Play Offense
Northern Colorado's offense has been moving the ball in chunks throughout the season, through nine games of the year the team has 66 plays gaining 20 or more yards. Thirty-seven of those has come by pass and 11 by run. Those big pass plays have helped UNC average 14.16 yards per completion this season, ranking fourth in the Big Sky and 21st in the nation. Northern Colorado has a trio of touchdown passes of at least 80 yards this year, including the longest play of the season coming at Sacramento State when Conor Regan found Alex Wesley for an 83-yard touchdown pass.

Thank You Seniors
Thank you to all of our seniors and their families for the support of UNC football over the past years. We are grateful for the dedication, hard work and time you have put in to the program. Remember once a Bear, always a Bear.

Slinging The Ball Around
Northern Colorado's offense is slinging the ball around the yard this year averaging 278.6 yards passing a game. That mark puts the team sixth in the Big Sky for passing offense, but 17th in the FCS. UNC has passed for over 300 yards in four of the eight games this year. The Bears have completed 53.6 percent of its passes this season and averaging 14.16 yards per completion to rank 21st in the FCS and fourth in the Big Sky.

Opportunistic Defense
After only recording 13 turnovers last season, Northern Colorado already matched its total from last year in six games, and now have 17 on the year. Isaiah Swopes leads the team with three interceptions with teammates Sone Kane and Marshaun Cameron with three each. Cameron recorded that second interception last weekend and turned it into a pick-six for the Bears. Both Sherand Boyd, Jr and Kiefer Morris have recorded two forced fumbles this season. Twelve different Bears have been apart of forcing opponent turnovers.

Weekly Honors
Northern Colorado football earned a few weekly honors from its performance against Idaho State on September 23rd. Collin Root earned his second Root Sports Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week honor for his game-winning kick. It was the second weekly honor of the year for Root, who also earned the Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week after he hit a 56-yard field goal in week one. Meanwhile, quarterback Jacob Knipp earned honorable mention honors from the College Football Performance Players of the Week as he threw for a career-high 413 yards and four touchdowns. Finally, College Sports Madness named Stone Kane their Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week, as he recorded an interception, had 11 total tackles and broke up a pass.

The Bears added to its weekly honors by earning their third Root Sports Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week honors following the game against Montana State on October 21. Punter Kiefer Glau earned the honor after a big game against MSU that included a 70-yard punt and pinning the Bobcats inside their 20-yard line twice.

Bear in the NFL
Former UNC Bear Kyle Sloter made the most of his opportunity in training camp with the Denver Broncos this August, earning him a spot on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. Just before week tow games started, Sloter signed onto the team's active roster. In his four preseason games with the Broncos, Sloter had a 72.1-percent completion percentage leading to 413 yards and three touchdowns, throwing no interceptions.

On the Tube
Northern Colorado football will be featured on the TV all-year long. Four of the five home games will be featured on TV, and five of the six road games. Complete schedule below:

CET	SEC Network
9/2 - vs College of Idaho	9/9 - at Florida
10/28 - vs Southern Utah	PAC 12 Network
11/18 - vs Cal Poly	9/16 - at Colorado
Root Sports	Eleven Sports
10/21 - vs Montana State	11/4 - at Sacramento State
11/11 - at Montana

During conference season, all games can be seen both on Pluto TV and WatchBigSky.com.

Coaches Show
Back again for the 2017 season is the Earnest Collins Coaches Show. The weekly show takes place live every Tuesday night during the season at Stuft Burger Bar in downtown Greeley from 6 - 7 pm. If you are unable to attend, you can tune in on 1310 KFKA at the time or see a broadcast of the show on CET Sports both Thursdays at 7 pm and Fridays at 3 pm.