Lumberjacks defeat Eagles on Homecoming in front of 9,699 fans 

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Backup quarterback Jordan Perry let the ball sail with 12 seconds left on the clock, and it landed in the hands of true freshman Dan Galindo for the game winning touchdown that lifted Northern Arizona (5-3, 3-1 Big Sky) over No. 2 Eastern Washington (7-2, 4-1 Big Sky) 28-27.

"Moments like this are rare in life," said head coach Jerome Souers. "I'm very proud of our football program, our coaches and everybody that has stuck with it. The fans stayed until the very end when things didn't look good."

NAU defended its territory and the monumental win over the Eagles granted NAU its eighth-straight regular season home win. The victory snapped a 14-game Big Sky win streak for the Eagles.

Perry entered the game with a little over 12 minutes left to go on the clock and NAU trailing 24-19, after starting quarterback Chase Cartwright exited due to injury.

"To see Jordan Perry who hasn't played quarterback in about four years and give us a chance was great," said Souers. "He put a few balls into play and the receivers made some great catches. I can't say enough about Alex (Holmes) and the offensive line has been battling through a lot, and the defensive stand that gave us the opportunity. We have a lot of respect for the Eastern Washington football program. That was a huge win for us. We're going to enjoy this moment."

In Perry's first drive as quarterback, Ryan Hawkins was able to connect on a 42-yard field goal to cut the Eagles' lead to 24-22.

Three minutes later Eastern Washington recorded a 29-yard field goal to extend its lead to 27-22 with 5:42 remaining in the game. The Lumberjacks were forced to punt giving the Eagles the ball with 4:37 left to play. Instead of going for a field goal, the Eagles went for it on 4^th and 4 on the NAU 23-yard line, but were unable to convert after Jordan West missed the hands of Cooper Kupp.

With 47 seconds left on the clock to pull out the victory, that's just what NAU did, except it only used 40 seconds.

Perry rushed for a three-yard gain, followed by a 54-yard catch by Alex that got the chains moving and the crowd on their feet. Shortly after, Perry found Galindo in the end zone for the score.

"Dan Galindo was my number one read [on the final play]," said Perry "He's got great speed. I laid it out there and he ran underneath it. We have a next man up philosophy here. Alex caught the huge play before and he was winded. On one of the final plays of the game, we throw in a true freshman and he made it happen."

EWU attempted several laterals on its final play of the game, but the Eagles fumbled the ball and Darius Lewis scooped it up to end their chances of scoring. The victory in the Walkup Skydome over the No. 2 Eagles was the highest ranked win since a 34-16 win over No. 7 Montana last season.

Perry finished 4-for-6 with 88 yards and one touchdown. Cartwright was 23-for-40 with 255 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game. Senior Ify Umodu tallied 132 receiving yards, while Alex Holmes registered 86 yards and one touchdown.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker Austin Hasquet had a team-high nine tackles, while junior safety Eddie Horn added eight. 

NAU will hit the road next weekend for a game at Weber State on Saturday, Nov. 1. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m.