Week 5 Preview: UNC Hosts No. 14 Weber State in Big Sky Conference Clash

Northern Colorado (0-4, 0-1 Big Sky) vs. Weber State (2-2, 0-1 Big Sky)
Nottingham Field – Greeley, Colo.
Saturday, Sept. 30 | 1 p.m.
Radio – KFKA | Live Stream – ESPN +
Game Sponsor – Pepsi
Game Theme – LatinX Heritage
UNC Game Notes | WSU Game Notes

GREELEY, Colo. – The University of Northern Colorado football team returns to Nottingham Field for its Big Sky Conference home opener versus No. 14-ranked Weber State. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (MTN).

Bears and the Wildcats

The Wildcats hold a 10-1 series advantage over the Bears.

UNC's lone win in the series was in 2012, which was a 42-34 victory in Ogden, Utah. This is the first time the two teams will meet in Greeley since 2015 when WSU won 38-17.

In the 11 meetings as conference foes, UNC has scored a total of 244 points for an average of 22.18 points per game.

The Bears

-       The Bears are coming off a 35-21 setback at Idaho State.
-       UNC generated 465 yards of total offense, which is the most this season.
-       Darius Stewart rushed for a career-high 124 yards and one touchdown, while David Afari added 108 yards and one touchdown for the Bears to finish with two 100-yard rushers.
-       Over the past two games, Afari has rushed for 224 yards and averages 6.2 yards per rush attempt.
-       Jacob Sirmon has done a great job finding open receivers and is completing 60 percent (69-of-115) of his passes.
-       Dustin Johnson has been a force for the Bears. Johnson is tied with a team-high 26 tackles. Johnson also has one tackle for loss and one interception.
-       Tama Tuitele also has 26 tackles and one tackle for loss.
-       Punter Hunter Green has performed well with 1147 total punt yards for 42.38 yards per punt attempt. His long this season is 70 and he's placed eight punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

The Wildcats

-       The Wildcats are coming off a 40-0 setback at No. 3 Montana State.
-       On offense, WSU is a run-first program. Damon Bankston is the Wildcat's leading rusher with 358 yards and five touchdowns. Bankston averages 89.50 rush yards per game
-       As a team, WSU has rushed for 640 yards on 136 attempts for an average of 4.2 yards per rush.
-       Overall, on offense, the Wildcats have totaled 1031 total yards and an average of 257.8 yards per game.
-       On defense, Winston Reid leads the way with 44 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. He's also contributed 1.5 sacks.

Last Time Versus Weber State (11/20/2021)

Weber State defeated the Bears 48-16 in the 2021 regular-season finale.

Alec Lewis completed 18-of-39 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns along with three interceptions.

Dylan Thomas recorded 108 yards receiving along with one touchdown and Gene Sledge Jr. rushed for 32 yards. Xander Gagnon recorded a team-high eight tackles, while Jerone Jackson added seven stops.

Knapke Makes the Move; Linebackers a Strength
Jordan Knapke has successfully made the move from safety to linebacker, and in the process beefed up to 225 pounds. He was a preseason All-Big Sky selection at defensive back and recorded 90 tackles in 2022. Last season, Vincent King and Tama Tuitele found the ball carrier on a consistent basis. King finished with 66 tackles, 33 solo, and 33 assisted. He also added two sacks. Tuitele added 60 tackles, 32 solo and 28 assisted to go along with four tackles for loss. Keyvon Lakes, Payton Polson, Jacob Stanton, and Keenan Guthrie all earned significant playing time in 2022.

Hoage and Knapke Named to Big Sky Football Preseason All-Conference Team

University of Northern Colorado All-American linebacker David Hoage and defensive back (turned linebacker) Jordan Knapke were named to the Big Sky Football Preseason All-Conference Team, the conference office announced Monday morning. Hoage, a 6-foot-3, 245-pounder out of Smoky Hill High School in Denver, returns after missing the 2022 season due to injury. The veteran had a stellar 2021 campaign.

Hoage was a Third-Team All-America selection by AP and Stats Performance and First-Team Sophomore All-America selection by Hero Sports He was a Second-Team All-Big Sky Conference selection and led the Big Sky and ranked third in the nation with 22 tackles for a loss. Hoage set the program's DI single-season record for sacks with 10.5 and was the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week after recording eight tackles, four and a half tackles for a loss, three sacks, and recovering two fumbles against Houston Baptist. Also recorded 70 tackles on the year, 39 solo, and led the team with eight QB hurries.
Knapke, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound Aurora, Colorado native and Grandview High School product, is a leader of the Bears defense. He appeared in 11 games and recorded 90 tackles, 36 solo, and dad three PBUs. Last season Knapke had four games with double-digit tackles (vs. Idaho, at Sacramento State, vs. Montana State, at Eastern Washington).

Tickets on Sale
UNC football tickets are on sale. The Bears play a challenging home schedule with five teams that qualified for the 2022 playoffs and host preseason top 10 Incarnate Word this Saturday.

Tickets can be purchased at uncbears.com/tickets or call 970-351-4849.

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Players Mentioned

David Afari

Hunter Green

Keenan Guthrie

David Hoage

Dustin Johnson

Vincent King

Jordan Knapke

Keyvon Lakes

Alec Lewis

Payton Polson

Jacob Sirmon

Jacob Stanton

Darius Stewart

Tama Tuitele

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