Hornets comeback to sting @UNCBearsFootball

Saturday, September 15

Greeley, Colo.

2 pm

University of Northern Colorado

0-3

Sacramento State

2-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Sacramento State

Northern Colorado

Theron Verna dives for the end zone against Sacramento State

9/15/2018 5:55:00 PM | Football

Box Score

By: Ryan Ronan

Trailing Sacramento State with just under seven minutes to play, UNC was driving for the go-ahead score but Leonard Hazewood took matters into his own hands. The senior linebacker came screaming off the edge and stripped Keaton Mott from his blindside as the Bears QB was hit in the chest by a fellow Hornet, which allowed Elijah Chambers to recover the fumble at midfield. Five rushes later the SSU four-point lead turned into an 11-point bulge. That Elijah Dotson TD run proved to be the difference in a 28-25 Hornets come from behind victory.

Mott was playing for Jacob Knipp who left the game after the first drive with an injury.

"We had a seven-man protection called with a double takeoff, I was looking to (Alex) Wesley's side I stepped back in the pocket and felt it off my backside and it was just a tough situation," said Mott.

The sophomore went 26-for-43 for 315 yards and a pair of touchdowns with an overall QB rating of 137.3.

"We didn't have to change our game plan," said UNC head coach Earnest Collins Jr. "We get our guys reps in practice so that they will be comfortable in whatever situation we put them in. We knew he was going to come in ready to play."

Following the Dotson TD, UNC marched right down the field in seven plays and scored six points when Mott found Noah Sol on first and goal. Now trailing by five, UNC sent out the offense to go for two, Mott found Michael McCauley and the Bears cut the lead to just a field goal. Sac State recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.

"It's really tough. When you're playing butts off and you're trying to scrap, fight and claw to come up with every win," Collins said.

Sacramento State had trailed for the majority of the game they took their first lead when they cashed in a 2-play 50-yard drive on a reverse that ended up with the ball in the hands of Andre Lindsey, who just happens to be the Big Sky hurdle champion, and he took it 39 yards for the go-ahead TD.

"It is a play that everyone has in their playbook. We just didn't double back on it the right way. When you have a guy that can run like that you have to sell out and dive and try to trip him up somehow so that we can live to play another down," Collins said.

The Bears kept the lead when Jerone Jackson forced a fumble on the two-yard line and B.J. Perkinson recovered to keep the Hornets off the board and were able to maintain their 17-14 lead.

Jackson finished with a career-high in tackles with 11.

UNC jumped on top halfway through the first quarter when Mott found Theron Verna from 13 yards out to go up 7-0.

Milo Hall, who rushed for 80 yards, scored his first TD as a Bear late in the first half that gave the Bears a 14-7 lead going into the half.

Alex Wesley had 96 yards on just four catches.

UNC hits the road next week for the first time in conference play when they travel to take on Weber State.