2025 Northern Colorado Bears football team
American college football season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2025 Northern Colorado Bears football team represented the University of Northern Colorado as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were led by third-year head coach Ed Lamb and played at Nottingham Field in Greeley, Colorado.
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record4–8 (2–6 Big Sky)
Headcoach
- Ed Lamb (3rd season)
OffensivecoordinatorJustin Walterscheid (2nd season)
| 2025 Northern Colorado Bears football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Big Sky Conference |
| Record | 4–8 (2–6 Big Sky) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Justin Walterscheid (2nd season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Preston Hadley (3rd season) |
| Home stadium | Nottingham Field |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Montana State $^ | 8 | – | 0 | 14 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 Montana ^ | 7 | – | 1 | 13 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 UC Davis ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sacramento State | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho State | 5 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Arizona | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Washington | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cal Poly | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Colorado | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weber State | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portland State | 1 | – | 7 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 30 | 1:00 p.m. | Chadron State* | ESPN+ | W 17–3 | 4,153 | |
| September 6 | 5:00 p.m. | at Colorado State* | Altitude | L 17–23 | 37,023 | |
| September 13 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 12 South Dakota* | ESPN+ | L 17–24 OT | 6,445 | |
| September 20 | 5:00 p.m. | at Houston Christian* | ESPN+ | W 26–23 OT | 1,249 | |
| September 27 | 1:00 p.m. | Idaho State |
| ESPN+ | L 18–26 | 5,386 |
| October 11 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 11 Idaho | ESPN+ | W 49–33 | 12,902 | |
| October 18 | 7:00 p.m. | at Sacramento State | ESPN+ | L 35–40 | 20,022 | |
| October 25 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 6 UC Davis |
| ESPN+ | L 16–27 | 4,412 |
| November 1 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 4т Montana State |
| ESPN+ | L 7–55 | 4,092 |
| November 8 | 4:00 p.m. | at Northern Arizona | ESPN+ | L 10–49 | 8,010 | |
| November 15 | 2:00 p.m. | at Eastern Washington | ESPN+ | L 7–27 | 4,300 | |
| November 22 | 12:00 p.m. | Portland State |
| ESPN+ | W 24–13 | 2,902 |
| ||||||
Game summaries
Chadron State (DII)
Chadron State Eagles (DII) (0–0) at Northern Colorado Bears (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles (DII) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Bears | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | CHA | UNCO |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 19 |
| Plays–yards | 64–333 | 51–291 |
| Rushes–yards | 31–105 | 36–160 |
| Passing yards | 228 | 131 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–33–1 | 9–15–0 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 31:22 | 28:38 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chadron State | Passing | DJ Ralph | 20/33, 228 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Quincey Ryker | 14 carries, 47 yards | |
| Receiving | Tommy Thomas | 7 receptions, 100 yards | |
| Northern Colorado | Passing | Peter Costelli | 6/10, 92 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Mathias Price | 16 carries, 73 yards | |
| Receiving | Brayden Munroe | 2 receptions, 69 yards, TD |
at Colorado State (FBS)
Northern Colorado Bears (1–0) at Colorado State Rams (FBS) (0–1) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Rams (FBS) | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
at Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, CO
- Date: September 6, 2025
- Game time: 5:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 37,023
- Referee: Patrick Foy
- TV announcers (Altitude): Brian Roth (play-by-play) and Sed Bonner (analyst)
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UNCO | CSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 27 |
| Plays–yards | 62–223 | 72–371 |
| Rushes–yards | 34–63 | 46–230 |
| Passing yards | 160 | 141 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–28–1 | 14–26–1 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 5 |
| Time of possession | 29:23 | 30:37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | Passing | Eric Gibson Jr. | 17/28, 160 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Justin Guin | 11 carries, 38 yards | |
| Receiving | Carver Cheeks | 5 receptions, 54 yards | |
| Colorado State | Passing | Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi | 13/25, 132 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Lloyd Avant | 11 carries, 68 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Armani Winfield | 4 receptions, 49 yards |
at No. 12 South Dakota
Northern Colorado Bears (1–1) at No. 12 South Dakota Coyotes (0–2) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 17 |
| No. 12 Coyotes | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD
- Date: September 13
- Game time: 1:00 PM CDT
- Game weather: Indoors; 72 °F (22 °C)
- Game attendance: 6,445
- Referee: Carl Chapman
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Jay Elsen (play-by-play) and Andre Fields (analyst)
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UNCO | SDAK |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 72–427 | 66–406 |
| Rushes–yards | 32–91 | 47–307 |
| Passing yards | 336 | 99 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 28–40–0 | 7–19–1 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 30:57 | 29:03 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | Passing | Eric Gibson Jr. | 28/39, 336 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Brandon Johnson | 14 carries, 46 yards | |
| Receiving | Charles Garrison | 7 receptions, 112 yards, TD | |
| South Dakota | Passing | Aidan Bouman | 7/19, 99 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | L. J. Phillips Jr. | 35 carries, 301 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Jack Martens | 2 receptions, 32 yards |
at Houston Christian
Northern Colorado Bears (1–2) at Houston Christian Huskies (1–2) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 26 |
| Huskies | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
at Husky Stadium • Houston, TX
- Date: September 20
- Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 87 °F (31 °C) • Wind: N at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
- Game attendance: 1,249
- Referee: Matt Beck
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Christian Saez (play-by-play) and Matthew Galtor (analyst)
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UNCO | HCU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 24 | 8 |
| Plays–yards | 91–437 | 58–200 |
| Rushes–yards | 54–222 | 23–40 |
| Passing yards | 215 | 160 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 24–37–2 | 17–35–0 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 38:25 | 21:35 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | Passing | Eric Gibson | 24/37, 215 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Mathias Price | 27 carries, 126 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Carver Cheeks | 8 receptions, 101 yards, TD | |
| Houston Christian | Passing | Jake Weir | 17/35, 160 yards |
| Rushing | Xai'Shaun Edwards | 9 carries, 28 yards | |
| Receiving | Ja'Ryan Wallace | 3 receptions, 44 yards |
Idaho State
Idaho State Bengals (1–3) at Northern Colorado Bears (2–2) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 10 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 26 |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 18 |
at Nottingham Field • Greeley, CO
- Date: September 27
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. MDT
- Game attendance: 5,386
- Referee: Spencer Mumford
- TV: ESPN+
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | IDST | UNCO |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 25 | 16 |
| Plays–yards | 84–539 | 67–426 |
| Rushes–yards | 43–289 | 28–30 |
| Passing yards | 250 | 396 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 14–41–0 | 26–39–0 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 32:57 | 27:03 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho State | Passing | Jordan Cooke | 12/33, 209 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Dason Brooks | 26 carries, 161 yards | |
| Receiving | Michael Shulikov | 2 receptions, 77 yards | |
| Northern Colorado | Passing | Eric Gibson Jr. | 26/39, 396 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Mathias Price | 12 carries, 30 yards | |
| Receiving | Carver Cheeks | 7 receptions, 93 yards, TD |
at No. 11 Idaho
Northern Colorado Bears (2–3) at No. 11 Idaho Vandals (2–3) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 13 | 22 | 0 | 14 | 49 |
| No. 11 Vandals | 7 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 33 |
at Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID
- Date: October 11
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. MDT
- Game weather: Indoor • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C)
- Game attendance: 12,902
- Referee: Gregg Wilson
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Greg Heister (play-by-play) and Adam Shackleford (analyst)
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UNCO | IDHO |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 23 | 27 |
| Plays–yards | 65–482 | 76–440 |
| Rushes–yards | 30–132 | 43–203 |
| Passing yards | 350 | 237 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 22-35-0 | 21-33-2 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 25:47 | 34:13 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | Passing | Eric Gibson Jr. | 22/34, 350 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Brandon Johnson | 5 carries, 36 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Brayden Munroe | 5 receptions, 151 yards, TD | |
| Idaho | Passing | Jack Wagner | 21/33, 237 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Rocco Koch | 10 carries, 81 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Elisha Cummings | 5 receptions, 67 yards, TD |
at Sacramento State
Northern Colorado Bears (3–3) at Sacramento State Hornets (3–3) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Hornets | 3 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 40 |
at Hornet Stadium • Sacramento, CA
- Date: October 18
- Game time: 7:00 PM MDT
- Game attendance: 20,022
- Referee: Kelly Holman
- TV: ESPN+
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UNCO | SAC |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 22 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 68–484 | 74–434 |
| Rushes–yards | 35–163 | 57–323 |
| Passing yards | 321 | 111 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 21–33–4 | 9–17–0 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 24:03 | 35:57 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | Passing | Eric Gibson Jr. | 21/33, 321 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT |
| Rushing | Mathias Price | 16 carries, 102 yards | |
| Receiving | Carver Cheeks | 9 receptions, 223 yards, 3 TD | |
| Sacramento State | Passing | Cardell Williams | 8/16, 90 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Rodney Hammond Jr. | 21 carries, 134 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Ernest Campbell | 3 receptions, 39 yards |
No. 6 UC Davis
No. 6 UC Davis Aggies (5–1) at Northern Colorado Bears (3–4) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 6 Aggies | 3 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 27 |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 16 |
at Nottingham Field • Greeley, CO
- Date: October 25
- Game attendance: 4,412
- Referee: Jim Crowley
- TV: ESPN+
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UCD | UNCO |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 22 | 18 |
| Plays–yards | 70–452 | 67–345 |
| Rushes–yards | 39–236 | 22–76 |
| Passing yards | 216 | 269 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15–31–2 | 31–45–1 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 29:46 | 30:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Davis | Passing | Grant Harper | 15/31, 216 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Carter Vargas | 16 carries, 90 yards | |
| Receiving | Samuel Gbatu Jr. | 5 receptions, 108 yards, TD | |
| Northern Colorado | Passing | Eric Gibson Jr. | 31/45, 269 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Brandon Johnson | 9 carries, 65 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Brayden Munroe | 8 receptions, 100 yards, TD |
No. 4т Montana State
No. 4т Montana State Bobcats (6–2) at Northern Colorado Bears (3–5) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4т Bobcats | 7 | 13 | 21 | 14 | 55 |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Nottingham Field • Greeley, CO
- Date: November 1
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. MDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 48 °F (9 °C)
- Game attendance: 4,092
- Referee: Gregg Wilson
- TV: ESPN+
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | MTST | UNCO |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 23 | 17 |
| Plays–yards | 61–532 | 75–261 |
| Rushes–yards | 38–189 | 35–104 |
| Passing yards | 343 | 157 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–23–0 | 24–40–1 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 24:38 | 35:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana State | Passing | Justin Lamson | 16/22, 331 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Adam Jones | 10 carries, 74 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Taco Dowler | 5 receptions, 138 yards, 2 TD | |
| Northern Colorado | Passing | Eric Gibson Jr. | 19/33, 93 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Mathias Price | 8 carries, 54 yards | |
| Receiving | Brayden Munroe | 7 receptions, 61 yards |
at Northern Arizona
Northern Colorado Bears (3–6) at Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (5–4) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Lumberjacks | 14 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 49 |
at Walkup Skydome • Flagstaff, AZ
- Date: November 8
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. MST
- Game weather: none (played indoors)
- Game attendance: 8,010
- Referee: Jeff Rink
- TV: ESPN+
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UNCO | NAU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 16 | 25 |
| Plays–yards | 63–285 | 60–481 |
| Rushes–yards | 29–105 | 35–234 |
| Passing yards | 180 | 247 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–34–1 | 22–25–0 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 26:10 | 33:50 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | Passing | Eric Gibson Jr. | 17/28, 151 yards |
| Rushing | Brandon Johnson | 7 carries, 36 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Brayden Munroe | 4 receptions, 64 yards | |
| Northern Arizona | Passing | Ty Pennington | 19/22, 225 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Kolbe Katsis | 2 carries, 51 yards | |
| Receiving | Isaiah Eastman | 6 receptions, 84 yards |
at Eastern Washington
Northern Colorado Bears (3–7) at Eastern Washington Eagles (4–6) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eagles | 3 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
at Roos Field • Cheney, WA
- Date: November 15
- Game time: 2:00 PM MST
- Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 53 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 4,300
- Referee: Robert Quello
- TV: ESPN+
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UNCO | EWU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 25 |
| Plays–yards | 68–326 | 71–374 |
| Rushes–yards | 32–131 | 28–75 |
| Passing yards | 195 | 299 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 21–36–5 | 31–43–1 |
| Turnovers | 5 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 31:04 | 28:56 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | Passing | Eric Gibson Jr. | 13/19, 108 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Brandon Johnson | 7 carries, 41 yards | |
| Receiving | Brayden Munroe | 6 receptions, 59 yards | |
| Eastern Washington | Passing | Jake Schakel | 31/41, 299 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Kaden Rolfsness | 8 carries, 36 yards | |
| Receiving | Miles Williams | 6 receptions, 94 yards |
Portland State
Portland State Vikings (1–10) at Northern Colorado Bears (3–8) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| Bears | 0 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
at Nottingham Field • Greeley, CO
- Date: November 22
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. MST
- Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 50 °F (10 °C)
- Game attendance: 2,902
- Referee: Jim Crowley
- TV: ESPN+
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | PRST | UNCO |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 23 | 11 |
| Plays–yards | 75–326 | 49–309 |
| Rushes–yards | 44–163 | 32–215 |
| Passing yards | 163 | 94 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–31–1 | 12–17–0 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 36:59 | 23:01 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland State | Passing | John-Keawe Sagapolutele | 10/15, 69 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Delon Thompson | 14 carries, 60 yards | |
| Receiving | Terence Loville | 5 receptions, 48 yards | |
| Northern Colorado | Passing | Eric Gibson Jr. | 12/17, 94 yards |
| Rushing | Justin Guin | 9 carries, 115 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Carver Cheeks | 4 receptions, 43 yards |