Kickoff: 5:00 PM MT / 6:00 PM CT
Venue: Husky Stadium, Houston, Texas (Capacity: ~5,000)
Broadcast: ESPN+ / Pirate Radio 93.5 FM / HCUHuskies.com live stats
Weather Forecast (Houston, TX)
Temperature: ~88°F (31°C) at kickoff, humid conditions
Conditions: Mostly clear skies, light winds (5–8 mph)
Impact: Heat and humidity could test Northern Colorado’s depth in a road environment.
Injury Report
Northern Colorado (1–2, Big Sky):
QB Eric Gibson Jr. – Healthy; coming off career-best 336 passing yards vs. South Dakota.
WR Charles Garrison – Healthy; breakout 112-yard game last week.
K Jacob Willig – Healthy; clutch game-tying FG vs. South Dakota.
Defense – LB Hudson Voggesser (16 tackles vs. USD) healthy and leading the unit.
Houston Christian (1–2, Southland):
QB starter – Healthy; offense averaging 16 PPG.
RB rotation – Healthy; ground game inconsistent.
WR corps – Healthy; top target averaging 60 YPG.
Defense – Healthy, but unit has allowed 30+ in two of three games.
Key Player Matchups
QB Eric Gibson Jr. (UNC) vs. HCU Secondary
Gibson is coming off a career day; HCU must pressure him to avoid another 300+ yard outing.
WR Charles Garrison (UNC) vs. HCU Corners
Garrison’s breakout game makes him the X-factor; HCU must prevent explosive plays.
HCU QB vs. UNC Pass Rush
Bears’ defense held South Dakota to 17 points in regulation; HCU must protect its QB.
Special Teams (UNC) vs. HCU Coverage Units
Willig’s clutch kicking could be decisive in a close game.
Recent Team Form
Northern Colorado Bears (1–2)
9/13: L 24–17 (OT) @ #20 South Dakota
9/6: L 21–17 @ Colorado State (FBS)
8/30: W 17–3 vs. Chadron State
Trend: Offense improving weekly; defense competitive vs. ranked FCS foes.
Houston Christian Huskies (1–2)
9/13: L 59–7 @ Nebraska (FBS)
9/6: L 20–10 @ Eastern Kentucky
8/30: W 62–24 vs. Northwestern State
Trend: Offense inconsistent; defense struggling against stronger competition.
Series History
All-time series: Northern Colorado leads 3–1.
First meeting: 2014 – UNC won 28–20.
UNC also won in 2015 (34–10) and 2021 (45–13).
HCU’s lone win came in 2022 (46–34 at home).
This is the fifth all-time meeting.
Betting Trends
Northern Colorado:
2–0 ATS in 2025.
Unders hit in both lined games.
1–2 SU overall.
Houston Christian:
1–1 ATS in 2025.
Overs hit in 1 of 2 lined games.
1–2 SU overall.
Head-to-Head: UNC has covered in 3 of 4 meetings.
Historical Betting Results
Northern Colorado: More competitive ATS on the road this season (covered vs. CSU and South Dakota).
Houston Christian: Struggles ATS vs. Big Sky opponents; more reliable at home in Southland play.
Big Sky vs. Southland: Big Sky teams cover ~58% of the time in September non-conference games.
Game Odds
Northern Colorado Bears – 2.5
Houston Christian Huskies 47.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 19, 2025
