GREELEY, Colo.—Andre Harris ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter, and Northern Colorado held off the University of San Diego 31-12 on a rainy Saturday.
Bears quarterback Bryan Waggener threw for 221 yards on 10-of-20 passing. He had an 80-yard touchdown pass to Alex Thompson and a 65-yard completion to Patrick Walker that set up Harris’ first touchdown run, helping Northern Colorado (1-1) bounce back from a season-opening loss at Kansas.
Sebastian Trujillo completed 18-of-37 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown for San Diego (1-1) but had four interceptions, including three in the fourth quarter.
Trailing 17-0, San Diego scored successive third-quarter touchdowns on John McGough’s 10-yard scoring catch and Brendan Feliczak’s 2-yard run, pulling to within 17-12.
But Northern Colorado regrouped behind Waggener and Harris.
Waggener connected with the speedy Walker, who wove his way downfield 65 yards to the 7-yard line. Harris scored on the next play to rebuild Northern Colorado’s lead to 12 points.
After a San Diego punt, Northern Colorado struck again, with Harris, who had 20 carries, bolting in for a touchdown from 19 yards out.
Northern Colorado got its first touchdown midway through the first quarter when Thompson got behind the Toreros secondary and caught a pass from Waggener in stride at about the San Diego 40-yard line. He outraced three defenders to the end zone.
The Bears’ ground game, which generated 256 yards, showed similar explosiveness in producing Northern Colorado’s second score. Harris broke loose for a 45-yard gain—one of two 40-plus yard runs by the tailback—to get the Bears to San Diego’s 34. John Burnley went the rest of the way on the next play, sprung by quarterback Dylan Orms’ block near the line of scrimmage.
