2017 Northern Colorado Bears football team

2017 Northern Colorado Bears football
Conference	Big Sky Conference
Record	3–7 (2–6 Big Sky)
Head coach	Earnest Collins Jr. (7th season)
Offensive coordinator	James Jones (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Larry Kerr (4th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Nottingham Field (Capacity: 8,533)

2017 Big Sky Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 14 Southern Utah +^		7	–	1					9	–	3
No. 5 Weber State +^		7	–	1					11	–	3
Northern Arizona ^		6	–	2					7	–	5
No. 21 Eastern Washington		6	–	2					7	–	4
Sacramento State		6	–	2					7	–	4
Montana		5	–	3					7	–	4
Montana State		5	–	3					5	–	6
UC Davis		3	–	5					5	–	6
Idaho State		2	–	6					4	–	7
Northern Colorado		2	–	6					3	–	7
North Dakota		2	–	6					3	–	8
Cal Poly		1	–	7					1	–	10
Portland State		0	–	8					0	–	11
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2017 Northern Colorado Bears football team represented the University of Northern Colorado in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by seventh-year head coach Earnest Collins Jr. and played their home games at Nottingham Field. They were a member of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 3–7, 2–6 in Big Sky play to finish in a three-way tie for ninth place.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	2:00 p.m.	College of Idaho*	Nottingham Field Greeley, CO	CET	W 41–14	3,547
*Non-conference game

^{^[a]} The game between Florida and Northern Colorado, recently had been rescheduled in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Irma, but on September 7, both schools agreed to canceled the game completely.

• Source: Schedule

Game summaries

College of Idaho

	1	2	3	4	Total
Coyotes	0	7	0	7	14
Bears	28	7	3	3	41

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First meeting

at Colorado

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	7	7	7	0	21
Buffaloes	14	14	3	10	41

See also: 2017 Colorado Buffaloes football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
2–9	1934	UNC, 13–7

Idaho State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	10	7	13	12	42
Bears	10	10	20	3	43

See also: 2017 Idaho State Bengals football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
10–21	2014	ISU, 46–12

at Northern Arizona

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	7	13	0	20
Lumberjacks	7	13	14	14	48

See also: 2017 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
4–13	2016	UNC, 21–18

at North Dakota

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	7	17	14	0	38
Fighting Hawks	14	14	10	10	48

See also: 2017 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
12–17	2016	UND, 23–13

Montana State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bobcats	0	7	3	17	27
Bears	7	14	0	3	24

See also: 2017 Montana State Bobcats football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
11–18–1	2013	MSU, 35–28

Southern Utah

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 25 Thunderbirds	13	7	7	0	27
Bears	0	7	7	0	14

See also: 2017 Southern Utah Thunderbirds football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
2–3	2015	SUU, 30–3

at Sacramento State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	14	7	0	0	21
Hornets	14	6	9	21	50

See also: 2017 Sacramento State Hornets football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
2–9	2016	UNC, 27–19

at Montana

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	7	0	0	7	14
Grizzlies	14	23	7	0	44

See also: 2017 Montana Grizzlies football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
2–13	2016	UNC, 28–25

Cal Poly

	1	2	3	4	Total
Mustangs	0	0	0	0	0
Bears	0	21	21	0	42

See also: 2017 Cal Poly Mustangs football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
2–10	2016	POLY, 55–48