Postgame Notes

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – No. 25 Northern Arizona (7-3, 5-1 Big Sky) led by as many as 13 points in the first half, as it held on for a 23-21 victory over UC Davis (1-8, 0-5 Big Sky) at the Walkup Skydome in the Lumberjacks' Hall of Fame Game.

"Our goal for the week was to get a win and we got one," said head coach Jerome Souers. "We wanted to start out faster, and I think we did that. There were some times in the third and fourth quarters where we had some execution issues; we credit our opponent. They are a well-coached team."

Junior quarterback Jordan Perry finished 23-for-36 in his second career start. He recorded 208 yards and threw a pair of touchdowns, as he helped NAU stay undefeated at home this season.

"We talked all week about coming out with a fast start. We haven't really done that all season," said Perry. "We came out and we did. We can't really complain about that. We have to fix up the second half, and a lot of that's on me. We'll get back, watch some film and move onto the next game."

The Lumberjacks were able to make their way down the field early on, but they had to settle for field goals, rather than touchdowns. Junior Ryan Hawkins hit back-to-back field goals (37 and 41 yards) to give NAU a 6-0 lead after the first quarter.

NAU stretched its lead to 13-0 after a 52-yard pass from Jordan Perry to senior wide receiver Ify Umodu saw the wide receiver glide into the end zone with no defenders in sight. The score was the first touchdown of the game and Umodu's fourth of the season.

UC Davis interrupted NAU's scoring spree when Gabe Manzanares connected with Mark Martindale on a 29-yard touchdown pass with 8:23 remaining in the first half.

NAU was able to score two more times before the end of the half.

Perry found senior tight end Beau Gardner for his second thrown touchdown of the day and a 13-point lead for the Lumberjacks.

A minute and a half later, junior safety Eddie Horn intercepted Ben Scott's pass and ran it back 38 yards for his third pick of the season. The interception led to a 33-yard field goal by Hawkins and a 23-7 halftime lead.

The Aggies controlled the ball well in the second half, which led to a pair of touchdown combos between Scott and Ramon Vargas. UC Davis' final touchdown came with 8:56 left in the game. The Aggies attempted to move the ball up the field on their final drive, but senior cornerback Blake Bailey picked the ball off ending any hopes of an Aggie comeback.

Umodu led NAU with 76 receiving yards, while redshirt freshman Corbin Jountti tallied 58 rushing yards and an additional 23 receiving yards. Craig Frum had a team-high eight tackles, including a six-yard sack.

"We just focus on going 1-0 each week," said Umodu. "We are 0-0 at the beginning of each week. It's a new week, and there are new opportunities for us. We can't let up and we can't be content with what we've done all season. Right now, it's a great win, but next week we're 0-0. We have to get that win to be 1-0 again."

UCD's Scott finished 18-for-29 with two interceptions, 204 yards and two touchdowns. Vargas added 97 receiving yards, as he scored two of the Aggies' three touchdowns.

The Lumberjacks will head to North Dakota next weekend. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. NAU's final home game will be played on Saturday, Nov. 22 against Southern Utah.