PREVIEW: Bears Look Ahead to No. 20/12 South Dakota

Saturday, September 13

Vermillion, S.D.

12 p.m. MDT | 1 p.m. CDT

University of Northern Colorado

South Dakota

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Photo by: Jesus Ayala, UNC Athletics

9/9/2025 11:55:00 AM | Football

Gameday Info Parking Info Pirate Radio ESPN+Live Stats

By: Brooke Richards, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

WATCH: ESPN+ // Midco Sports
LISTEN: Pirate Radio // 93.5 FM // pirateradio935.com
LIVE STATS: goyotes.com/coverage

GAMEDAY INFO
Fan information for Saturday's game can be found here.
Parking information can be found here.
Gates will open at 10:30 a.m. MT/11:30 a.m. CT.

WEEK 2 RECAP: Northern Colorado nearly pulled off a road upset in Fort Collins on Saturday night, falling 21-17 to in-state rival Colorado State at Canvas Stadium. The Bears (1-1) built a 10-0 halftime lead behind a pair of first-half takeaways, as quarterback Kia'i Keone punched in a 1-yard touchdown and Jacob Willig added a 23-yard field goal after Zach Pekarek recovered a muffed punt. After the Rams (1-1) cut the deficit early in the third quarter, UNC responded with a 75-yard march highlighted by Carver Cheeks' 30-yard fourth-down catch, capped by Aliou-Rocco Traore's 1-yard score to make it 17-7. Colorado State rallied late, scoring twice on the ground in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead touchdown with 44 seconds remaining. A potential Bears touchdown in the final seconds was overturned on review to end the comeback bid. UNC forced five turnovers on the night, including interceptions by Cam Chapa and Ezra Ekuban's disruptive play, while holding CSU to just 10 first-half points. Zach Nowatzke paced the defense with 10 tackles, Ekuban added nine stops with a sack, and Chapa's pick tied him for fifth all-time in school history. Despite being outgained 371-223 in total yards, the Bears led for over 52 minutes and controlled much of the game before CSU's late rally.

NOTING THE NORTHERN COLORADO-SOUTH DAKOTA SERIES:

Saturday marks the 37th all-time meeting between the programs
Northern Colorado leads the all-time series, 20-16 (first meeting in 1959)
Majority of matchups came as members of the North Central Conference (1980-2002)
UNC won 12 of 15 meetings between 1980-2002, including six straight from 1990-95
Since moving to FCS in 2007, the Coyotes hold a 1-3 edge.
South Dakota has won the last three meetings, including 2019 in Greeley (14-6)
The Coyotes have also won the last four meetings in Vermillion (2000, 2001, 2010, 2018) and are 9-9 overall at USD.

THE LAMB ERA: Head coach Ed Lamb enters year three with a clear vision for growth. A veteran of the Big Sky Conference and a two-time Eddie Robinson Award finalist for FCS national coach of the year at Southern Utah, Lamb continues to lay a foundation built on discipline, player development, and local recruiting. While the Bears went 1-11 (1-7 Big Sky) in 2024, they played their most competitive football late in the year and return several key contributors across both sides of the ball. That progress has carried into 2025, as Northern Colorado opened the season with a 17-3 win over Chadron State—its first opening-day victory since 2017 and first under Lamb at Nottingham Field—before taking FBS foe Colorado State down to the wire in a 21-17 road loss. The Bears forced five turnovers against the Rams and led for 59 minutes, highlighted by quarterback Kia'i Keone's rushing score, a touchdown plunge from Aliou-Rocco Traore, and a defense anchored by Ezra Ekuban, Zach Nowatzke, and Cam Chapa.

GIBSON TAKES THE REINS: After Costelli went down in the opener, redshirt junior quarterback Eric Gibson Jr. has stepped in and shown command of the offense. He completed 3-of-5 passes for 39 yards to help close out the win over Chadron State, then delivered a steady performance in his first start as a Bear at Colorado State, going 17-for-28 for 160 yards while keeping the Bears in front most of the night. Through two games, Gibson Jr. has totaled 199 passing yards on 61 percent completions, quickly establishing himself as UNC's new QB1.

CHAPA CHASING MORE: Cam Chapa enters 2025 as one of the top young defensive backs in the Big Sky after a breakout freshman campaign. The sophomore earned Freshman All-America honors, was named a Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week, and landed on the 2024 Big Sky Fall All-Academic Team. Chapa led the team in tackles and interceptions last season and was the lone Bear on the 2025 Big Sky Preseason All-Conference list. He's already made his presence felt this fall, grabbing his fifth career interception against Colorado State to move into a tie for fifth all-time in program history while adding eight tackles in the near-upset. Poised to be a cornerstone of the Bears' secondary, Chapa continues to anchor a defensive unit that has shown steady growth under head coach Ed Lamb.

LOCAL ROOTS RUN DEEP: Northern Colorado continues to lean into its Colorado recruiting pipeline. The 2025 roster features over 60 in-state players, the second most in the Big Sky Conference behind Sacramento State and more than half of the full roster. Head coach Ed Lamb and his staff have prioritized keeping local talent at home, giving players from Colorado the chance to develop and shine at the Division I level. That approach was on full display against Colorado State, as homegrown Bears made key plays. Parker native Ezra Ekuban forced a fumble and recorded a sack, Aurora's Cam Chapa added eight tackles and an interception, and Colorado Spring's Carver Cheeks hauled in a critical 30-yard fourth-down catch to set up a score. Alongside wide receiver Brayden Munroe, the in-state core continues to fuel UNC's identity and on-field competitiveness.

BIG SKY HONORS: Northern Colorado's Ezra Ekuban was named Big Sky Co-Defensive Player of the Week after recording nine tackles, a sack, two TFLs, and a forced fumble in the Bears' 21-17 battle at Colorado State. The redshirt junior from Parker, Colo., set up UNC's first touchdown with a strip sack and anchored a defense that forced five turnovers and held CSU scoreless in the first half. It marks his first career weekly honor and the second for the Bears under head coach Ed Lamb.

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