After an exciting interception in the final seconds of the game, the University of Northern Colorado is still celebrating its first win of the season.
UNC (1-2) defeated Lamar (0-3) on the road, 21-14, after junior defensive back Tywonne Harris forced an interception at the UNC 3-yard line.
Here is how the team did in each position group.
Offense: C-
Northern Colorado’s offense wasn’t the catalyst in the victory. In fact, if it wasn’t for the defense and some mistakes by Lamar, the Bears could be the team still winless.
The offense can’t claim full credit for two of the touchdowns.
Defense was fully responsible for the first touchdown, which forced a fumble and senior linebacker RJ Potts ran the ball into the end zone.
The second touchdown was a 10-yard run from sophomore running back David Afari. UNC, however, got into great field position after Lamar committed two penalties for a gain of 30 yards.
UNC’s third came on a great 40-yard pass from junior quarterback Jacob Sirmon to graduate wide receiver Trevis Graham, though it still had help from Lamar via a 15-yard penalty.
The Bears finished with 19 first downs, five of which came from opponent penalties, and 270 yards.
Northern Colorado’s offense gave up three turnovers, as well, one of which led to a touchdown.
Then, on the opening drive of the second half, Sirmon completed a 43-yard pass to Graham to put the Bears in the red zone. On the next snap, however, Sirmon fumbled the ball and allowed Lamar to have possession.
Sirmon completed 16-of-28 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown. Afari and graduate running back Elijah Dotson combined for more than 70 yards, but the Bears finished with a net of 52 after Sirmon was sacked twice.
UNC has proved that the offense can put up good numbers — even if it’s not 500 yards — but this game was lacking.
Defense: A-
The defense was once again a shining star for the Bears, earning the first touchdown and recording the huge stop to end the game. It played well against Wyoming for most of the contest, giving up most of the Cowboys’ points in the final quarter.
At Lamar, it improved further by forcing four turnovers and holding the Cardinals to fewer than 300 yards of offense. The defense also recorded 87 tackles, the most this season. UNC finished with two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
A fumble from the offense early in the second quarter allowed Lamar to regain possession, with great field position. The Cardinals turned it into a touchdown. Defense forced third down twice on the drive, though, which speaks to the effort put forth.
UNC’s offense gave up its second fumble — on the Sirmon tackle — but the defense forced a three-and-out.
The defensive strength didn’t quite last the entire game, though. UNC had a 21-7 lead toward the end of the third and allowed a touchdown.
Lamar forced another fumble to retake possession from UNC’s offense. Its own offense got down the field into scoring position, however, Harris stepped up to grab the game-winning interception.
Despite the imperfections, Northern Colorado’s defense made some big stops and deserves a lot of credit for keeping the team in the game.
Special teams: C
The Bears special team squad had an OK game. It wasn’t the best, but it got the job done.
Freshman kicker Hunter Green made all of his extra points, however, his field goal attempt in the second quarter was blocked after what looked like a bad snap.
Sophomore Devin Bale put up 70 yards on the punting game, but he only had to punt twice. On his kick offs, Bale logged 259 yards, with two touchbacks and an average of 64.8 yards per attempt.
Dotson had one punt return for 29 yards.
Comparatively, UNC allowed Lamar to run for more than 60 yards on kickoff returns. The Cardinals did not have any punt return yards.
It was a night that wasn’t bad, but it didn’t stand out.
Overall: C
UNC celebrated the win, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. It has not arrived by any means.
The Bears need to get into an offensive rhythm and find more consistency — regardless of who starts at quarterback — which it has struggled to do.
Defense did a good job in the last two weeks, but within those games was challenged at times. As the season goes on, this could be the best position group again.
Special teams has done well, but the missed field goals are a killer. Green has made all of his PATs, but he is just 1-of-3 on field goal attempts. The Bears need those to go through the uprights.
Another positive in the win, however, was the lack of penalties. UNC finished with five for a loss of 20 yards. In week one, the Bears logged 105 yards. Against Wyoming, they recorded 52 yards.
If the team can keep those numbers low and continue to make adjustments with actual plays, it could surprise fans and the league alike.
The Bears will host Idaho State at 1 p.m. Saturday for homecoming.
![The Northern Colorado football team is nearing the end of its spring practice season. The next time the Bears get together, it will be late summer and the 2024 season will be only weeks away. UNC caps its month-long spring workouts with an intra-squad game Saturday at Nottingham Field. The game begins at 2 p.m. […]](https://www.fortmorgantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GRE-L-UNCWEBER-JR-002.jpg?w=434 "The Northern Colorado football team is nearing the end of its spring practice season. The next time the Bears get together, it will be late summer and the 2024 season will be only weeks away. UNC caps its month-long spring workouts with an intra-squad game Saturday at Nottingham Field. The game begins at 2 p.m. […]")
