The University of Northern Colorado football team completed its first official season under head coach Ed McCaffrey last weekend at Weber State.
Unfortunately, UNC (3-8, 2-6 Big Sky) did not meet its goals of making the FCS Playoff or winning the Big Sky, but the team actually finished better than predicted.
Here’s how the Bears stacked up, by the numbers, to other league institutions and past Northern Colorado teams.
3 – Wins this season
It wasn’t a great finish, but it also wasn’t the worst UNC has ever had in the Division I era. The Bears have finished 3-8 in two previous seasons.
13 – Ranking where Big Sky coaches said Northern Colorado would finish
League coaches said the Bears would finish last in 2020, before the team had to abstain from the postponed 2021 spring season, and they said again this summer that UNC would finish last.
10 – UNC’s actual ranking in the Big Sky
Despite the lackluster results, Northern Colorado still finished with a better record than Cal Poly, Idaho State and Southern Utah. UNC defeated Southern Utah, 17-9, on the road. It did not play Cal Poly or Idaho State.
32 – Largest margin of victory
UNC defeated Houston Baptist on Sept. 11 in Houston, Texas, 42-13. It was the Bears’ largest victory of the season and McCaffrey’s first program win. The other two wins came down to fewer than 10 points.
46 – Largest loss margin
Eastern Washington dominated the Bears in the UNC homecoming game on Oct. 9, 63-17. It was the largest loss of the season, followed by the 35-0 game against Montana on Nov. 6.
507 – Opponent yards given up per game in 2019
One of the biggest challenges in years past was the defense. Defensive coordinator Scott Darnell said during the preseason that his players would show improvement from years past.
374 – Opponent yards given up per game in 2021
There were times when the Bears defense struggled, especially considering the lack of offensive production, but it reduced the average number of yards allowed by 133 yards.
356 – UNC offensive yards per game in 2019
The best position group in the final season under Earnest Collins was his offense, which put up about 20 points per game.
275 – UNC offensive yards per game in 2021
The Bears’ offensive production took a pretty significant dip this season as it struggled to find consistency. McCaffrey’s squad averaged 15 points per contest, which included a shutout against Montana.
6 – Number of players receiving All-Big Sky postseason recognition in 2021
Sophomore linebacker David Hoage was named to the All-Big Sky Second Team on Tuesday. He and five other players, three of whom were defensive players, received recognition from the conference for their efforts this season.
13 – Graduating players to be replaced
UNC honored 13 players at senior day who will leave the program after graduation, even if some have another year of eligibility. This does not include the players who are expected to enter the transfer portal in the coming weeks.
The Bears have entered the offseason and will begin its winter conditioning. UNC opens next season at home against Houston Baptist.
This content was originally published here.
