16
2-3, 0-1
34
winner
3-2, 1-0
2-3, 0-1
16
34
3-2, 1-0
winner
| team | 1st place | second | 3rd place | 4th place | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 3 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
|
| 3 | 7 | 17 | 7 | 34 |
Game Overview: Football | |Monica Jenike, NAU Athletic Communications
Flagstaff, Arizona (September 28, 2024) – A statement has been released.
The Northern Arizona University football team hosted the No. 10 Sacramento State Hornets on Saturday afternoon at Findlay Toyota Field with a convincing final score of 34-16, ending Big Sky Conference play. I opened it.
NAU improves to 3-2 for the first time since the spring of 2021 and is 1-0 for the second straight year in conference action. The losing streak against the Hornets ended with three points, and the Hornets now have 2 wins, 3 losses, and 0 wins and 1 loss.
It will be Northern Arizona's first win against a ranked opponent since Oct. 28, 2023, at home against No. 25 UC Davis. The Lumberjacks also topped No. 11/13 Montana on Sept. 23, 2023, meaning the final third-place opponent to play at the SkyDome lost. This is NAU's highest-ranked win since defeating No. 6/7 Weber State in Flagstaff in 2018.
1st year head coach Brian Wright celebrating his 40th birthdayth This is his third career win at NAU. This is the first time since 2019 that the Lumberjacks have won their first two home games of the season.
“I'm really looking forward to watching our players continue to fight and respond through a game where there's a lot of momentum swings, adversity, and successes. That's what we've been preaching and telling our players. It was about putting up a fight.’ And when you stay disciplined and keep doing your job, great things happen,” Wright said. “What a great team win. What a great effort by the defense throughout the game, getting turnovers, giving us opportunities with good field position, and the offense being able to capitalize. It's a great team win.”
NAU's defense was solid, and the Hornets, who averaged 30.5 points and 173 rushing yards per game, entered this afternoon without a touchdown until the fourth quarter. The Lumberjacks allowed just 221 yards of total offense, including just 59 yards on the ground.
That didn't stop them, forcing four turnovers, including an interception. zach lewis and DJ Van Hook and via fumble recovery for a touchdown. ammon allen.
Each team made a field goal, and the game entered the second quarter tied at 3-3. Sacramento State regained the lead at the end with a 34-yard field goal attempt to make the game 6-3. Brizai Whitehad six catches for 89 yards and a receiving touchdown to give NAU a 10-6 lead. With 36 seconds left in the first half, the Hornets made a 36-yard field goal, giving NAU a 10-9 lead at the half.
Northern Arizona outscored the Hornets 17-0 in the third quarter to take the lead in the game. First, Allen recovered a forced fumble. alex mcloughlin He then returned it 8 yards to the end zone.
Two plays later, it was Lewis who came up with the interception and returned it to the Hornets' red zone. From there, Tay Lanier caught a 13-yard pass from Ty Pennington He then scored, extending a 27-9 lead over the Hornets.
Pennington finished the day with an impressive 21-of-25 pass attempts for 240 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't throw an interception in five consecutive games.
Sacramento State didn't find an answer until 10:25 into the fourth quarter, when it finally found the end zone on a 20-yard reception to cut the lead to 27-16.
Darvon Hubbard With the final say, he entered the end zone with a 2-yard rush to end the game for good at 34-16.
Hubbard rushed 18 times for 79 yards and one score. Jawan Evan rushed for 49 yards on seven carries. Pennington completed passes to seven different players, led by White, and Lanier had seven catches for 69 yards.
McLaughlin had a team-leading nine tackles, along with two sacks and a fumble recovery.
As a team, the Lumberjacks had 355 yards of total offense, including 115 on the ground and 240 through the air. He was 6 of 10 on first downs and 4 of 4 in the red zone. Rye made two field goals and went 4-of-4 on extra point attempts.
Northern Arizona heads on the road next Saturday, Oct. 5, to take on No. 4/4 Idaho with a scheduled kickoff at 2:00 PM Mountain Time at Kibby Dome in Moscow, Idaho. The Vandals play at UC Davis tonight at 7 p.m.
