University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Saturday, November 14
Greeley, Colo.
12 p.m. MST
University of Northern Colorado
vs
Montana State
Photo by: Jesus Ayala, UNC Athletics
11/13/2026 10:00:00 AM | Football
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado plays its final home game of the 2026 season Saturday, hosting third-ranked Montana State at Nottingham Field at 12 p.m. MT on Senior Day.
The Bears (3-7, 2-5 Big Sky) will honor 13 seniors before kickoff: Kenny Lueth, Keegan Patterson, Brayten Silbor, Kieryus Boone, Justin Guin, Brennan Acosta, Ezra Ekuban, Brooks Maile, Ayden Merrihew, Franky Morales, Alfred Smith, Levi Little and Dylan Evans.
Montana State (9-1, 6-1) arrives ranked third in the FCS and has won 13 straight against the Bears, including a 55-7 decision in Greeley a year ago.
Brayten Silbor threw for two touchdowns against Southern Utah last week, becoming the first Northern Colorado quarterback this season to do so. He connected with Marcus Mozer for 27 yards and Garrett Harstad for 12, the first touchdown catch of Harstad's career. It was the kind of performance the Bears have been chasing all fall, and Silbor pointed to consistency as the reason the offense has not produced more of them.
"I believe our record really doesn't reflect how good of a team we really are," Silbor said. "It's just more a fact we got to be able to play consistent football at more of a high rate. Our O-line is the center of our offense. It's definitely one of the best O-lines I've ever played for."
The Defense Has Been the Story
Northern Colorado enters the weekend third in the Big Sky in total defense at 391.6 yards allowed per game, third in rushing defense at 146.5 and third in scoring defense at 26.8 points per game. The Bears are also third in the conference in third-down defense, holding opponents to 39.0 percent, and create 5.2 tackles for loss per game.
That group held Southern Utah, which had been averaging 257.0 rushing yards per game, to 157 last week. The Thunderbirds had been held under 200 yards on the ground only twice all season.
Ezra Ekuban recorded his 21st career tackle for loss in the game, the ninth-most in the program's Division I era. Makur Abram posted his first sack of the season and the third of his career, and Franky Morales added his seventh career tackle for loss.
Franky Morales has been a steadying presence in the back end. The senior safety has built his season on tackling fundamentals.
"Every single day we take it as a tackling rep, no matter what it is," Morales said. "Body position, strike, foot up. It's a tackling position, so all those reps just become muscle memory."
He also pointed to execution in key moments as the gap between the Bears' record and their performance.
"A lot of our losses come from just lack of execution on critical plays and critical downs," Morales said. "It doesn't come down to coaching for us to execute. Us as players have to lock in and execute in that moment."
Scouting the Bobcats
Montana State leads the Big Sky in total defense at 349.3 yards per game, 38th nationally, and in scoring defense at 19.6, which ranks 14th in the FCS. The Bobcats are plus-12 in turnover margin, third in the country at plus-1.20 per game, with 19 takeaways.
Offensively, Montana State is fourth in the FCS in scoring at 40.5 points per game and 12th in total yards at 442.1. Justin Lamson ranks fifth in the FCS in completion percentage at .698 and 11th in passing efficiency. Adam Jones has 44 total touchdowns, second-most in Bobcat history, and Carter Dahlke is the first freshman in program history with three straight 100-yard receiving games.
The Bobcats lead the FCS in kickoff return average at 33.05 and have returned two kickoffs for touchdowns this season.
Head coach Brent Vigen is 70-13 at Montana State and 29-10 against ranked opponents. The Bobcats have won seven straight at Nottingham Field since losing there in 2007, their first trip to the venue, and own 25 consecutive Big Sky home wins.
Senior Day
Northern Colorado has won three home games this season, the most since 2017, and Saturday closes the first season of Nottingham at Night with the program's first day game of the year.
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 (3-7, 2-5 Big Sky) will honor 13 seniors before kickoff: Kenny Lueth, Keegan Patterson, Brayten Silbor, Kieryus Boone, Justin Guin, Brennan Acosta, Ezra Ekuban, Brooks Maile, Ayden Merrihew, Franky Morales, Alfred Smith, Levi Little and Dylan Evans.
Montana State (9-1, 6-1) arrives ranked third in the FCS and has won 13 straight against the Bears, including a 55-7 decision in Greeley a year ago.
Brayten Silbor threw for two touchdowns against Southern Utah last week, becoming the first Northern Colorado quarterback this season to do so. He connected with Marcus Mozer for 27 yards and Garrett Harstad for 12, the first touchdown catch of Harstad's career. It was the kind of performance the Bears have been chasing all fall, and Silbor pointed to consistency as the reason the offense has not produced more of them.
"I believe our record really doesn't reflect how good of a team we really are," Silbor said. "It's just more a fact we got to be able to play consistent football at more of a high rate. Our O-line is the center of our offense. It's definitely one of the best O-lines I've ever played for."
The Defense Has Been the Story
Northern Colorado enters the weekend third in the Big Sky in total defense at 391.6 yards allowed per game, third in rushing defense at 146.5 and third in scoring defense at 26.8 points per game. The Bears are also third in the conference in third-down defense, holding opponents to 39.0 percent, and create 5.2 tackles for loss per game.
That group held Southern Utah, which had been averaging 257.0 rushing yards per game, to 157 last week. The Thunderbirds had been held under 200 yards on the ground only twice all season.
Ezra Ekuban recorded his 21st career tackle for loss in the game, the ninth-most in the program's Division I era. Makur Abram posted his first sack of the season and the third of his career, and Franky Morales added his seventh career tackle for loss.
Franky Morales has been a steadying presence in the back end. The senior safety has built his season on tackling fundamentals.
"Every single day we take it as a tackling rep, no matter what it is," Morales said. "Body position, strike, foot up. It's a tackling position, so all those reps just become muscle memory."
He also pointed to execution in key moments as the gap between the Bears' record and their performance.
"A lot of our losses come from just lack of execution on critical plays and critical downs," Morales said. "It doesn't come down to coaching for us to execute. Us as players have to lock in and execute in that moment."
Scouting the Bobcats
Montana State leads the Big Sky in total defense at 349.3 yards per game, 38th nationally, and in scoring defense at 19.6, which ranks 14th in the FCS. The Bobcats are plus-12 in turnover margin, third in the country at plus-1.20 per game, with 19 takeaways.
Offensively, Montana State is fourth in the FCS in scoring at 40.5 points per game and 12th in total yards at 442.1. Justin Lamson ranks fifth in the FCS in completion percentage at .698 and 11th in passing efficiency. Adam Jones has 44 total touchdowns, second-most in Bobcat history, and Carter Dahlke is the first freshman in program history with three straight 100-yard receiving games.
The Bobcats lead the FCS in kickoff return average at 33.05 and have returned two kickoffs for touchdowns this season.
Head coach Brent Vigen is 70-13 at Montana State and 29-10 against ranked opponents. The Bobcats have won seven straight at Nottingham Field since losing there in 2007, their first trip to the venue, and own 25 consecutive Big Sky home wins.
Senior Day
Northern Colorado has won three home games this season, the most since 2017, and Saturday closes the first season of Nottingham at Night with the program's first day game of the year.
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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