Venue & Game Details
Kickoff Time: 1:00 PM MT / 12:00 PM PT
Venue: Nottingham Field, Greeley, Colorado
Capacity: ~8,500
Broadcast: ESPN+
Weather Forecast (Greeley, CO)
Kickoff Temperature: ~74°F (23°C)
Conditions: Partly sunny, mild fall afternoon
Wind: 6–10 mph from the northwest
Precipitation: ~10% chance of light showers
Impact: Ideal football weather; no disruptions expected.
Injury Report
Idaho State Bengals:
QB Jordan Cooke – healthy, 757 yards, 3 TDs, 4 INTs.
RB David Brooks – healthy, 212 rushing yards, 3 TDs.
WR Misha Shulikov – healthy, 323 yards, 3 TDs.
No major injuries reported.
Northern Colorado Bears:
QB Eric Gibson Jr. – healthy, 720 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs.
RB Mathias Price – healthy, 199 rushing yards, 1 TD.
WR Carver Cheeks – healthy, 289 yards, 1 TD.
LB Hank Voggesser – healthy, 33 tackles.
Key Player Matchups
Jordan Cooke (ISU QB) vs. UNC Secondary
Cooke has struggled with turnovers (4 INTs).
UNC’s defense has forced key takeaways in close games.
Eric Gibson Jr. (UNC QB) vs. Idaho State Pass Rush
Gibson is completing 66% of passes but has 3 INTs.
ISU’s front seven must pressure him to force mistakes.
David Brooks (ISU RB) vs. UNC Front Seven
Brooks is averaging 6.2 ypc with 3 TDs.
UNC allows 140 rushing ypg, making this a pivotal battle.
Carver Cheeks (UNC WR) vs. ISU Corners
Cheeks is averaging 72 ypg.
ISU’s secondary has allowed multiple 250+ yard passing games.
Recent Team Form
Idaho State Bengals (1–3)
W 90–0 vs. Lincoln (CA) (Week 4)
L 32–22 @ New Mexico (Week 3, FBS)
L 46–24 @ Southern Utah (Week 2)
L 38–31 @ UNLV (Week 1, FBS)
Strengths: Explosive offense when in rhythm.
Weaknesses: Turnovers and defensive lapses.
Northern Colorado Bears (2–2)
W 26–23 (OT) @ Houston Christian (Week 4)
L 24–17 (OT) @ South Dakota (Week 3)
L 21–17 @ Colorado State (Week 2, FBS)
W 17–3 vs. Charleston Southern (Week 1)
Strengths: Balanced offense, strong time of possession.
Weaknesses: Inconsistent red-zone efficiency.
Conference vs. Conference
Both are members of the Big Sky Conference.
This is the conference opener for both teams.
Series History
All-time series: Idaho State leads 22–13.
First meeting: 1939 (UNC won 13–0).
Last meeting: Idaho State won 23–17 in 2024.
Trend: Since UNC moved to Division I, the series is nearly even (UNC 7–6).
Betting Trends
Idaho State Bengals:
2–2 ATS in 2025.
3–1 ATS in last 4 Big Sky openers.
3 of last 4 games have gone Over.
Northern Colorado Bears:
2–2 ATS in 2025.
4–1 ATS in last 5 home games.
3 of last 5 games have gone Under.
Historical Betting Results
2024: Idaho State +3 covered in 23–17 win (Under cashed).
2023: Northern Colorado -2.5 covered in 27–24 win (Over cashed).
2022: Idaho State +7 covered in 35–21 win (Over cashed).
Game Odds
Idaho State Bengals 53
Northern Colorado Bears – 4.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 26, 2025
