Bear Claw Media Podcast
Bear Claw Media Podcast covers University of Northern Colorado athletics, the Big Sky Conference, professional sports in Colorado, and other college sports in the state. The main focus is on UNC and Big Sky football and basketball. The show is hosted by two former UNC Mirror sports editors who share their insights and coverage of Colorado sports. Listeners can expect discussion and analysis of games, teams, and storylines across these programs.
Episodes
UNC Comeback at EWU Falls Short, Plus Keegan Patterson at QB1
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap a disappointing loss to EWU, including what looked like season-ending injury to Kenny Leuth. Then, the two look ahead to Cal Poly as Keegan Patterson takes over QB1 duties.
UNC Football overmatched at Montana. Could We See a 2 QB System Moving Forward?
Ben Schleiger and Chris "Drunk" Bolin recap a loss at Washington Grizzly Stadium in which the Bears scored their first points in 9 years vs. Montana.
Montana Dominates UC Davis. How Many Playoff-Caliber Teams Are There?
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap the first week back to Big Sky play, including a Montana trouncing of UC Davis. Then, they make their picks for Week 5.
UNC Football Trounces Utah Tech in a Game of Firsts of This Era of Bears Football
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap a 37-13 Homecoming win over Utah Tech, the largest home win for UNC since 2017. Then the two take a look ahead to a matchup at Montana.
Is Montana State in Trouble? Plus, Big Sky Play is Finally Back
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap a confusing Week 3, including a few games that were much closer than expected. Then, they preview the first slate of Big Sky games since Week 0.
UNC Bears Flip the Script, Scoring 16 Unanswered 4th Quarter Points to Pick up First Win
Chris Bolin and Ben Schleiger finally get to revel in a win after UNC finally ends up on the winning side of a crazy outcome.
Good Teams Win, Great Teams Cover. Plus, the Last Week of Nonconference Football
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin take a look through Week 2 of Big Sky Football, before making their picks for Week 3.
UNC Football Dominates Wyoming in Another Close Loss for the Bears
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin wallow in self-pity about another UNC loss, before taking a look at the positives from Laramie and the program ahead of a Week 3 matchup against DII Northeastern State.
Is the Middle of the Big Sky Wide Open? Plus, What We Learned From Week 1
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin discuss their first updates to their top 25 polls, recap the Week 1 Big Sky slate and look ahead to Week 2.
Northern Colorado Fights Hard Against South Dakota, Plus Chad Smith of WyoNation Previews the Pokes
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap UNC's loss to South Dakota in Greeley, before Chad Smith of WyoNation joins to preview a Week 2 matchup at Wyoming.
Montana State in a Class of its Own? How Does the Rest of the Big Sky Shape Up?
Chris Bolin and Ben Schleiger recap a highly contested Week 0 slate of games before making their Week 1 picks.
UNC Bears Football Finds Another Never Before Seen Way to Lose
Chris Bolin and Ben Schleiger recap a season-opening loss to Weber State, the latest in a string of cruel and unusual ways the Bears have found to torture their fans. Thumbnail Photo Credit to UNC Athletics
Week 0 Big Sky Picks
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin take a look at a conference-matchup-heavy slate of Big Sky games in Week 0
University of Northern Colorado Football 2026 Season Preview
Ben "BYUniforms" Schleiger and Chris "21-17" Bolin preview a brand new season of UNC Bears Football. Thumbnail Photo Courtesy of UNC Athletics.
Quinn Denker and Zach Bloch Talk Going Pro, NBA Summer League and How Timing is Everything
Quinn Denker and Zach Bloch sit back down with Chris Bolin for an Iron Sharpens Iron reunion! The three talk summer workouts - including a wild NBA Summer League for Quinn - Zach signing with a pro club in England and how timing is the most important thing.
A Montana Sweep in Offensive and Defensive MVPs? Who Fills Out the Rest of the Ballot
Ben "Has Adopted Chris's Rage Toward Thomas Ford" Schleiger and Chris "Chalk" Bolin go through their Big Sky All-Conference Ballots ahead of the 2026 Season.
Will Montana State Run Through the Big Sky? How Will the Rest of the Conference Shake Out?
Ben "Still Hates Portland State" Schleiger and Chris "Has a New Disdain for Idaho" Bolin discuss their picks for the Big Sky Preseason Poll.
Bear With Us: Lights at Nottingham, and Spring Football
Ben "Editor and Producer" Schleiger and Chris "Whatever You Want to Call That Mustache" Bolin talk lights at Nottingham Field, and observations from the four weeks of spring practice.
Iron Sharpens Iron: A Seven-Game Win Streak, School Records and Half Court Shots
Zach Bloch and Quinn Denker join Chris Bolin to talk about another big weekend, with wins over Sac State (MAC State?) and Portland State bring the Bears win streak to 7. Then, they touch on Quinn's 16 assists against and Zach taking 15 3s against the Hornets before touching on half court shots. They then end with another edition of the Splash Segment.
Iron Sharpens Iron: The winning streak continues, peaking at the right time and old video games
Zach Bloch and Quinn Denker are joined by Chris Bolin to talk about UNC's now-four-game winning streak after a tough start to Big Sky play. Then, they talk peaking at the right time before it devolves into Yu-Gi-Oh and other old video games.
Iron Sharpens Iron: A Brutal Start in the Big Sky, a Players-Only Meeting, and (Hopefully) Coming Out the Other Side
Zach Bloch and Quinn Denker are joined by Chris Bolin to recap a tough start to Big Sky Conference play, and what went wrong after a historic start to the season. Then, they touch on a players-only meeting after a loss to Northern Arizona and how that propelled them to wins over Idaho and Eastern Washington.
Iron Sharpens Iron: Quinn's Unprecedented Return, A Program-Defining Win at CU, Then a Disappointing Montana Trip
Zach Bloch and Quinn Denker are again joined by Chris Bolin to recap a program-defining win at CU, highlighted by 33-8-8 from Quinn, who returned from a broken hand in just 12 days. Then, they get into a disappointing road trip to Montana, where UNC lost to both Montana State and Montana.
Iron Sharpens Iron: An Update on Quinn's Hand and a Christmas Surprise
Quinn Denker and Zach Bloch reconvene with Chris Bolin after missing a week. Quinn gives an update on his hand, the pair talk about a few UNC players standing out this season, and we have a Christmas surprise.
Tarleton Goes Down, Plus a Semifinal Brawl of the Wild Rematch
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap an entertaining quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs, including Villanova upsetting Tarleton, and both Montana and Montana State taking care of business to set up the first playoff matchup between the two rivals.
NDSU Goes Down in a Stunner, Plus a Possible Brawl of the Wild Rematch
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap a crazy week 2 of the FCS playoffs, including Illinois State taking down the top-rated NDSU Bison.
Iron Sharpens Iron: Three More Early Wins, Plus Quinn Named Back to Back Big Sky Player of the Week
Zach Bloch and Quinn Denker are joined by Chris Bolin to talk three more early-season wins for the Bears to move to 8-1. Then, Quinn gets uncomfortable getting showered in praise for his early-season accomplishments. Finally, they end with a Splash Disciples segment on Jesus meeting people where they are.
Yale with the incredible Comeback: Recapping Week 1 of the FCS Playoffs, Previewing Week 2
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap a generally boring, but at times intriguing Round 1 of the FCS playoffs, then make their picks for Round 2.
Iron Sharpens Iron: Three Days in Portland, Including a Heartbreaker vs. St. Thomas at the Buzzer
Zach Bloch and Quinn Denker are joined by Chris Bolin to recap three games in three days in Portland, including a heartbreaking loss at the buzzer to St. Thomas. Then, Quinn and Zach talk about finding joy in every moment.
Recapping the Bears Best Season in Nearly a Decade, Plus Portal Fears
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap a very up and down season for UNC, capped off with a win vs. Portland State that moved the Bears to 4-8, their best record since 2016.
Ben Runs Through The State of the Big Sky and FCS
Ben "Solo Vacation" Schleiger takes a look around the Big Sky and FCS ahead of the last week of the season.
Ben Rolls Solo Recapping a Disappointing Two Weeks of UNC Football
Ben "Vacation" Schleiger, freshly home from the beaches of sunny Mexico, recaps a bummer of a couple weeks by UNC football.
Iron Sharpens Iron: An OT win at Pepperdine as Malibu was underwater, Plus is 67 Here to Stay?
Zach Bloch and Quinn Denker join Chris Bolin to recap an overtime win in Pepperdine as UNC had two locker rooms flood the day of the game. Then, they get into other travel quirks they've dealt with and talk about whether 67 will stand the test of time. Finally, they close with the Splash Disciples segment, including a touching Halloween story about teammate Chancellor White.
Iron Sharpens Iron: Zach's Career-High, Pregame Rituals and Shoes
Zach Bloch and Quinn Denker join Chris Bolin to chat Zach's career high in a win to move UNC to 2-0 on the season. Then, they get into pregame rituals, play calls and shoes, before closing with a Splash Disciples segment on avoiding temptation and following the right path.
A Wild Week in the FCS! Tarleton, SDSU, UC Davis and UND All Go Down
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap a crazy week 10 across the Big Sky and FCS, including a putrid week in the pick 'em for both. Then, the look ahead to week 11.
Iron Sharpens Iron: A Season-Opening Win, Favorite Sports Teams and a Word From the Splash Disciples
Zach Bloch and Quinn Denker are joined by Chris Bolin to recap a season-opening win over Colorado College, talk about their favorite professional sports teams, and Quinn tells a story about being on Last Chance U. Then, the two end by talking about the meaning of Iron Sharpens Iron and the importance of their faith.
Peter Costelli Returns in UNC's Blowout Loss to Montana State. Do We Have a QB Controversy Brewing?
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap a 55-7 UNC letdown against No. 4 Montana State, including getting a little heated about the QB position after Peter Costelli returns, playing a couple first-half snaps before spelling Eric Gibson Jr. in garbage time.
Annual Men's Basketball Preview with Assistant Coach Colin Gause
Assistant Coach and Director of Basketball Operations Colin Gause previews the upcoming season, talks his favorite and least favorite trips and gives his NBA comp.Thumbnail photos courtesy of UNC Athletics
Tarleton Faces Its First Real Test in Weeks, How Good is Montana?
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap a fun week in FCS football, including a commanding win by Montana at Sac State. Then, they shift their focus to the week ahead, including making their picks.
Zach Bloch and Quinn Denker Detail This Year's UNC Basketball Team
Zach Bloch and Quinn Denker sit down with Chris Bolin for Episode 1 of Iron Sharpens Iron, a brand new weekly podcast by Bear Claw Media. In this week's episode, the guys dig in to this year's team, recap the exhibition in Wyoming and the Roundball scrimmage, as well as take a look at the season ahead.
UNC Can't Shake Off Slow Start vs. UC Davis, Drop Second Game in a Row
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap the UNC loss to UC Davis, in which the Bears fell behind 24-0 before fighting back to give themselves a chance at the end. Then, the two briefly preview a game vs. Montana State next weekend.Thumbnail Photo Courtesy: Jesus Ayala (IG: Jesuzzy)
Who Should Be Ranked No. 3? Dr. Luke Wood Turns Everyone Into Montana Fans
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin discuss who should be No. 3, including a Montana vs. Montana State debate. Plus, they talk Sac State and Luke Wood's Comments toward Montana.
UNC Football Once Again Must-See TV in Loss at Sac State
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap yet another heartbreaking loss for UNC Football. The two start by discussing the 4th & 1 play call with under a minute to play, touch on the 4 interceptions thrown and the state of the program after 7 weeks. Thumbnaiil Photo Credit: Jesus Ayala (IG: jesuzzy)
Ben Rolls Solo on Contenders vs. Pretenders, Then Previews Week 8
Ben Schleiger rolls solo for a Week 8 preview.
UNC Upsets Top-15 Idaho, Spoils the Spuds Homecoming
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap a convincing 49-33 UNC win in the Kibbie Dome Saturday afternoon, including a high-profile return from injury by Brayden Munroe. Then, they talk reasonable goals for the Bears this season and preview next week's matchup at Sac State.
Montana State Dominates a Top 25 Matchup, Will UNC Make it Interesting against Idaho?
Chris Bolin and Ben Schleiger recap last week's slate, including a commanding Montana State win vs. Northern Arizona. Then, they look ahead, previewing UNC's game at Idaho and more.
Zach Bloch Talks His Time at UNC, His Faith and This Upcoming Season
Zach Bloch joins Chris Bolin to discuss a little bit of everything. The two start with the Bears' recent trip to Portugal, then talk about this upcoming season before Zach discusses his time at UNC and how important his Faith has been to him.
What's Wrong With Sac State? How Bad Does NDSU Beat Illinois State?
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap the was in the Big Sky and FCS, then take a look ahead at next week. Then, the two are back to the classics tearing apart Ben's top 25.
UNC Football Falls Behind Early, Never Recovers in Loss to Idaho State
Chris "Rutgers and Indiana State" Bolin and Ben "UL Monroe and Some Other Poor Soul" Schleiger recap a 26-18 Bears loss to Idaho State. Eric Gibson lit it up with just under 400 passing yards but the Bears still only scored 18. Then, they talk the most tortured fan bases in both the FCS and FBS
Idaho heads to Montana in a Top-5 Matchup, Plus a Top 25 Discussion
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin take a look back at Week 4 in the Big Sky, then Ben digs into Chris' top 25. Then the two make their Week 5 picks.
UNC Football Wins Thriller at Houston Christian, Setting up a BIG Homecoming Matchup vs. Idaho State
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap a 26-23 Bears win over Houston Christian, including monster games from RB Mathias Price and WR Carver Cheeks. Then, the two talk about an important homecoming game against Idaho State next week.
Jerome Campbell on His Journey to UNC and How he Ended up at Arkansas
Ben Schleiger joins World Indoor Qualifier and NCAA Runner-Up Jerome Campbell to talk about how he ended up at UNC, his time with the Bears and why he ultimately left to go to Arkansas.
Beyond The Den: Is Sac State A Fraud? Who Should Be No. 5 in the FCS
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap a fun Week 3 around the FCS, including a Montana win over North Dakota. Then they make their picks for Week 4.
Bear With Us: UNC Football Drops Another Heartbreaker at South Dakota
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin recap the Bears overtime loss to South Dakota, including a great, 300-plus yard performance from quarterback Eric Gibson Jr. Then, the two look ahead to what should be a winnable game in Week 4 at Houston Christian.
Beyond The Den: A Big Sky Week 2 Recap and Week 3 Preview
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin take a look at Week 2 around the FCS and look ahead to Week 3
Bear With Us: UNC loses on a last-minute heartbreaker to CSU
Ben "Email to the Mountain West" Schleiger and Chris "Still Not Over It" Bolin recap what should have been a monumental upset for UNC football over CSU. They discuss the Carver Cheeks catch that wasn't, Eric Gibson Jr.'s first start at QB and the state of the program.
Bear With Us: UNC beats Chadron but Loses QB Peter Costelli, Plus Bates joins to preview CSU
Ben "Made of Glass" Schleiger and Chris "Heels on the 10" Bolin recap a season-opening win over Chadron State, a game in which starting quarterback Peter Costelli suffered a season-ending injury. Then, friend of the program Brennan "Respectfully, An Ass Kicking" Bates joins to talk CSU ahead of the Bears Week 2 matchup with the Rams.
Beyond The Den: Week 1 Big Sky Picks
Chris Bolin and Ben Schleiger pick the slate of Week 1 Big Sky games
Bear With Us: Chadron State Preview
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin take a look at UNC's week 1 opponent, Division II Chadron State, including picking a final score and making bold predictions.
Beyond The Den: Big Sky Season Preview and Week 0 Picks
Ben "Hasn't Said Anything Quotable in Weeks" Schleiger and Chris "Hasn't Really Been Listening TBH" Bolin run through a handful of categories to preview the Big Sky Conference. Then, they run through some over/unders for the Big Sky's projected playoff teams.
Bear With Us: Asparagus Draft, Plus a Run Through UNC's Schedule
Perfect. Recreate this exact image, only replacing "Season Preview" with "Asparagus Draft"
Bear With Us: Specialists --- Big shoes to fill with Hunter Green's departure
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin take a look at UNC's special teams unit, including early returns on both Jacob Willig and Leo Blumentritt.
Bear With Us: Defensive Backs - Corners a Weakness? Safeties a Strength?
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin take a look at UNC's secondary, including an inexperienced cornerback room and a deep, experienced group of safeties.
Bear With Us: Linebackers --- A Lot of Familiar Faces, But Still a Young Group
Ben "This Guy is John Lynch's Nephew" Schleiger and Chris "Just Can't Remember the Kid's Name" Bolin talk about a linebacker room with a lot of experience, though a lot of that came down the stretch last season.
Bear With Us: Defensive Line - Who will stand out in a room full of fresh faces?
Chris "Can't find the word" Bolin and Ben "Asparagus Guys" Schleiger take a look at a defensive line full of potential, but unknowns.
UNC Basketball's Brock Wisne talks the Portugal Trip, His Path to UNC and His Upcoming Senior Season
Brock Wisne joins Chris Bolin to talk the Portugal trip UNC basketball is currently on. Then he talks what brought him to UNC and previews the upcoming season, including what the next evolution of his game is.
Bear With Us: Tight Ends !!! A Three Headed Monster at UNC?
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin take a look at a small, but talented UNC wide receiver room. Who will separate themselves as the 1A? What impact will qb-convert Hank Gibbs have?
Beyond the Den: Ben runs through his Big Sky preseason votes
Ben "Roll it up in a Backgammon Cup" Schleiger goes through the Big Sky preseason rankings, comparing his votes to the consensus polls. Then he touches on the preseason All-Big Sky team featuring one Bear: Cam Chapa.
Bear With Us: Offensive Line ... A Strength for the first time in the Ed Lamb Era?
Ben "We're in the Trenches Today" Schleiger and Chris "Couldn't Think of a Second Thing" Bolin get down and dirty talking the UNC offensive line. Will this be the first time in years that the offensive line isn't a weakness? Who are the five Game 1 starters?
Bear With Us: Wide Receivers = Munroe and Cheeks A Clear Top 2, But Who Else Will Step Up?
Chris "We Desperately Need To Recover the TikTok" Bolin and Ben "I don't think you need to worry that much about recovering the TikTok" Schleiger continue their offseason position wrap ups, moving to the receiver room. Who is going to step up behind Brayden Munroe and Walk-On Carver Cheeks.
Bear With Us: Houston Reed Talks UNC Basketball Heading into Next Season, and His Unique Path to UNC
UNC Assistant Basketball Coach Houston "I Could See That from the Evans Costco" Reed joins Chris "Dime A Dozen" Bolin to chat about how the team looks after a couple weeks of summer ball, his unique path from inheriting a high school team that hadn't won a game in two years to a Division I coach alongside his former college teammate.
Bear With Us: Running Backs - A Clear Top 3? 4? Rocco Traore Makes the Switch from the Secondary
Ben Schleiger and Chris Bolin chat about a potentially thin running back room, potentially paced by secondary-convert Rocco Traore. Plus, is it a top 3 or top 4? And any chance there are too many cooks in the room like last season?
Bear With Us: Myles McClarity Talks Beating Cancer! Plus, Goals for Himself and UNC next year
UNC Redshirt Freshman Safety and Cancer Survivor Myles "6 Strong" McClarity joins Ben "Wedge Buster" and Chris "Not Sure if this is Offensive" Bolin to talk about his journey over the past 3 and a half years battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Then he lays out some upcoming goals for himself and the UNC Football team, gives some of his favorite places around Greele
Bear With Us: Quarterbacks! Is Costelli the guy long term? Highest Floor, Lowest Ceiling Guy
Chris "Thought Ben was Going to Come at Me Much Harder About this" Bolin and Ben "Was Way Spicier on the Phone" Schleiger discuss the first position in their post-spring breakdowns
Bear With Us: A UNC Football Check In After Spring Practice, Plus Carver Cheeks' return to UNC
Ben "Sunday Smooth Jason Brown" Schleiger and Chris "Caught in the Crossfire" Bolin recap their thoughts on the UNC football program after spring practice, then discuss Carver Cheeks hitting the portal then returning to the Bears.
UNC Quarterback Kia'i Keone Talks the Program After Spring Ball and His Journey from Hawaii to UNC
Ben "While We Wait For Chris" and Chris "Public Library Wifi" Bolin chat with backup quarterback turned folk hero, Kia'i Keone about his journey to UNC and how the football program looks after Spring ball.
Bear With Us: Quinn Denker on a Historic Season, the State of the Program and His Unique Path to UNC
UNC Basketball's Quinn "Yell at me All You Want" Denker joins Chris "Philosophical, Situational" Bolin and Ben "Compare and Contrast" Schleiger to recap his first season with the Bears, Take a Look Forward to Next Year, What makes UNC a great program and his path, from JuCo to DII to Idaho to UNC.
Bear With Us: A UNC Pro Day Recap, Plus a Sports Desk Update
Ben "Driving the Bus" Schleiger and Chris "Along for the Ride" Bolin recap UNC's pro day and take a look at other sports around campus.
A Recap of UNC's Time at the Big Sky Tournament, and an Already Out-Of-Date NIT Preview
Chris "Cardboard Cut" Bolin and Ben "Slipping in the Shower" Schleiger recap two phenomenal wins leading up to a disappointing loss to Montana in the Big Sky Tournament Championship. Plus, they take a look at the upcoming NIT (Before the bracket was announced) and make some (incredibly wrong in hindsight) predictions.
Bear With Us: Men's Director of Basketball Operations Colin Gause Talks Winning a Regular Season Big Sky Title, Previews the Conference Tournament and More
Colin "Hot Colin" Gause joins Chris "Who's the Backup 5" Bolin and Ben "Easy Question" Schleiger to talk about winning UNC's "first ever" Big Sky regular season title, previews the upcoming conference tournament and more.
Bear With Us: Langston Reynolds Talks the Bears Historic Season, What Brought Him to UNC and More
Langston "SC Top 10" Reynolds joins Chris "NBA Comp" Bolin to chat about the great season UNC is having, what led to him coming to UNC, how he views himself as a player and much more.
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