GREELEY, Colo. – North Dakota forced six turnovers and Jer Garman rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-14 victory over Northern Colorado in Big Sky play Saturday at Nottingham Field. The victory snaps an eight-game road losing streak for UND (5-7, 3-5 BSC), who finished the campaign by winning back-to-back games for the first time under first-year head coach Bubba Schweigert.

“We came out here and were the more physical team today,” Schweigert said. “We ran the football well, we were able to stop the run, we got some picks and stripped the ball out a couple of times and we played really well on special teams. When you do those things, most times you will get the result that we did today.”

It was the widest margin of victory for either team in the series that was deadlocked at 13-13 coming into the game since a 52-24 win by UNC (3-8, 2-6 BSC) in 1998. 

Garman finished with his fourth 100-yard game of the season – all in the last five games – and scored his sixth and seven rushing touchdowns of the season.

Defensively, the six turnovers are a single-game high in the Division I era (since 2008) as the unit came up with four fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Senior Garret Reineke forced two of those fumbles and had a sack, while classmate Spencer Cummings added a forced fumble, a sack and three tackles for loss in their final collegiate games. 

UND took its opening drive 70 yards on eight plays for a touchdown to quickly move ahead. True freshman Keaton Studsrud was 2-for-2 on the drive for 38 yards, including an 11-yard scoring strike to Josh Seibel.

After the teams exchanged punts, UNC took over on its own 47-yard line. Following a rush for no gain, Cummings forced the first Bears' turnover of the game when he knocked the ball loose from quarterback Sean Rubalcaba and Brandon Dranka recovered for UND at the Bears' 42-yard line.

Garman carried five times on the six-play drive, covering all 42 yards and found the end zone from eight yards out to make it a 14-0 contest. 

UND's defense would force another turnover inside UNC territory on the next Bears' possession. This time Deion Harris came down with his first career interception, setting up UND at the 47-yard line.

The offense moved the ball down to the UNC 30-yard line, but had to settle for a 47-yard field goal by Reid Taubenheim. The successful boot was the longest of the true freshman's season and made it a 17-0 advantage for UND.

The Bears picked off Studsrud late in the first half to give them their best chance to score before the break, but the UND defense once again stood tall and forced a UNC punt, allowing the visitors to take their 17-point lead into halftime.

On UNC's opening possession of the second half, the Bears fumbled on a third-down handoff and Brian Labat was there to fall on the loose ball at the UNC 31-yard line.

Taubenheim was called on again to try a long field goal and was good from 47 yards out for the second time in the game to make it 20-0.

Dimitri Stimphil got UNC on the board on the ensuing possession, taking a screen pass 85 yards for a touchdown.

UNC would force a three-and-out on UND's next possession, but junior Domo Blackmon picked
off Rubalcaba on the Bears' next drive and set UND up with a 1^st-and-goal at the 4-yard line.
Garman dove in two plays later for his second rushing score of the game and pushed the lead to 27-7.

The defense was not done forcing turnovers in the third quarter as Reineke came through with a forced fumble after he sacked Rubalcaba near midfield to stall another UNC drive.