Weber State football: No style points, but 'Cats prevail

OGDEN — It was much more laborious than it should've been, but Weber State did just enough to stay unbeaten in the Big Sky Conference Saturday afternoon inside Elizabeth Dee Shaw Stewart Stadium.

Despite outgaining Northern Colorado 571 yards to 142, Weber State committed four turnovers, three of which came in the red zone, and made other assorted mistakes to keep the game close all the way until the end of the fourth quarter.

In the end, however, junior running back Trevyn Smith made sure disaster didn't strike for the nationally ranked Wildcats.

With 1:40 remaining, Smith converted a fourth-and-one from Northern Colorado's 41-yard line to ice the game and lift Weber State to a 17-10 closer-than-it-should've-been victory.

"I'm just glad we escaped," said Weber State coach Ron McBride. "(If) we would've sat here and lost this game, it would've haunted you for a lifetime. But Northern Colorado did a good job of hangin' in there and hangin' there and hangin' in there. You let a team do that, they'll make a couple plays and you're in trouble."

That's exactly what happened.

After struggling to punch the ball into the end zone throughout, it appeared Weber State would finally assume permanent control of Saturday's contest when star quarterback Cameron Higgins found tight end Cody Nakamura for a 27-yard touchdown pass near the end of the third quarter to put the Wildcats up 17-3.

However, things got much tighter for Weber State in the fourth quarter.

The Bears went 3-and-out on their ensuing drive, but Higgins turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions inside the red zone to give Northern Colorado new life.

Higgins threw for 413 yards and two TDs but was responsible for all four of Weber State's turnovers.

Following his second one of the fourth quarter, the Bears calmly drove downfield and pulled to within seven points when Jason Caprioli caught a 5-yard TD pass with 2:26 remaining. And while Northern Colorado failed to recover an onside kick attempt, it prevented Weber State from getting a first down and forced a fourth down with 1:40 on the clock.

With the ball on Northern Colorado's 41-yard line, McBride decided to go for it on fourth-and-one, fearing his team might have problems with a punt.

The Wildcats gave the ball to their workhorse, Smith, up the middle, and after getting stopped initially, he spun free and gained eight yards to seal Weber State's win.