GREELEY — Zak Bigelow’s 37-yard field goal with four seconds left gave Northern Colorado a 16-13 win Saturday over Montana State to break the Bears’ 16-game losing streak.
It was the first Big Sky Conference win for the Bears (1-8, 1-4) since joining the league last season.
Northern Colorado led 13-6 late in the fourth quarter until Jack Rolovich hit Demetrius Crawford on an 8-yard pass for a TD with 48 seconds left that helped Montana State (5-3, 3-2) even the score at 13-13.
Cory Fauver returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards for UNC to set up Bigelow’s winning field goal. Bears quarterback Dominic Breazeale was 19-for-31 for a career-high 266 yards and a TD. Quincy Wofford intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble for UNC.
Chadron State 7, Mesa State 6
CHADRON, NEB. — Chadron State, ranked third in NCAA Division II and playing without star running back Danny Woodhead, scored on its first possession at Elliott Field and held on to defeat Mesa State for the inside track to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship.
Chadron (9-0, 6-0 RMAC) handed Mesa State (8-1, 5-1) its first loss of the season. The Eagles have won 22 consecutive regular-season games and 16 straight in the RMAC.
After driving 75 yards on its first possession, Chadron went ahead on Landon Ehlers’ 12-yard scoring reception from Joe McLain. Woodhead, college football’s all-time leading rusher, was out with a foot injury he suffered last week against Nebraska-Kearney. Without him, the Eagles rushed for just 66 yards on 27 attempts.
Mesa State got two Jared Keating field goals, from 47 and 37 yards.
Colo. Mines 28, Neb.-Kearney 20
GOLDEN — Colorado Mines’ David Pesek threw for 355 yards to lead the Orediggers (6-3, 5-1) past Nebraska-Kearney (4-4, 3-3) at Brooks Field.
Pesek completed 23-of-33 passes. Two of his three touchdown passes were to Derek Dykstra, whose 51-yard scoring catch tied the game in the first quarter and whose 19-yard TD catch in the fourth put Mines ahead for good. Dykstra finished with nine catches for 168 yards.
N.M. Highlands 21, Ft. Lewis 14 OT
LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Percy Robinson ran in from 1 yard out for the game- winning score in overtime as New Mexico Highlands (4-4, 3-3) defeated visiting Fort Lewis (1-7, 1-6).
Colorado College 38, Birmingham-Southern (Ala.) 28
HOOVER, ALA. — Colorado College (4-4) set two individual career records in its Division III win over host Birmingham-Southern (2-6).
CC’s Nolan Swett caught 13 passes for 184 yards and two TDs to become the school’s career record-holder in career receptions (189) and receiving yards (2,476). Quarterback Jon McDonald tied the single-game record for completions after throwing 36-for-50 for 398 yards.
