After being picked last in the MIAA, UNK coach Ryan Held said the Lopers had something to prove. UNK answered the bell, winning a trophy game week one against rival Chadron State and taking down Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State at home on Saturday.
The meeting with Chadron State was the 73rd all time meeting between the programs and the first since 2020. The win for the Lopers was their fifth straight in the series.
Defense has been the story for the Lopers in the first two games of the season. UNK held Chadron State to just six points and only 213 yards of offense. After giving up 14 points in the first quarter to Northwest Missouri, the defense responded, shutting out the Bearcats for the final three quarters, allowing just 32 total rushing yards throughout all four quarters.
After a rough start to the game for the defense in the Northwest game, defensive linemen Quillan Felton said it came down to the offense and defense complimenting each other.
“We got punched in the mouth when we came out,” Felton said. “So it all comes back to the offense for responding. We just told them we got their back like they got our back.”
Another story for the defense has been the turnovers, forcing three in each of their first two games. UNK made a goal line stand with 30 seconds left in the Northwest game, thanks to an interception from Jamere Jones.
Missouri Western graduate transfer quarterback Reagan Jones has come in and made quite the impact for UNK in his first two weeks. He went 12-21 with 180 yards and two touchdowns in week one, and accounted for three touchdowns with 215 total yards of offense to help lead UNK to the big time victory against Northwest, including a go-ahead 12-yard rushing touchdown late in the third which proved to be the game winner.
Jones had played Northwest Missouri multiple times while at Missouri Western, going 0-3 in those games, and he made it his mission to get it done this time around.
“He woke up today as we were going through walkthroughs and he goes ‘fourth time’s a charm, coach,’” coach Ryan Held said. “He made the plays he needed to, he’s a veteran and he understands this league.”
Even with the offense being choppy at times, the Lopers have yet to lose the ball in their first two games.
“That’s two games in a row we haven’t turned the ball over and we made the plays when we needed to,” Held said. “We have to continue to tighten up on some stuff, but we did what we needed to do.”
The win against Northwest Missouri was a big one for UNK, just their fifth all time over the Bearcats, and their second in the last 12 meetings. Northwest Missouri defeated UNK 56-7 last season.
“When you’re picked last by a lot of people, to go out and beat Northwest Missouri who’s a top five all time program, that’s a big time deal,” Held said. “We’re going to enjoy it tonight, and then tomorrow the sun will come up and we gotta get back to work.”
UNK has a rare bye week, before hosting Central Oklahoma at 7 p.m. on Sept. 21.
