Predictions for game day: Northern Colorado football vs Eastern Washington

Thanks for Reading! Don't miss this deal


Get Standard Digital access to enjoy this article and more

It’s going to be an interesting afternoon at Nottingham Field when the undefeated Eastern Washington Eagles come to take on the University of Northern Colorado.

UNC (2-3, 1-1 Big Sky) is coming off a 40-7 blowout at Montana State last week, while EWU (5-0, 2-0 Big Sky) came from behind to beat then-No. 4 Montana in the fourth quarter.

The Bears need a big win to get back on track, since the rest of their schedule won’t be easy, but it doesn’t seem likely.

UNC 12 – Eastern Washington 48

Eastern Washington is one of the best programs in the country with talent, discipline and strong coaching. It earned an FCS Playoff spot during the 2020-21 altered spring season this year and was the national runner up in 2018.

The Bears have beaten the Eagles just one time in series history. They defeated EWU 13-9 in 1981 during a home matchup.

Based on how the two teams are playing, it seems unlikely that UNC will be victorious.

Northern Colorado has the pieces to keep the game competitive, it’s just that previous play leaves a lot to be desired and confidence is lacking.

Montana State wasn’t the best overall offense in the country, but it steamrolled over the Bears. With a team that has even more power, the defense — which is significantly better than in years past — may not be able to stop it.

UNC could give the Eagles a challenge if the offense can get into a rhythm, but that’s been the case for multiple weeks now, and little has come. Sure, it defeated Northern Arizona, but that wasn’t a particularly great showing. It needs to find a way to complete passes and get the run game going.

The Bears won’t get a first down on every play, but it needs to make decent progress. At this point, it’s up to execution and preparation if they want to win.

“We just need to keep the intensity and the mindset that these wins are not going to come easy for us; that we have to actually go out there and beat every single opponent for all 60 minutes,” said graduate defensive back Komotay Koffie. “I think that’s one lesson we learned, that we need to hold each other accountable, moving forward from now on, and everybody needs to execute and really do their job.”

UNC vs Eastern Washington is set to kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are still available at UNCBears.com/tickets or fans can watch on ESPN+.


Predictions for games around the Big Sky

UC Davis 42 – Idaho State 13Montana 48  – Dixie State 17Cal Poly 7 – Montana State 35Portland State 25 – Idaho 21Southern Utah 18 – Sacramento State 22

View more on The Fort Morgan Times