University of Northern Colorado Athletics
University of Northern Colorado
3-3 , 1-1
Idaho
2-4 , 0-2
Bears Stun No. 11/13 Idaho with Explosive 49-33 Road Win
10/11/2025 6:58:00 PM | Football
The Bears (3-3, 1-1 Big Sky) exploded for 35 first-half points, their second-most in a half since joining Division I, and finished with 49 total points, the highest mark in the Ed Lamb era. UNC's offense was nearly unstoppable, racking up 482 total yards and scoring on seven of its first nine drives.
Quarterback Eric Gibson turned in his third 300+ yard game of the season, completing 22 of 34 passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns while spreading the ball to six different receivers. Brayden Munroe was electric, catching five passes for 151 yards and a 22-yard score, while Carver Cheeks added nine receptions for 120 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Northern Colorado set the tone early, marching 75 yards on the opening drive and scoring on a 1-yard run by Mathias Price. After a Jacob Willig 52-yard field goal and an Idaho touchdown, Willig connected again from 43 yards to give UNC a 13-7 lead after one quarter.
The Bears broke the game open in the second. Gibson hit Price for a 7-yard touchdown to make it 21-7, then later found Munroe down the sideline for a 22-yard score following a fumble recovery by Dominic Butts. Willig's extra point extended the lead to 28-14, and after an Idaho field goal, Kieryus Boone capped a lightning-quick 75-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run just before halftime to put UNC ahead 35-17.
Idaho cut the lead to 35-25 late in the third quarter, but Northern Colorado never wavered. Early in the fourth, Cheeks scored on a 13-yard jet sweep to make it 42-25, and Brandon Johnson sealed the upset with an 18-yard touchdown run with 4:32 remaining.
The defense held its ground throughout the afternoon, forcing three takeaways and three sacks. Cam Chapa led the unit with 10 tackles and a key interception with a 43-yard return, while Darrell Bryant Jr. added an interception of his own. Hudson Voggesser, Zach Nowatzke, and Dominic Butts each tallied sacks as UNC limited the Vandals' passing game and forced their first home loss since the 2023 season.
Northern Colorado (3-3, 1-1 Big Sky) travels to face Sacramento State (2-3, 0-1 Big Sky) on Saturday at Hornet Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MDT on ESPN+.
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Team Stats
UNC 7, UID 0
UNC - Price,Mathias 1 yd run (Willig,Jacob kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:03
UNC 10, UID 0
UNC - Willig,Jacob 52 yd field goal 4 plays, -3 yards, TOP 00:58
UNC 10, UID 7
UID - Cummings,Elisha 39 yd pass from Wagner,Jack (Adams,Owen kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:26
UNC 13, UID 7
UNC - Willig,Jacob 43 yd field goal 7 plays, 46 yards, TOP 02:38
UNC 21, UID 7
UNC - Price,Mathias 7 yd pass from Gibson,Eric (Munroe,Brayden pass) 6 plays, 53 yards, TOP 02:26
UNC 21, UID 14
UID - Koch,Rocco 12 yd run (Adams,Owen kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:23
UNC 28, UID 14
UNC - Munroe,Brayden 22 yd pass from Gibson,Eric (Willig,Jacob kick) 5 plays, 40 yards, TOP 01:14
UNC 28, UID 17
UID - Adams,Owen 38 yd field goal 9 plays, 54 yards, TOP 02:39
UNC 35, UID 17
UNC - Boone,Kieryus 10 yd run (Willig,Jacob kick), 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 00:27
UNC 35, UID 25
UID - Koch,Rocco 16 yd run (Koch,Rocco rush), 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 07:37
UNC 42, UID 25
UNC - Cheeks,Carver 13 yd run (Willig,Jacob kick), 8 plays, 55 yards, TOP 02:56
UNC 42, UID 33
UID - Thomas,Nate 10 yd run (McWilliams,Nolan pass), 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:09
UNC 49, UID 33
UNC - Johnson,Brandon 18 yd run (Willig,Jacob kick), 5 plays, 62 yards, TOP 03:17
