2013 Northern Arizona Football Schedule

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The 2013 Northern Arizona University football team will host five home games highlighted by Big Sky rival Montana on Family Weekend and games against South Dakota and North Dakota who will visit Flagstaff for the first time in program history.

"The schedule will again be challenging from start to finish with our goal set on a berth in the FCS playoffs in 2013," said Head Coach Jerome Souers. "We had several great accomplishments in 2012 but finished last season unsatisfied." 

The Lumberjacks open the season with a pair of games on the road starting with in-state rival Arizona on Aug. 30. The Wildcats are coming off an 8-5 season and a win in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. The game will be televised nationally by the Pac-12 Networks at a time to be announced.

The Wildcats will feature potential Heisman trophy candidate Ka'Deem Carey against NAU's Payton Award finalist Zach Bauman in a matchup of two of the top running backs in each level of Division I football.

After a bye week, NAU will then travel to UC Davis on Sept. 14 to play the Aggies in a non-conference game outside of the Big Sky Conference schedule.

South Dakota will visit the Walkup Skydome on Sept. 21. The Coyotes are coached by former Montana coach Joe Glenn.

"We upgraded our non-conference schedule this year," said Souers. "Playing games against Football Championship Subdivision teams UC Davis and South Dakota will not only help our team better prepare for the Big Sky season but offers our fans quality games against new FCS opponents."

Montana opens Big Sky Conference play for Family Weekend on Sept. 28 in a highly anticipated game that could draw a capacity crowd. NAU defeated the Griz on the road last season as part of a school-record tying five road wins.

The Lumberjacks travel to Montana State and Sacramento State on consecutive weeks Oct. 5 and 12. The Bobcats finished No. 5 in the country last season after reaching the FCS quarterfinals.

The Lumberjacks finish the regular season by hosting three of their final five games at home in the Walkup Skydome. NAU plays host to Idaho State on Oct. 19 for Homecoming before taking on 2012 FCS playoff participant Cal Poly on the road on Oct. 26 for the first time since the Mustangs joined the conference in 2012.

North Dakota visits Flagstaff for the first time on Nov. 2. The Lumberjacks take their second bye week of the season on Nov. 9 before Northern Colorado closes the regular season home state on Nov. 16.

NAU travels to Cedar City, Utah, to play Southern Utah in the second meeting for the Hinton Burdick Grand Canyon Trophy to end the regular season on Nov. 23.

The Lumberjacks finished with an 8-3 overall record and a No. 20 national ranking in 2012. NAU posted several milestones during the season, including winning eight consecutive games for the first time since the 1958 season (11 games). NAU also beat an NCAA FBS opponent for the first time since 1987 with its 17-14 victory on Sept. 8 over UNLV and won at Montana on Sept. 22 for the first time since 1997.

"The strides we made as a program in 2012 are going to be the foundation of an exciting season of Lumberjack football," said Souers. "Our fans are going to enjoy the team we put on the field this season."

Games times and ticket information will be announced at a later date.

The Lumberjacks begin spring practice on March 26 with the first of 15 workouts. The annual spring game will be held on April 27 at 2:30 p.m.

2013 Northern Arizona University Football Schedule (Date, Opponent, Site, Time)

Aug. 30, at Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., TBA; Sept. 14, at UC Davis, Davis, Calif., TBA; Sept. 21, SOUTH DAKOTA, FLAGSTAFF, TBA; Sept. 28, MONTANA (Family Weekend), FLAGSTAFF, TBA; Oct. 5, at Montana State, Bozeman, Mont., TBA; Oct. 12, at Sacramento State, Sacramento, Calif., TBA; Oct. 19, IDAHO STATE (Homecoming), FLAGSTAFF, TBA; Oct. 26, at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Calif., TBA; Nov. 2, NORTH DAKOTA, FLAGSTAFF, TBA; Nov. 16, NORTHERN COLORADO, FLAGSTAFF, TBA; Nov. 23, at Southern Utah, Cedar City, Utah, TBA.