Game Notes: @UNCBearsFB Faces Old Rival South Dakota

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado football heads to a familiar place in Vermillion, South Dakota this weekend. The Bears, coming off a narrow loss in the season opener look for their first win of 2018 against former Norther Central Conference rival South Dakota Saturday afternoon.

Setting the Stage
- Northern Colorado got out to a slow start in the 2018 season opener against McNeese State but played well late as they fell 17-14. The Bears used a 14-point fourth quarter to make it interesting against McNeese but were unable to get into field goal position to tie the game up.

- South Dakota led for a good chunk of its season opener against Kansas State but fell 27-24. The Coyotes used a pick-six to help them gain the early lead and go into the half up but were unable to hold on for the upset win. USD passed the ball on 56 of its plays while only running it 11 times.

- This is the second straight week UNC will play a team ranked this season. The Bears just missed out on the upset win to open the season in a 17-14 game against No. 17/18 McNeese State.

- UNC and USD have plenty of history between each other dating back to the old NCC days. This is the 25th meeting between the two teams and first since 2010. USD won the last battle between the two 34-6 in Vermillion.

- Joe Glenn is a common thread between both Northern Colorado and South Dakota. The Bears head coach from 1989-99 brought two national championships to Greeley in 1996 and 97. Glenn played at and graduated from South Dakota playing both quarterback and wide receiver before he coached his alma mater from 2012-15.

Scouting South Dakota
South Dakota has a high-flying up-tempo offense that will test the depth and stamina of Northern Colorado on Saturday. The 'Yotes offense ran 82 plays last week against Kansas State including first time starting quarterback Austin Simmons passing the ball 56 times compared to running the ball just 11 as a team. Simmons passed for 257 yards against the Wildcats last week finding a favorite target in Levi Falck who he connected with 11 times for 140 yards. Pass protection should be solid for USD as all five starters return this season.

While the Coyotes' offense puts up some big numbers, USD's defense can hold its own as well. Linebacker Alex Gray, who was an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference member in 2017, earned the conference's Player of the Week honors in week one with his seven tackles, two sacks, a fumble recovery and pick six. Kansas State found success running the ball against South Dakota, accumulating 256 yards and averaging 5.4 yards per carry last week.

South Dakota was picked to finish sixth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll.

History Against the Coyotes
Saturday's game against South Dakota will be the 25th meeting between the two teams. The first time UNC and USD played against each other on the gridiron came in 1959 with UNC winning 28-18. Since that day, the Bears hold a 20-14 lead in the series. While Northern Colorado holds the overall edge, South Dakota holds the small 3-2 lead in the past five meetings.

Last 5 Meetings
October 30, 2010, South Dakota, 34-6 in Vermillion
October 31, 2009, Northern Colorado, 21-17 in Greeley
October 19, 2002, Northern Colorado, 27-10 in Greeley
October 13, 2001, South Dakota, 31-19 in Vermillion
October 21, 2000, South Dakota, 27-6 in Vermillion

Around the Big Sky
The Big Sky wasted no time showing it's one of the best conferences in the FCS once again this year with a pair of FCS over FBS upsets. UC Davis opened the season with a 44-38 win over San Jose State and Northern Arizona went to El Paso, Texas to take down UTEP 30-10. Entering week two of the season the Big Sky has four teams ranked in the FCS Top 25 and four more receiving votes. Portland State (at Oregon), Southern Utah (at Oregon State) and Sacramento State (at San Diego State) all have chances to add to the Big Sky's FBS win total this week. Meanwhile, Eastern Washington heads to Northern Arizona for a non-conference top 25 matchup and Montana State travels to third-ranked South Dakota State.

Big Sky-Missouri Valley Challenge
Northern Colorado is a part of the Big Sky-Missouri Valley Challenge this season when they travel to South Dakota in week two. Through the first week of the challenge, the Big Sky holds a 2-1 advantage with wins by Montana and Montana State.

What's Ahead
Northern Colorado returns home next week for its final non-conference game of the season. The Bears will host a Sacramento State in a game that will not count in the Big Sky standings. Kickoff for the game is set for 2 pm MT at Nottingham Field and will be broadcast on Eleven Sports.

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