The run got UNC again.
The Northern Colorado football team, showing much improvement over the past several weeks and playing in front of more than 5,000 fans Saturday afternoon on homecoming weekend, couldn’t stop the Idaho State rushing attack.
The lack of a running game from the Bears also hurt them in a 26-18 loss in their Big Sky Conference opener at Nottingham Field.
The fast-paced Bengals’ offense ran for nearly 300 yards and the defense held UNC to 30 net yards on the ground on a day when the Bears’ passing game had another solid day.
Bengals back Dason Brooks ran for 209 of ISU’s 289 total yards on the ground, which came out to an average of 6.7 yards per attempt. ISU (2-3) picked up its second win in two weeks. UNC dropped to 2-3 going into its bye week on the 12-game regular season schedule.
South Dakota running back L.J. Phillips rushed for 301 yards against the Bears a couple of weeks ago.
“Idaho State had a good plan for our three-man front,” UNC head coach Ed Lamb said of the visitors’ run game. “They were able to run the ball successfully into that. We felt like if we could stop the run in that front, we’d be successful in the game because they’d have a hard time throwing the football, and they did. They were smart enough not to throw when we were in that front.”
Lamb said he made the first big mistake of the game, opting to go for a first down on fourth-and-1 from their own 34-yard line. Freshman back Brandon Lambert Jr. lost yards at the hands of the Bengals defense, and ISU took over at the Bears’ 31.
“They got a great jump,” Lamb said of Lambert’s rush. “They were in our backfield before we could react.”
Seven plays later, ISU’s Carson Sudbury ran it in from 6 yards out and Trajan Sinatra hit the PAT for a 10-0 lead with 6:36 to play in the first quarter.
Trailing 23-7 at halftime, UNC took the ball to open the second half and found a groove that was missing in the first half. But, on second-and-7 at the Bengals’ 34, Gibson Jr. ran for four yards and fumbled the ball. The play was reviewed to see if Gibson Jr. was down. After some time, the on-field call stood and ISU took over. The turnover killed a seven-play drive and a scoring opportunity.
“We weren’t carrying the football correctly,” Lamb said. “We had the ball swinging all over the place. The whole sideline was yelling ‘put it away.’ He carried haphazardly in that moment.”
Gibson Jr. finished 26 of 39 passing for 394 yards and two touchdowns. UNC, though, is not getting balance from its offense.
Idaho State fumbled on its next drive and UNC went 66 yards in eight plays to cut the lead to 23-15 on a Carver Cheeks touchdown reception.
On second-and-goal, Gibson Jr. threw toward the end zone for intended receiver Luke Wooten. The ball went through Wooten’s hands or off his hands, and found receiver Cheeks, who stretched out to make the touchdown catch with 4:59 left in the third quarter.
The Bears went for two on the conversion. They set up on the left hash from the 3-yard line, and Gibson Jr. hit receiver Dawson Menegatti running right. Menegatti went up and grabbed the ball over his head for the conversion play.
Each team added a field goal to provide the final score.
The Bears are banged up at this point in the season. Wide receiver Brayden Munroe didn’t play against the Bengals. Running back Aliou-Rocco Traore, tight end Hank Gibbs, and offensive linemen Jack Bacon and Jack Ziebell were also out for the game. Tight end Fisher Clements was injured and didn’t return.
The Bears return to game action Saturday, Oct. 11 at Idaho for what could be described as the murderers’ row portion of their schedule. UNC will face nationally ranked teams, as of today, through early November.
After Idaho, UNC’s schedule is: Oct. 18 at Sacramento State; Oct. 25 vs. UC Davis; Nov. 1 vs. Montana State (defending Big Sky champion and national runner-up); and Nov. 8 at Northern Arizona.
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