University of Northern Colorado Athletics
University of Northern Colorado
0-1 , 0-0
Houston Baptist
1-0 , 0-0
Bears Comeback Falls Just Short
9/4/2022 1:16:00 AM | Football
UNC football dropped it's season opener to Houston Baptist Saturday
Down 39-20 with 11:44 left in the game, Northern Colorado scored 14 straight points and recovered an onside kick with 2:25 remaining for a shot at the win.
The frantic comeback came as Jacob Sirmon stepped in for an injured Dylan McCaffrey at quarterback passing for 226 yards alone in the fourth quarter. Sirmon found Alec Pell for a 1-yard touchdown pass and followed it up with a 9-yard strike to Elijah Dotson giving UNC a chance.
Unfortunately for the Bears, an extended play would end any hopes of a comeback as a strip sack turned into a scoop and score for Houston Baptist to leave Nottingham Field with the 46-34 victory.
The day started strong for UNC who scored on their first drive of the year as McCaffrey found transfer Trevis Graham streaking across the field, bouncing off a pair of defenders and finding his way to the end zone. Graham and McCaffrey combined for a pair of scores on the day, the second one of 56 yards.
Game Notes
- Northern Colorado put up some big offensive numbers with 551 total yards on the day.
- A trio of transfers was the catalysts to the Bears' offense in Sirmon, Dotson and Graham. Sirmon went 22-for-33 with 249 yards and a pair of scores. Dotson had 182 all-purpose yards and a score himself while Graham made three receptions for 83 yards and two scores.
- Defensively, Nick Norris and Vincent King led the Bears with eight and seven tackles, respectively. King had a sack while Norris led the team with two tackles for a loss.
- The Bears' secondary forced a pair of turnovers as Dustin Johnson had an interception while Nick Ciccio forced a fumble and Tizell Lewis recovered it.
What's Ahead
Northern Colorado hits the road heading just over the border next week to face Wyoming in Laramie for a 2 pm kickoff.
UNC's next home game is Saturday September 24 at 1 pm against Idaho State. The game is a part of Homecoming weekend. Tickets are available for the game at UNCBears.com/Tickets.
To stay up to date on all things UNC football, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Team Stats
HBU 0, UNC 7
UNC - Graham,Trevis 18 yd pass from McCaffrey,Dylan (Green,Hunter kick) 11 plays, 72 yards, TOP 06:03
HBU 6, UNC 7
HBU - Reynolds,Karl 66 yd pass from Fomby,Justin () 5 plays, 78 yards, TOP 00:48
HBU 13, UNC 7
HBU - Mahdi,Ismail 74 yd pass from Fomby,Justin (Enriquez,Nery kick) 6 plays, 88 yards, TOP 01:57
HBU 19, UNC 7
HBU - Fuller,Ismael 21 yd pass from Fomby,Justin () 5 plays, 55 yards, TOP 01:24
HBU 19, UNC 14
UNC - Graham,Trevis 55 yd pass from McCaffrey,Dylan (Green,Hunter kick) 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:17
HBU 22, UNC 14
HBU - Arroyo,Alberto 30 yd field goal 8 plays, 62 yards, TOP 01:47
HBU 25, UNC 14
HBU - Arroyo,Alberto 25 yd field goal 14 plays, 67 yards, TOP 05:07
HBU 32, UNC 14
HBU - Harris,Anthony 6 yd pass from Fomby,Justin (Arroyo,Alberto kick) 7 plays, 29 yards, TOP 02:54
HBU 32, UNC 20
UNC - Afari,David 1 yd run (), 9 plays, 41 yards, TOP 03:22
HBU 39, UNC 20
HBU - Mahdi,Ismail 78 yd run (Arroyo,Alberto kick), 2 plays, 75 yards, TOP 00:44
HBU 39, UNC 27
UNC - Pell,Alec 1 yd pass from Sirmon,Jacob (Green,Hunter kick) 13 plays, 77 yards, TOP 04:59
HBU 39, UNC 34
UNC - Dotson,Elijah 9 yd pass from Sirmon,Jacob (Green,Hunter kick) 12 plays, 95 yards, TOP 02:42
HBU 46, UNC 34
HBU - Hunt,Jalyx 52 yd fumble recovery (Arroyo,Alberto kick)
Players Mentioned
