OGDEN, Utah – With winds blowing over 20 miles per hour, plus a dose of rain in the second half Northern Arizona (6-3, 4-1 Big Sky) was able to overcome a 22-0 deficit to start the game to capture the 29-22 win over Weber State (0-9, 0-5 Big Sky) at Stewart Stadium.

In a game in which the two teams hadn't played since 2011, it was definitely a battle as the Wildcats fought hard to try and earn their first win of the season. 

"I thought they (the team) did a great job of not panicking," said head coach Jerome Souers. "Weber State came out with a fine game play. They came out with a fly sweep option game that we had not practiced, which enabled them to move the ball against us."

Weber State racked up 174 yards in the first 11 minutes of the game while holding NAU to 14. The Wildcats ran the ball well in the first drive in particular to gain an early lead.

After scoring on a six-yard run, the Wildcats were successful on a two-point conversion to go up 8-0. On the next drive, Weber State recorded an eight-yard touchdown to extend its lead on NAU to 15-0 with 4:03 left in the first quarter.

NAU cornerback Marcus Alford intercepted the Wildcats' pass in the end zone at the 14:19 mark of the second quarter for his third pick of the season. The interception led to a 12-play 80-yard drive, which resulted in a two-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Perry to Patrick Baldenegro.

Later on in the second quarter, redshirt freshman Corbin Jountti outran the Wildcat defenders and made his way 14 yards into the end zone to score the Lumberjacks' second touchdown of the game. 

One minute and 45 seconds later, NAU's Beau Gardner caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Perry to bring the Lumberjacks to within two points. NAU could kick a PAT or go for the two-point conversion – it chose the two-point conversion – and Ryan Hawkins faked a kick and found Gardner for the score. 

Where NAU struggled in rushing yards, it made up for it in passing yards. Perry completed 15-of-18 passes for 174 yards and two thrown touchdowns in the first half.

The Lumberjacks continued its scoring spree when fullback Nick Butier found the end zone on a one-yard rush midway through the third quarter for the final score of the game.

The Wildcats had one last chance to tie the game towards the end, but NAU's defense stepped up big halting any chance of a comeback for Weber State.

The win is the third straight for NAU, while Weber State is still looking for its first win of the season.

Perry finished 23-for-29 with 239 yards and a pair of thrown touchdowns. Casey Jahn and Jountti each rushed for over 80 yards, while Butier was the top receiver at 42 yards. Eddie Horn tallied nine tackles, while Darius Lewis added eight.

"I thought that when JP had time to throw that he made some great decisions and throws," said Souers. "We had some nice catches. Beau caught some really nice passes, but I'm really proud of all of our guys."

The Lumberjacks return home to the Walkup Skydome on Saturday, November 8 for its Hall of Fame game versus UC Davis. Kickoff versus the Aggies is slated for 2:05 p.m. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday is UC Davis assistant coach Dan Finn, who played for the Lumberjacks from 1994-97.