Game Notes: Confident Bears, Aim to Upset No. 4/5 Eastern Washington On Senior Day

Winners of two straight, Northern Colorado football looks to shack up the FCS world by upsetting No. 4/5 Eastern Washington on Saturday. The Bears and Eagles are set for a high-noon kickoff and Senior Day for UNC.

Setting the Stage
- Northern Colorado earned its second consecutive win by jumping out to a 35-11 lead over Southern Utah and holding off the Thunderbirds 42-39. The Bears, used an effective run game as they gathered 292 yards on the ground including having a pair of backs going over 100 yards in Milo Hall, 131 yards, and Trae Riek, 118 yards.

- Eastern Washington continues to roll through the Big Sky, protecting their home turf with a 38-14 win over Idaho last week. The Eagles led 31-0 at the half and gave up the second touchdown of the day with only 26 seconds left on the clock. Eric Barriere had a huge game for the team passing for 326 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 70 more yards and another TD.

- The Bears had their best game on the ground since the program joined the Division I ranks last Saturday, with 292 yards and for the first time in the program's DI history having a pair of players going over 100 yards each.

- The win on the road was UNC's first in almost two years. The team has now won back-to-back games for the first time since the 2016 season.

- Saturday's game is Senior Day for the Bears. The team will honor its 21 seniors prior to kickoff.

Gameday Happenings
In the final home contest of 2018 for UNC football, there is plenty of fun for the family. UNC will be celebrating Veterans Day with Military Appreciation Day. All military personnel can present their ID to the UNC box office for a $5 GA ticket for themselves. In conjunction with Military Appreciation Day, the Bears will be wearing a special decal on their helmets and fans can get their hands on them two thanks to PDC Energy.

As usual all year long, the Pepsi Fan Fest and parking lots for Nottingham Field open up at 9 am with face painting, jump houses and plenty of Blue & Gold spirit.

Feeling hungry at the game? Head to the concession stands and grab some popcorn for just $1. If you are still in the UNC spirit after the football game, which you should be, head over to the Bank of Colorado Arena for some volleyball for just $5 when you present your football ticket stub. The Bears volleyball team hosts Idaho State in a Big Sky match up.

For tickets to Saturday's game and all UNC athletic events, visit UNCBears.com/Tickets.

Scouting Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington entered the 2018 season with high expectations after being snubbed out of the FCS Playoffs last season and has lived up to expectations so far. The Eagles have remained in the top 10 all year long. Despite losing All-American quarterback Gage Gubrud for the season, EWU has its offense rolling averaging 244.6 rushing yards and 282.1 passing yards a game. The skill position duo of Sam McPherson at running back and Nsimba Webster at wide receiver give opposing defenses fits game in and game out.

While Eastern Washington has consistently been known for its high-powered offense, its defense has stepped it up this season as well. The Eagles are allowing 22.1 points a game and an impressive 15.8 points in Big Sky games. No Big Sky team has scored more than 17 points against the EWU. Linebacker Kenter Kupp leads the defense with 54 tackles including 4.5 for a loss. While their offense picks up yards in chunks and scores fast, the defense is doing its part getting the ball back to its offense allowing 388.4 yards per game.

History Against the Eagles
The first game between Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington took place in 1979 and the two teams played two more times in the 80s, before not meeting again until UNC joined the Big Sky Conference. UNC won the game in Greeley in 1981 13-9, but the rest of the 12 meetings between the two have gone in favor of the Eagles. Northern Colorado's best chance of Breaking EWU's 10-game win streak in the series game in October 2015 when EWU survived an upset bid at Nottingham Field 43-41.

Last 5 Meetings
October 8, 2016, Eastern Washington, 49-31 in Cheney
October 24, 2015, Eastern Washington, 43-41 in Greeley
October 18, 2014, Eastern Washington, 26-18 in Cheney
October 15, 2011, Eastern Washington, 48-27 in Cheney
October 16, 2010, Eastern Washington, 35-28 in Greeley

Lucky 42
The number 42 has big significance in the baseball world as it was Jackie Robinson's number. For the 2018 UNC football team 42 is also a good number for them. In both of the team's wins, they have scored 42 points.

Balanced Offense
A goal for Northern Colorado's offense is to achieve as much of a balanced offense as they can, that's exactly what they have done in their two wins against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. In the two games, UNC has averaged 220.0 yards on the ground and 219.0 yards through the air. Over the two games, eight different Bears have scored a touchdown, including one on special teams and one on defense. The scoring has also come from a pair of Marques Combs field goals and a safety.

Challenging Slate
While the 2018 schedule does not feature an FBS opponent the Bears has a challenging slate. Out of the team's 11 games, 10 of its opponents started the season either ranked or receiving votes in the FCS Stats Poll. Through nine weeks, six of the 11 teams are still ranked or receiving votes, including the 4-5-6 teams in the FCS Stats Poll in Weber State, Eastern Washington and UC Davis, respectively.

Bear in the NFL
Former UNC Bear Kyle Sloter continues to strive for the Minnesota Vikings earning a roster spot with them for the second straight season. In the preseason he passed for 366 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions. Teammate Frank Stephens joined Sloter on an NFL roster before week two of the NFL season, signing onto the San Francisco 49ers practice squad.

Around the Big Sky
UC Davis continues to lead the Big Sky with a perfect 5-0 record after scoring 46 unanswered points at Montana last weekend. The Aggies are being chased by Eastern Washington, Idaho State and Weber State who all are one game behind in the standings. Both UC Davis and EWU will try not to look ahead to next weekends tilt in Cheney between the two teams.

Coaches Show
The Earnest Collins Jr. Coaches Show is back again this season but at a new location. The 2018 coaches show will be at the Dugout B-B-Q off of 11th Ave each Tuesday during the year from 6-7 pm. The Voice of the Bears Troy Coverdale will sit down and talk with head coach Earnest Collins Jr and guests to recap the previous week and look ahead to the next. The coaches show will also be broadcast on the home for the Bears 1310 KFKA.

Home Away from Home
Stuft, Burger Bar is UNC football's home away from home. Unable to make the trip with the Bears, join other UNC fans and cheer on the team on the official watch party of all road games.

What's Ahead
Northern Colorado closes out its 2018 season next weekend when they take on Montana State. The Bears are making their first trip to Bozeman since 2012. Kickoff between the Bears and Bobcats is set for 1 pm.

To stay up to date on all things UNC football, visit UNCBears,com and follow the team on Twitter at @UNCBearsFB.