No. 16/18 Lumberjacks Hit the Road to Battle Montana
Football / November 01, 2017
| GAME 9: #16/18 Northern Arizona (6-2, 5-0 Big Sky) at Montana (5-3, 3-2 Big Sky) |
GAME NOTES (PDF)
LUMBERJACK WATCH PARTY INFORMATION
- NAU fans can watch their Lumberjacks on the road during all away games at the following locations for the official NAU Football Away Game Watch Parties!
- Lumberjack road football games will be streamed live at each of the following locations:
- Buffalo Wild Wings, 2700 S Woodlands Village Blvd., Flagstaff
- Majestic Marketplace, 601 E Piccadilly Dr., Flagstaff
- The Oakmont, 2380 N. Oakmont Dr., Flagstaff, AZ 86004
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Nov. 1, 2017) - The No. 16/18 Northern Arizona football team will travel to battle Montana on Saturday, November 4 in a critical Big Sky contest. The Lumberjacks will be looking to run their current winning streak to seven consecutive games.
Kickoff is set for 2:38 p.m. MST at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula.
Saturday's game will be televised live on ROOT Sports Northwest (DirecTV - 687/688) (Dish Network - 412-16).
The game will also be available on the Lumberjack Radio Network with
Mitch Strohman (play-by-play),
Kevin Stephens (color) and
Anthony DeFazio (sideline) on the call beginning with the pregame show at 1:30 p.m. MST.
The Lumberjacks are 2-1 on the road this season entering Saturday's action with the Grizzlies and have won three of the last four meetings with Montana.
Northern Arizona will be looking for its first seven-game winning streak since the 2012 season when they take on the Grizzlies. The Lumberjacks are currently the only undefeated team in Big Sky Conference play with an unblemished record of 5-0 in league action.
NAU OPENING DRIVE
- Northern Arizona will be seeking its seventh consecutive victory as it travels to take on Montana in a critical Big Sky Conference clash on Saturday in Missoula.
- NAU's current six-game win streak is tied for fourth longest during Jerome Souers' coaching tenure (eight in 2012, six in 2008 and 2013, five in 1999, 2003 and 2017).
- The Lumberjacks will be looking to push their current winning streak to seven Saturday vs. the Grizzlies which would be their longest since running off eight straight during the 2012 season.
- The Lumberjacks are currently 5-0 in Big Sky Conference action entering Saturday's game vs. Sacramento State. It marks the second season in the Jerome Souers era that NAU has opened with at least five consecutive wins in conference play.
- The Lumberjacks' current six-game winning streak marks their longest since the 2013 season – which was also the last time NAU qualified for the NCAA FCS Playoffs.
- NAU has posted 400 yards or more of total offense in seven of its first eight games of 2017.
- NAU enters the weekend ranked sixth overall nationally among FCS programs in passing offense (3rd in Big Sky) with an average of 341.4 yards per game.
- Defensively, the 'Jacks lead the Big Sky and rank fourth nationally with 14 interceptions - four of which they have returned for touchdowns.
- The Lumberjacks enter the weekend ranked 12th nationally (5th in Big Sky) among leaders in total offense (460.9) and 18th nationally (2nd in Big Sky) in scoring offense (35.1).
- NAU sits 68th nationally (2nd in Big Sky) in total defense (379.0) and 63rd nationally (3rd in Big Sky) in scoring defense (26.8).
- The 'Jacks passing defense is slotted 15th nationally (1st in Big Sky) in passing yards allowed (178.3).
LAST MEETING VS. MONTANA
October 22, 2016 - Flagstaff - Walkup Skydome
- The Lumberjacks handed the No. 10 ranked Montana Grizzlies a 45-34 setback to run its winning streak to three consecutive games and up their overall record to 4-4 overall.
- The win marked the 111th in the career of NAU head coach Jerome Souers, tying him for the most in Big Sky history.
- Joe Logan led the 'Jacks on the ground in the victory with 114 yards on 12 carries.
- Blake Kemp hit four different receivers for touchdown in the victory and finished with 259 yards overall.
- His top target was William Morehead who made five receptions for a total of 125 yards and a TD.
- James Banks paced the defense with a team-best eight tackles.
MONTANA SERIES INFO
- Northern Arizona and Montana will be meeting for the 50th time in the program's history when the square off Saturday in Missoula.
- Northern Arizona trails the all-time series with Montana 35-14 but have won three of the last four meetings overall entering Saturday's tilt.
- The Lumberjacks defeated the Grizzlies 45-34 in the most recent meeting in 2016 in Flagstaff.
- The 'jacks dropped their last visit to Missoula 23-14 in 2015 but defeated the Grizzlies 41-31 in the preceding road game in 2013.
LETS MAKE IT SEVEN IN A ROW
- The Lumberjacks are seeking their first seven-game winning streak since 2012 when it posted eight straight wins against UNLV, Fort Lewis, Montana, Portland State, North Dakota, UC Davis, Northern Colorado and Idaho State from Sept. 8 - Nov. 23.
- The 'Jacks also posted a six-game winning streak during the 2013 season.
- The 2013 season was also the last time that NAU qualified for the NCAA FCS Playoffs.
COOKUS ON FIRE
- NAU QB Case Cookus has tossed a total of 17 touchdown passes during Northern Arizona's current six-game winning streak – while committing only a single interception.
- Overall, Cookus has gone a total of 299 pass attempts while allowing only a single interception entering Saturday's game vs. Montana.
- Cookus has totaled 2,104 passing yards and a QB rating of 145.16 over the six victories.
LUMBERJACKS RISE TO NO. 16 IN FCS COACHES TOP 25, NO. 18 IN STATS POLL
- The Lumberjacks rose eight spots to No. 16 in the most recent FCS Coaches Poll, which was released Oct. 30.
- Northern Arizona received a total of 201 points - 57 behind No. 15 Samford.
- In addition, this week's STATS FCS Top 25 saw Northern Arizona ranked for the first time this season as the Lumberjacks checked in at No. 18 while receiving 1,134 points.
- The pair of national rankings represented the highest that the 'Jacks have been ranked since they checked in at No. 8 on Nov. 30, 2013.
- Northern Arizona is one of four Big Sky teams ranked in both the FCS Coaches Poll and the STATS Top 25 along with Eastern Washington, Weber State and Southern Utah.
- NAU made its first appearance of the 2017 season in the FCS Coaches Top 25 at No. 24 (40 points) in the poll which was released Oct. 9.
- The last time the Lumberjacks were ranked in the FCS Coaches Top 25 prior to this season was during Week 4 of the 2016 when it was slotted at No. 25 (Sept. 19, 2016).
ALL-PURPOSE MARKS
- Senior wide receiver Elijah Marks leads all players in the FCS with an average of 184.3 all-purpose yards per game.
- Marks has tallied a total of 945 receiving yards, 279 kickoff return yards, 62 punt returns yards and four rushing yards while seeing action in eight games overall.
COOKUS NAMES TO MIDSEASON WATCH LIST FOR NATIONAL PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
- Sophomore quarterback Case Cookus has been named to the 36-player midseason watch list for the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) FCS National Performer of the Year.
- The 2017 CFPA FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy is a 22-inch K-9 optic crystal tower with eight-inch crystal football on top.
- All FCS players are eligible for the award. The winner will be announced January 10, 2018.
- Cookus was the 2015 recipient of the of the CFPA National Performer of the Year award.
DEFENSE PLAYING LIKE ITS 1995
- The NAU defense has limited five of its last six opponents to 20 points or less following last Saturday's 37-17 win over Sacramento State.
- The UC Davis game snapped a stretch of four consecutive games in which the 'Jacks defense limited their opponents to 20 points or less.
- The last time that the Lumberjacks defense had posted four consecutive games allowing 20 points or less came back during the 1995 season when it pulled the trick against Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State and Weber State in succession from Oct. 21 - Nov. 11, 1995.
- The last time NAU had five straight games with an opponent held to 20 points or less was also during the 1995 season against Sacramento State, Abilene Christian, CSU Northridge, Montana State and Boise State (Sept. 9 - Oct. 7).
BALL HAWK LUMBERJACKS
- The Lumberjacks secondary enters Saturday's game against Montana ranked fourth nationally (first in Big Sky) in interceptions (14) and 15th nationally (1st in Big Sky) in passing yards allowed (178.3).
- Over the current six-game winning streak, NAU has pulled down 12 of those 14 interceptions and has returned four for touchdowns. NAU had a total of eight picks all of last season (2016).
- Junior Kam'ron Johnson leads the Lumberjacks with a team-best four interceptions.
LUMBERJACK AIR FLYING HIGH
- Northern Arizona ranks sixth among all FCS programs nationally with an average of 341.4 passing yards per contest through eight games.
- The Lumberjacks have tossed for over 300 yards in five of eight games this season.
- Sophomore quarterback Case Cookus ranks seventh nationally with an average of 328.9 passing yards per game and 13th with 19 passing TDs.
- Senior receiver Elijah Marks sits second among national FCS leaders with an average of 135.0 receiving yards per contest and fourth in total receiving yards (945).
- Marks also sits sixth among FCS National leaders with an average of 7.7 receptions per contest.
