NAU Game Notes vs. Arizona (PDF)

Radio: 105.1 The Big Talker. Satellite Radio: SIRIUS 216, XM 194 Television: FSAZ and FOX College Sports – FCS Atlantic

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona football team opens the 2011 season against a talented Arizona team in Tucson Saturday night at 7 p.m. The game is televised by Fox Sports Arizona and Fox College Sports Atlantic and can be heard on 105.1 The Big Talker in Flagstaff and online.

"First games are always tough," said Head Coach Jerome Souers. "When we play a team of this nature, we have to put our best foot forward. We are playing a very talented, well coached football team. To give ourselves an opportunity to win we have to be good at all phases of what we do."

NAU and Arizona will be meeting for the 12th time in school history. The two schools have played 11 times dating back to 1931. The two schools met for the first time since 1945 in 2002 and are playing for the sixth time in 10 seasons. Arizona has won 10 of the 11 meetings, posting a combined score of 351-84. Northern Arizona's lone victory in the series came in 1932 with a 7-6 victory in Phoenix.

The Lumberjacks will face an offensive unit that boasts quarterback Nick Foles, who threw for 3,191 yards and 20 touchdowns last season, and Biletnikoff Award candidate Juron Criner.

"Criner is by far the best receiver we will see and is probably the best receiver in the Pac 12 or the entire country," said Defensive Coordinator Andy Thompson. "It is a good challenge and an opportunity. We do not have anything to lose. We have some young guys that we feel have played well and they are going to get an opportunity to see how the best is because he is definitely one of the best."

Thompson is looking forward to the challenge and evaluating his squad in a tough environment.

"We want to be as fundamentally sound as we can with our tackling, coverage and run defense," said Thompson. "We don't want to give them big plays and make earn everything they are going to earn. As a defense, we want to see how we respond to some adversity. It is a tough environment going down there. It is exciting but I want to see how guys are when there is a little pressure."

Junior Cary Grossart has been named the starting quarterback for the Arizona game and will make his first career start on Saturday. The fourth-year player saw action in one game last season, going 3-for-4 for 58 yards against Western New Mexico.

Also making his first career start is offensive lineman Kyle Walker, who is a Tucson native and graduate of Sabino High School.

"It means everything to me," said Walker of making his first collegiate start in Tucson. "I never thought it would happen. It has taken a lot of hard work and listening to the coaching. I listen to everything Coach Reid says and get better. It is my hometown and my whole family is going to be there."

NAU has three players on its roster from Tucson/Southern Arizona area high schools. Walker, senior tight end Brian Riley (Catalina Foothills) and long snapper Ben Bachelier (Nogales) will all start at their positions. Riley was an All-Big Sky honorable mention selection in 2008 as a redshirt freshman, seeing action in all 11 games with two starts. Bachelier's father and grandfather played baseball at Arizona.

"We do not have a lot of numbers from Tucson but the guys we have had have been very successful in our program," said Souers. "I am excited for Ben, Brian and Kyle to be in their hometown and be in front of a lot of family."

Overall, NAU returns 11 starters and 38 letter winners from the 2010 squad that recorded a 6-5 overall record. The Lumberjacks placed a Big Sky-best four student-athletes on the All-Big Sky Preseason offensive unit led by sophomore running back Zach Bauman. Fullback Vinnie Paciulli, offensive guard Alex Mott and wide receiver Austin Shanks were also named to the team. Senior defensive lineman Isaac Bond was the lone selection on the defensive side of the ball.

Hammer Time...

NAU Defensive Coordinator Andy Thompson played for UA assistant Jeff Hammerschmidt during his senior season at Montana in 2003. He credits Hammerschmidt with his desire to get into coaching following his career. Thompson, who has coached 16 student-athletes to 21 All-Big Sky honors at NAU, produced his best unit to date in 2010 with one of the top defenses in the Big Sky.

"Jeff Hammerschmidt has been a mentor for me," said Thompson. "He was our defensive coordinator my senior year. I learned a lot from him. He is a very creative coach how he instructs everybody and always has a positive outlook. He was a huge influence on me wanting to be a college coach."

Where is Everybody?...

Senior linebacker Scott McKeever is the top returning tackler on the team with 52 last season, but the Lumberjacks lost five of the top six tacklers on the team overall from a senior-laden defense. McKeever is the lone starter at linebacker from a squad that bolstered a position group that had four of the top six on the team.