University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Saturday, October 17
Greeley, Colo.
6 p.m. MDT
University of Northern Colorado
3-5 , 2-3
28
vs
18
Cal Poly
4-4 , 3-2
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | 7 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 18 |
| Northern Colo. | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
Photo by: Jesus Ayala, UNC Athletics
Bears Win Third Straight at Home, Beat Cal Poly
10/18/2026 12:44:00 AM | Football
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado won its third straight home game Saturday, beating Cal Poly 28-18 at Nottingham Field behind three career-best performances on offense and a defense that turned three takeaways into points.
The Bears are 3-5 overall and 2-3 in Big Sky play. Cal Poly falls to 4-4 and 3-2 in conference.
It is the first time Northern Colorado has won three straight home games since 2016, and the first time the Bears have won back-to-back home conference games since 2002.
"We talk about being able to sequence victories, stacking victories within the game," head coach Ed Lamb said. "Offense, defense and special teams. That's typically when you have a chance to gain momentum and keep momentum."
The Takeaways
Cal Poly drew first blood, driving 47 yards in seven plays and scoring on a 1-yard run by Jaden Green with 6:25 left in the opening quarter. Through the first quarter the Bears managed only three first downs and punted twice, and the Mustangs were still ahead when the game turned.
Northern Colorado's defense held Cal Poly to 112 rushing yards on 34 carries, an average of 3.3 per attempt throughout the whole game but it was the first of three turnovers that changed the game. With Cal Poly driving Rylen Renton recorded his first career interception to flip the field and give way to the first of three touchdowns scored off of Mustang turnovers.
"We were slow, three and outs at the beginning, and they just kept giving us more opportunities," Trey Olsen said. "Offense fed off the defense tonight for sure."
Guin's Career Night
Brandon Lambert Jr. turned the first takeaway into points, scoring from a yard out with 14:57 left in the half for the first touchdown of his career, tying the game at 7-7.
Three minutes later, Justin Guin gave the Bears the lead for good. His 35-yard touchdown run was the longest rushing score of the season for Northern Colorado, and it capped a two-play drive that covered 35 yards in twelve seconds following a muffed punt recovered by the Bears. Guin finished with 128 yards on 12 carries, a career high.
Cal Poly answered with a 23-yard field goal from Joaquin Lopez with 11 seconds left in the half, sending the teams to the locker room at 14-10.
Patterson's First Start
Keegan Patterson made his first start in a Bears uniform and did most of his work on the ground. He ran for 112 yards on 17 carries, including a 34-yard scramble, while completing 7-of-12 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.
It was the fourth 100-yard rushing game by a Bears quarterback since 1996 and the third-most rushing yards by a quarterback in that span. Patterson is one of only three Northern Colorado quarterbacks to throw and run for 100 yards in the same game since 1996.
"It starts up front, obviously. The big guys did one heck of a job continuing to grind away," Patterson said. "There was no quitting from start to finish. I feel like we ran the ball better as the game got longer, and that's something we need to continue to do."
Olsen's Two Scores
Northern Colorado took the second-half kickoff and needed less than three minutes to extend the lead, Patterson found Olsen for a 30-yard touchdown and a 21-10 advantage. It was the third receiving touchdown of the season for Olsen.
Cal Poly answered with a 10-yard scoring run by Tayvion McCoy and a two-point conversion pass to pull within three at 21-18 with 6:12 left in the third.
Olsen closed it out in the fourth. His 15-yard touchdown run with 8:38 remaining was the first rushing score of his career, and it capped a nine-play, 54-yard drive that ate up 4:32 of clock.
Olsen finished with 121 receiving yards on four catches, a new career high and his second straight 100-yard game.
"It was just super fun. Shout out Evan Morris, those plays would have been nothing without him," Olsen said. "He set up those blocks so well. I was super confident. I wanted to go out there with some swagger."
An Army Kid on Military Appreciation Day
KJ Smedley forced one of the takeaways, and Saturday carried particular weight for him. He grew up in an Army household, moving every two and a half years while both parents served.
"Every time I tell people about myself, the first thing I tell them is I'm an army kid. I'm an army brat, and that shaped who I am today," Smedley said. "My dad did 25 and my mom did 23. I didn't see my dad for 18 months to 24 months at a time because he did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he flew Apache helicopters for this country. I'm super proud of him. I play for my last name."
On the field he said the defense has been building toward a night like this one.
"All season the defense has known what that group of guys is capable of, and tonight it just came to fruition," Smedley said. "Before the game we talked about how focused can you be for each four to seven seconds of each play and just give your 100 percent."
Up Next
Northern Colorado travels to UC Davis on Saturday, Oct. 24, the first of two straight on the road.
Tickets can be purchased through the UNC ticket office online at UNCBears.com/Tickets, by calling 970-351-4849, or in person at the UNC ticket office during normal business hours.
Quarterback Club
The Quarterback Club plays a vital role in supporting the UNC Football program. By giving to the Quarterback Club, you help enhance the student-athlete experience, providing resources for team development, and ensuring the success of the Bears on and off the field. Your involvement makes a meaningful difference in the future of the program.
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 are 3-5 overall and 2-3 in Big Sky play. Cal Poly falls to 4-4 and 3-2 in conference.
It is the first time Northern Colorado has won three straight home games since 2016, and the first time the Bears have won back-to-back home conference games since 2002.
"We talk about being able to sequence victories, stacking victories within the game," head coach Ed Lamb said. "Offense, defense and special teams. That's typically when you have a chance to gain momentum and keep momentum."
The Takeaways
Cal Poly drew first blood, driving 47 yards in seven plays and scoring on a 1-yard run by Jaden Green with 6:25 left in the opening quarter. Through the first quarter the Bears managed only three first downs and punted twice, and the Mustangs were still ahead when the game turned.
Northern Colorado's defense held Cal Poly to 112 rushing yards on 34 carries, an average of 3.3 per attempt throughout the whole game but it was the first of three turnovers that changed the game. With Cal Poly driving Rylen Renton recorded his first career interception to flip the field and give way to the first of three touchdowns scored off of Mustang turnovers.
"We were slow, three and outs at the beginning, and they just kept giving us more opportunities," Trey Olsen said. "Offense fed off the defense tonight for sure."
Guin's Career Night
Brandon Lambert Jr. turned the first takeaway into points, scoring from a yard out with 14:57 left in the half for the first touchdown of his career, tying the game at 7-7.
Three minutes later, Justin Guin gave the Bears the lead for good. His 35-yard touchdown run was the longest rushing score of the season for Northern Colorado, and it capped a two-play drive that covered 35 yards in twelve seconds following a muffed punt recovered by the Bears. Guin finished with 128 yards on 12 carries, a career high.
Cal Poly answered with a 23-yard field goal from Joaquin Lopez with 11 seconds left in the half, sending the teams to the locker room at 14-10.
Patterson's First Start
Keegan Patterson made his first start in a Bears uniform and did most of his work on the ground. He ran for 112 yards on 17 carries, including a 34-yard scramble, while completing 7-of-12 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.
It was the fourth 100-yard rushing game by a Bears quarterback since 1996 and the third-most rushing yards by a quarterback in that span. Patterson is one of only three Northern Colorado quarterbacks to throw and run for 100 yards in the same game since 1996.
"It starts up front, obviously. The big guys did one heck of a job continuing to grind away," Patterson said. "There was no quitting from start to finish. I feel like we ran the ball better as the game got longer, and that's something we need to continue to do."
Olsen's Two Scores
Northern Colorado took the second-half kickoff and needed less than three minutes to extend the lead, Patterson found Olsen for a 30-yard touchdown and a 21-10 advantage. It was the third receiving touchdown of the season for Olsen.
Cal Poly answered with a 10-yard scoring run by Tayvion McCoy and a two-point conversion pass to pull within three at 21-18 with 6:12 left in the third.
Olsen closed it out in the fourth. His 15-yard touchdown run with 8:38 remaining was the first rushing score of his career, and it capped a nine-play, 54-yard drive that ate up 4:32 of clock.
Olsen finished with 121 receiving yards on four catches, a new career high and his second straight 100-yard game.
"It was just super fun. Shout out Evan Morris, those plays would have been nothing without him," Olsen said. "He set up those blocks so well. I was super confident. I wanted to go out there with some swagger."
An Army Kid on Military Appreciation Day
KJ Smedley forced one of the takeaways, and Saturday carried particular weight for him. He grew up in an Army household, moving every two and a half years while both parents served.
"Every time I tell people about myself, the first thing I tell them is I'm an army kid. I'm an army brat, and that shaped who I am today," Smedley said. "My dad did 25 and my mom did 23. I didn't see my dad for 18 months to 24 months at a time because he did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he flew Apache helicopters for this country. I'm super proud of him. I play for my last name."
On the field he said the defense has been building toward a night like this one.
"All season the defense has known what that group of guys is capable of, and tonight it just came to fruition," Smedley said. "Before the game we talked about how focused can you be for each four to seven seconds of each play and just give your 100 percent."
Up Next
Northern Colorado travels to UC Davis on Saturday, Oct. 24, the first of two straight on the road.
Tickets can be purchased through the UNC ticket office online at UNCBears.com/Tickets, by calling 970-351-4849, or in person at the UNC ticket office during normal business hours.
Quarterback Club
The Quarterback Club plays a vital role in supporting the UNC Football program. By giving to the Quarterback Club, you help enhance the student-athlete experience, providing resources for team development, and ensuring the success of the Bears on and off the field. Your involvement makes a meaningful difference in the future of the program.
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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Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
QB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ FootballTeam Stats
CPU
UNC
Total Yards
415
373
Pass Yards
303
118
Rushing Yards
112
255
Penalty Yards
35
26
1st Downs
24
14
3rd Downs
4
6
4th Downs
1
1
TOP
33:26
26:34
1st Quarter
CPU 7, UNC 0
CPU - Green,Jaden 1 yd run (Lopez,Josue kick), 7 plays, 47 yards, TOP 03:52
2nd Quarter
CPU 7, UNC 7
UNC - Lambert Jr.,Brandon 1 yd run (Richardson,Landon kick), 4 plays, 50 yards, TOP 02:00
CPU 7, UNC 14
UNC - Guin,Justin 35 yd run (Richardson,Landon kick), 2 plays, 35 yards, TOP 00:12
CPU 10, UNC 14
CPU - Lopez,Josue 23 yd field goal 11 plays, 70 yards, TOP 03:19
3rd Quarter
CPU 10, UNC 21
UNC - Olsen,Trey 30 yd pass from Patterson,Keegan (Richardson,Landon kick) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:48
CPU 18, UNC 21
CPU - McCoy,Tayvion 10 yd run (Marshall,Alek pass), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 06:00
4th Quarter
CPU 18, UNC 28
UNC - Olsen,Trey 15 yd run (Richardson,Landon kick), 9 plays, 54 yards, TOP 04:32
Game Leaders
CMP
7
TD
1
YDS
118
INT
1
Saturday, October 17
Thursday, October 08
Thursday, October 08
Thursday, October 08
