Montana State dominates UNC in Greeley

NO. 4 MONTANA STATE 55, NORTHERN COLORADO 7

Montana State running back Julius Davis carries the ball during the Bobcats’ 55-7 Big Sky Conference win over the University of Northern Colorado on Saturday in Greeley. JOSEPH SYKES — FOR THE GREELEY TRIBUNE

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By Anne Delaney

Greeley Tribune

Greeley>> A new challenge awaits University of Northern Colorado football this week, according to head coach Ed Lamb.

In Lamb’s third season leading the program, the Bears have made strides and have been competitive in every game this season.

That changed Saturday.

Nationally ranked No. 4 Montana State dominated the Bears in every way in a 55-7 Big Sky Conference win Saturday afternoon at Nottingham Field in Greeley.

The loss was the worst for the program, by margin of defeat, in the Lamb era. In Lamb’s first season in 2023, Montana defeated the Bears 40-0 in Missoula.

Montana State racked up 480 yards of offense to just 160 for UNC through three quarters. (A computer glitch led to game statistics not being available immediately after the game.)

A late fourth-quarter touchdown by UNC running back Kieyrus Boone kept the Bears from being shut out for the first time in the Division I era dating to 2006.

After the game, Lamb was asked what he expected to see from the players in the upcoming week of practice. UNC’s next game is Saturday at Northern Arizona. In most weeks, the Bears return to the practice field Tuesday afternoon as a team following a game the previous weekend.

Lamb said he hopes to see what he sees every Tuesday — a team practicing and preparing to win. The coach said there are some Tuesdays where the players show a little more spirit in that first practice of the week and appear to be having fun.

Other Tuesday practices might not be as upbeat, but the players have always practiced hard.

“I have not seen this team ever come out without an intention to prepare to win,” Lamb said. “This will be a new challenge. We haven’t had a game like this. This game wasn’t a one- or two-play game.”

Lamb said the Bears (3-6 overall and 1-4 Big Sky) were beaten at critical moments in the game on defense, and offensively they “fell to an all-time level” especially in the first half. He added the coaches couldn’t adjust to help the players, who Lamb said played hard during the game.

“That’s the hard part I’ve got to put on myself and our coaches,” Lamb said. “I’m more worried about us showing up with a good plan on Tuesday than I am that the players will show up and work hard.”

Montana State (7-2, 4-0), the defending conference champions and Football Championship Subdivision runner up, showed to be a different level of competition.

The Bobcats scored seven touchdowns, including an 86-yard interception returned for a touchdown by defensive lineman Talon Marsh with under 10 minutes to play.

Lamb said while the Bears had some bright spots — including running backs, such as Mathias Price and Brandon Johnson, running hard behind the offensive line, and in run defense, which was better this week — the effort from UNC quarterbacks and among coaches was not good enough against the Bobcats.

“It’s not an up-and-down thing week to week,” the coach said. “We can play better. At times, we could’ve played better today but I think that was a game we weren’t ready for as coaches and players and it’s important that the program sees that.”