University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Saturday, August 30
Greeley, Colo.
1 p.m. MT
University of Northern Colorado
1-0 , 0-0
17
vs
3
Chadron State
0-1 , 0-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Chadron St.
0
0
3
0
3
Northern Colo.
14
0
0
3
17
Photo by: Jesus Ayala, UNC Athletics
Bears Open 2025 Season with 17-3 Win Over Chadron State
8/30/2025 6:48:00 PM | Football
UNC defense holds Chadron State without a touchdown, forcing key fourth-quarter takeaway.
GREELEY, Colo. - Northern Colorado opened its 2025 season with a strong defensive effort and timely offense, grinding past Chadron State, 17-3, on Saturday afternoon at Nottingham Field.
The Bears (1-0) wasted no time, striking for 14 first-quarter points. Redshirt junior quarterback Peter Costelli delivered the first punch, lofting a 60-yard touchdown pass to Brayden Munroe midway through the quarter. On UNC's next possession, Costelli capped a 91-yard march with a 19-yard scoring run to give the Bears early control.
Chadron State (0-1) found momentum out of the locker room, piecing together a 62-yard drive that ended in a 29-yard field goal from Wilson Yee to trim the deficit to 14-3. But the Eagles would get no closer.
Northern Colorado's defense stiffened, keeping Chadron State out of the end zone on three red-zone trips. Derrick Jones came up with a fourth-quarter interception, while linebackers Darrell Bryant Jr. and Zach Nowatzke anchored the unit with nine tackles apiece.
The Bears added insurance early in the fourth when kicker Jacob Willig drilled a 38-yard field goal to cap a 12-play drive, stretching the lead back to two scores.
Costelli finished with 92 passing yards and a touchdown while adding 42 yards on the ground and a rushing score. Mathias Price paced the rushing attack with 73 yards, part of a 160-yard day on the ground for the Bears. Munroe led the receivers with two grabs for 69 yards and a touchdown.
UNC closed with 291 yards of total offense, converting 6-of-12 on third down while committing no turnovers. Defensively, the Bears piled up three sacks, five pass breakups, and the game-sealing interception.
"Today, I felt like our team was very composed," said head coach Ed Lamb, "We got challenged and never lost composure. The sideline was very positive, and our defense really held firm in the red zone."
The victory was Northern Colorado's first season-opening win since 2017 and its first under head coach Ed Lamb at Nottingham Field. It also pushed the Bears' all-time series lead over Chadron State to 6-3.
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UP NEXT
The Bears head to Fort Collins on Saturday, Sept. 6 for an in-state matchup against Colorado State. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. on Altitude/Altitude+.
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FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, check out the official homepage at uncbears.com. Follow the football team on Instagram, X and Facebook.
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The Bears (1-0) wasted no time, striking for 14 first-quarter points. Redshirt junior quarterback Peter Costelli delivered the first punch, lofting a 60-yard touchdown pass to Brayden Munroe midway through the quarter. On UNC's next possession, Costelli capped a 91-yard march with a 19-yard scoring run to give the Bears early control.
Chadron State (0-1) found momentum out of the locker room, piecing together a 62-yard drive that ended in a 29-yard field goal from Wilson Yee to trim the deficit to 14-3. But the Eagles would get no closer.
Northern Colorado's defense stiffened, keeping Chadron State out of the end zone on three red-zone trips. Derrick Jones came up with a fourth-quarter interception, while linebackers Darrell Bryant Jr. and Zach Nowatzke anchored the unit with nine tackles apiece.
The Bears added insurance early in the fourth when kicker Jacob Willig drilled a 38-yard field goal to cap a 12-play drive, stretching the lead back to two scores.
Costelli finished with 92 passing yards and a touchdown while adding 42 yards on the ground and a rushing score. Mathias Price paced the rushing attack with 73 yards, part of a 160-yard day on the ground for the Bears. Munroe led the receivers with two grabs for 69 yards and a touchdown.
UNC closed with 291 yards of total offense, converting 6-of-12 on third down while committing no turnovers. Defensively, the Bears piled up three sacks, five pass breakups, and the game-sealing interception.
"Today, I felt like our team was very composed," said head coach Ed Lamb, "We got challenged and never lost composure. The sideline was very positive, and our defense really held firm in the red zone."
The victory was Northern Colorado's first season-opening win since 2017 and its first under head coach Ed Lamb at Nottingham Field. It also pushed the Bears' all-time series lead over Chadron State to 6-3.
Â
UP NEXT
The Bears head to Fort Collins on Saturday, Sept. 6 for an in-state matchup against Colorado State. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. on Altitude/Altitude+.
Â
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, check out the official homepage at uncbears.com. Follow the football team on Instagram, X and Facebook.
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Team Stats
CSC
UNC
Total Yards
333
297
Pass Yards
228
131
Rushing Yards
105
166
Penalty Yards
65
30
1st Downs
21
18
3rd Downs
3
6
4th Downs
1
1
TOP
31:22
25:55
1st Quarter
CSC 0, UNC 7
UNC - Munroe,Brayden 60 yd pass from Costelli,Peter (Willig,Jacob kick) 4 plays, 80 yards, TOP 02:14
CSC 0, UNC 14
UNC - Costelli,Peter 19 yd run (Willig,Jacob kick), 14 plays, 91 yards, TOP 07:04
3rd Quarter
CSC 3, UNC 14
CSC - Yee,Wilson 29 yd field goal 12 plays, 62 yards, TOP 06:02
4th Quarter
CSC 3, UNC 17
UNC - Willig,Jacob 39 yd field goal 12 plays, 68 yards, TOP 06:46
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
6
TD
1
YDS
92
INT
0
CMP
3
TD
0
YDS
39
INT
0
Players Mentioned
S
/ FootballQB
/ Football
CB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
PK
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