Bears fall to Coyotes in Overtime

Saturday, September 13

Vermillion, S.D.

12 p.m. MT | 1 p.m. CT

University of Northern Colorado

1-2 , 0-0

South Dakota

1-2 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Northern Colorado

South Dakota

9/13/2025 5:00:00 PM | Football

Box Score

By: Elian Soto, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

VERMILLION, S.D. – The University of Northern Colorado football team came up just short in a gritty and hard-fought road contest, falling to No. 20/12 South Dakota, 24-17, in an overtime thriller on Saturday afternoon at the DakotaDome.

In a game defined by momentum shifts and physical defense, the Bears matched the nationally ranked Coyotes blow for blow. Trailing late in the fourth quarter, UNC put together a crucial drive capped by a clutch field goal from kicker Jacob Willig to tie the game at 17 and force overtime.

In the overtime period, South Dakota struck first with a touchdown on their opening possession. UNC's offense responded quickly, moving deep into Coyote territory behind the arm of Eric Gibson Jr, but the comeback effort came up just short after a fourth-down pass fell incomplete in the end zone.

Gibson Jr turned in a strong performance, throwing for 336 yards on the day. Charles Garrison had a breakout game, hauling in 112 receiving yards and consistently finding seams in the South Dakota secondary. On the defensive side, Hudson Voggesser anchored the Bears with a dominant showing, tallying 16 total tackles—seven solo and nine assisted.

With the loss, UNC drops to 1-2 on the season. Despite the outcome, the Bears showed grit and composure against one of the top teams in the FCS, setting a competitive tone as the season progresses.

The Bears will now look ahead to another road test as they travel to Houston, Texas to face Houston Christian next Saturday (Sept. 20).

Kickoff is set for 5 P.M. MT.

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.