South Dakota football runs over UNC, but needs OT to beat the Bears 24-17
In the end the University of Northern Colorado football club couldn t stop South Dakota running back L J Phillips The growing and gritty Bears took a tough loss for the second-straight week falling to the nationally ranked Coyotes - in overtime Saturday in Vermillion South Dakota UNC plays at Houston Christian next week in its final nonconference challenge The Bears are a inadequate plays from being - after starting the season with one win in the two previous years under third-year coach Ed Lamb Instead UNC sits at - It led Colorado State for preponderance of the event last week in Fort Collins appearing to result the game-winning touchdown with eight seconds to play only to see it overturned CSU hung on - It hurts in part because of the cumulative losses suffered and to be so close to being - and being so close to winning the contest Lamb revealed UNC has scored points in each of its three games The Bears opened the season with a - win over Chadron State Phillips filling in for an injured teammate ran for yards on carries a massive yards per carry and two touchdowns in the Coyotes home opener He ran for yards on three straight runs with a touchdown on the Coyotes first possession in OT USD - entered the encounter ranked th and th in two different Football Championship Series subdivision polls The Coyotes though struggled to get separation from the Bears all day despite outgaining UNC on the ground - Phillips ran for career-highs in the first half while playing for the heralded All America back Charles Pierre Jr a key piece of the Coyotes run to the FCS semifinals in December who was lost for the season last week in a loss at Lamar Lamb stated Phillips day on the ground and the work of the Coyotes offensive line started with the UNC defense We didn t do a great job of getting off blocks and filling the gaps Lamb disclosed It was about the defensive line getting hugged off blocks While Phillips handled USD s ground tournament UNC outgained the Coyotes in total yards to on the back of passing yards from quarterback Eric Gibson Jr A transfer from LSU and junior college Gibson Jr threw for yards in the second half Gibson Jr came into the Bears offense in the opener against Chadron State after starter Peter Costelli went out with a broken collarbone After running the ball early in the challenge often using direct-snap plays for converted tight end Hank Gibbs the Bears went to the air after halftime Gibson Jr ended up having his best day in his short time at UNC and the best day in fresh years for a Bears QB He finished -of- throwing with the yards and a key touchdown pass to tight end Charles Garrison late in the fourth quarter The -yard strike was clutch and part of an -play -yard drive Gibson Jr finished off the series finding receiver Brayden Munroe for the two-point conversion and slashed USD s lead to - Garrison was the guy for the Bears on the drive catching three passes for yards He led all Bears receivers with seven catches for yards He got open and he s a big target Lamb mentioned of Garrison a -foot- -pound graduate apprentice from suburban New York City He s catching the ball and Eric is finding his target Cheeks caught three passes for yards Munroe caught four passes for yards with the conversion catch coming after he was shaken up going for a high ball from Gibson Jr early in the third quarter Kicker Jacob Willig a transfer from Fort Collins and CSU Pueblo made three field goals for the Bears including an -yarder with three seconds left to send the competition to OT The Bears fourth-quarter sum followed a time-consuming -yard drive by USD just minutes before allowing the Coyotes to add to their lead USD went plays over minutes with a -yard touchdown pass from quarterback Aidan Bouman to tight end Zach Witte We have to stop the run Lamb noted We didn t do that preponderance of the event We have to run the ball better We fought to the end
