University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Bears Ready for Season Opener
8/27/2025 1:54:00 PM | Football
GREELEY, Colo. – With the offseason complete and the opener just days away, Northern Colorado football turns its attention to Saturday's matchup against Chadron State at Nottingham Field.
Head coach Ed Lamb met with the media today to preview the contest and provide updates on both sides of the ball heading into year three of the program's rebuild.
Lamb opened by emphasizing the excitement in the locker room and the respect for this week's opponent.
Overall, just want to state how excited I am, our players are. We've got a lot to prove. I've got a lot to prove. We finally get an opponent, and you don't have to watch the film for very long of our opponent, Chadron State, to realize how capable they are. They do some things really well — offense, defense, and special teams. They have our players' full attention.
Chadron, who competes in what Lamb called the best conference in Division II football, brings back one of the country's top defenses and an offense built around a talented quarterback and a dangerous receiving corps. The Eagles feature more than 40 players from Colorado, adding an extra layer of intrigue to Saturday's in-state matchup.
On comparing UNC's 2024 season to Chadron State's…
Although they weren't winning as many games as they wanted late in the season, I never saw a lack of belief or competitiveness down the stretch in their team. I felt like our guys lost confidence and began to press. Chadron kept their cool… We have a worthy opponent. We're excited to prove to ourselves and anybody who cares about the Bears that we're ready to play well.
On renewed energy heading into Week One…
Yes, I think the character of our team, the commitment, the buy-in, the belief, the earned trust that the players have in us and that we have in them.
On opening the season at home…
To be at home in an environment that we're familiar with, in a locker room and meeting rooms that we're used to, I think there is a big advantage there. There's a reason why teams that generally have more resources are playing five or more of their first seven games at home. So it's a real luxury to be able to do that for us here.
On young and unproven players to watch…
True freshman Kai Shelton at linebacker has shown an ability to play right away. Redshirt freshman running back Mathias Price is right in the mix — as of last Saturday, he was the number one guy. There are a lot of guys getting their first opportunity to step forward.
On transfers ready to make an impact…
Ayden Merrihew on defense is slated as a starting defensive tackle for us, a transfer from Middle Tennessee State. Both of our corners, Mekhi Toms and Derrick Jones, are transfers. Offensively, we've got Butler transfer Luke Wooten at slot receiver — he's potentially our starting returner as well.
On quarterback Peter Costelli's (San Pedro, Calif./Mission Viejo HS) return…
To have that confidence in a player that is somewhat game-day proven, and a guy his teammates have a lot of confidence in, that's a big boost for all of us going into the game. We're expecting him to play well and to lead with effort and accountability.
On the backup quarterback…
I think Eric Gibson Jr. has earned the opportunity to be number two. He's a transfer. He's been here since January. He's done everything right. He's been a great leader. He's worked really well with the offense. And he gives us a lot of confidence if we need to go to him.
On offensive style and explosiveness…
We want to run the offense our best quarterback is best at running. We've built the offense around Peter, and in some cases the second and third quarterbacks benefit if their game is similar to the starter. That's how it's worked out here.
We are expecting to be a good football team. We are expecting to be an explosive offense. We recognize that we cannot be three yards and a cloud of dust. Those days are gone.
On the offensive line and supporting weapons…
A good offensive line is, to me, the core of a championship football team, and that's where I feel like we've made the most progress in the three years. I feel like we're really ready to break through at that position.
On the defensive line…
I think our D-line is going to be by committee. That's hopefully a sign of our depth. We've got a lot of guys that can play and give us a winning effort, but there's going to be a lot of rotation.
On defensive leadership…
We've got a triangle of leadership in the nickel, strong safety, and free safety. Franky Morales shows everybody how to play on game day. Cam Chapa shows everybody how to prepare — he's a coach on the field. And Darell Bryant, with his life experience, has the respect of everyone in the program.
On the culmination of year three…
We all have something to prove. We have stuff to prove individually, to ourselves, to each other. We're anxious to get the bad taste out of our mouth of losing so much and so consistently. This really is a fresh slate, and it's something we've all been excited about since late December.
Northern Colorado opens the 2025 season Saturday against Chadron State at Nottingham Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. MT.
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