FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 11, 2017) – The No. 24/24 Northern Arizona football team outlasted Montana State 37-36 in a thrilling game on Saturday night at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome that put the Lumberjacks in a position to claim at least a share of the Big Sky Conference regular season title with a win at Southern Utah next weekend.

Montana State scored a touchdown on a 21-yard reception by Kevin Kassis with just 32 seconds remaining in regulation to make the score 37-36 in favor of NAU, but the Bobcats opted to go for the win and attempted a two-point conversion and came away empty when Lumberjack linebacker Damahny Whittle pressured MSU quarterback Chris Murray into an errant toss to seal the victory.

The back and forth affair featured a total of three ties and six lead changes.

"We are excited to have an opportunity to finish the season strong and we worked very hard for this moment," NAU head coach Jerome Souers said.  "I am not going to say we played well, but we played hard and we played with great emotion and I am proud of my team.  It was a crazy Big Sky Conference game between two really good teams."

With the victory, the 'Jacks move to 7-3 overall and 6-1 in Big Sky Conference action.  The loss drops Montana State to 4-6 on the season and 4-3 in league games. 

NAU (7-3, 6-1 Big Sky) is now is a deadlock with Weber State and Southern Utah for first place atop the Big Sky standings.  The Wildcats close out the regular season next Saturday at home vs. Idaho State in a 2 p.m. MST kickoff, while the Lumberjacks will kick off 30 minutes later at 2:30 p.m. on the road against Southern Utah.

Sophomore running back Joe Logan helped lead the 'Jacks to the victory over the Bobcats with a season-high 142 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns, while averaging 7.5 yards per carry.  It marked his third 100-plus yard ground game this season.

Through the air, sophomore quarterback Case Cookus completed 23-of-38 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown.  Senior Elijah Marks continued to be his top target as he pulled down nine catches for 123 yards, his seventh 100-yard receiving performance in 10 games this season.

The Bobcats, who entered the game as the Big Sky's second-ranked rushing offense, averaging 235.8 yards per contest, posted 193 yards on the ground in the opening 30 minutes, but the NAU defense clamped down in the second half and limited Montana State to just 107 yards over the final 30 minutes.  

Sophomore linebacker Taylor Powell led the way for the defense with a team-high nine tackles.  Overall, the NAU defense piled up a total of seven tackles for loss (-25 yards).
 
Following a missed 31-yard field goal attempt by Montana State on its opening drive, Cookus directed the 'Jacks on a 14-play, 65-yard march by connecting on 5-of-7 passes, including a 20-yard strike to Jonathan Baldwin.  Sophomore Griffin Roehler connected on a 31-yard field goal with 1:05 left in the opening quarter.

Montana State (4-6, 4-3 Big Sky) answered on the following drive on a 20-yard touchdown run by Murray, which a capped a short three-play, 75-yard drive that was sparked by a 46-yard run by Nick LaSane.

Junior running back Cory Young put the Lumberjacks back in the lead at 10-7 with 4:01 left before half with  his team-leading eighth touchdown of the season (seventh rushing TD) on a two-yard run to close out an 11-play drive that went 81 yards.  The drive was aided by the second roughing the punter penalty called against the Bobcats and a 26-yard completion from Cookus to freshman Chancellor Brewington.

Murray added his second rushing score of the day on the ensuing drive as he scampered through the 'Jacks defense for a 25-yard touchdown run with 41 ticks remaining until halftime to give the Bobcats a 14-10 advantage.

Logan answered for the 'Jacks on the very next play as he broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run – the longest run of the season for NAU and his career.  The following extra point attempt was blocked and scooped up and returned the distance by Montana State's Bryson McCabe 98 yards for two points to send the teams into the locker room at intermission deadlocked at 16-16.

LaSane got things started quickly after halftime for the Bobcats as he ripped off a career-long 74-yard run on the second play of the third quarter before being tackled on the NAU one-yard line.  He punched it in for the score on the following play to give Montana State a 23-16, just 57 seconds into the second half.

The Lumberjacks knotted the game once again at 23-23 with 10:14 left in the third as Cookus connected with Brewington on a seven-yard touchdown strike to finish off a 84-yard drive that saw Marks pull down three receptions for a total of 46 yards.
Cookus gave the 'Jacks their first lead of the second half with a four-yard touchdown run on a draw play up the middle, capping off a 79-yard drive with 4:24 left in the third to give NAU a 30-23 edge.  Marks forced MSU into a pair of pass interference calls on the drive to set up Cookus' second rushing score of the season.

Bobcats' quarterback Murray once again tied the game at 30-30 as he capitalized on a blown coverage in the NAU secondary to connect with a wide open Jabarri Johnson for a 36-yard reception just 1:42 into the fourth.  The drive saw Montana State record a total of 78 passing yards on three plays after only managing to post 62 yards in the air over the opening three quarters of action.

Logan gave the lead back to NAU for good with his second rushing touchdown of the evening and his sixth this season, this one from two-yards out with 4:49 left on the clock to make the score 37-30 in favor of the 'Jacks.  Cookus connected with Marks for 21 yards and Brewington for 30 to set up the score.

The Lumberjacks will travel to face Southern Utah in the final game of the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 18 in a 2:30 p.m. kickoff at Eccles Coliseum in Cedar City, Utah.  With a victory, Northern Arizona will claim at least a share of the Big Sky Conference regular season title.

The Big Sky clash between Northern Arizona and Southern Utah will be televised live on Eleven Sports Network (Suddenlink Channel 455 in Flagstaff) and will also be available via the Lumberjack Radio Network beginning with the pregame show at 1:30 p.m. MST.
 
Postgame Notes – Montana State 

• Saturday's game between Northern Arizona and Montana State marked the 50^th all-time meeting in the series between the programs in the sport of football.
• Saturday's game between NAU and Montana State featured a total of three ties and six lead changes.
• Saturday's game marked NAU's annual senior day as members of the 2017 Lumberjack Senior Class were honored prior to the game.
• The 2017 NAU senior class included Hunter Burton, Byron Evans, Elijah Marks, Neal Murphy, Blake Porter, Andy Rodriguez, Tyler Shank, Clarence Smith, Gerrit Groenewold, Spencer Havird, Emmanuel Butler and Nick Davis.
• Senior receiver Elijah Marks nine receptions moved him past Ify Umodu (136) into sole possession of ninth place on the NAU career receptions list with his current total of 145.
• Sophomore running back Joe Logan's 75-yard touchdown run marked the longest rush by a Lumberjack this season.
• Logan's 75-yard touchdown run was the longest of his NAU career besting a 72-yard scoring jaunt vs. New Mexico Highlands in 2016.
• Junior running back Cory Young recorded his team-leading eighth touchdown (seventh rushing) of the season with his two-yard scoring run in the second quarter.
• Montana State posted 193 rushing yards on 22 carries in the first half (8.8 average) in the first half of Saturday's game.
• Northern Arizona rumbled for a total of 146 first-half rushing yards for a 7.0-yard average.
• Montana State's Jalen Cole was ejected with 10:58 left in the third quarter for targeting.
• NAU quarterback Case Cookus' TD pass moved him into a tie with Greg Wayatt (70) for third place on the NAU career touchdown pass list with his current total of 70.
• Senior Elijah Marks totaled 123 yards receiving to increase his career total to 2,273 and move past both Gibbons St. Paul (2,198) and Alex Watson (2,205) into seventh place on the NAU career receiving yards list.
• In addition, Marks totaled 123 all-purpose yards to push him past Allan Clark (3,575) into sixth place among the Lumberjacks all-time all-purpose leaders with his current career total of 3,675.
• NAU's Logan finished with 142 yards on the ground – his third 100-yard plus rushing effort of the season.
• Case Cookus registered his second rushing touchdown of the season with his four-yard rush in the third quarter.
• NAU posted 549 yards of total offense against Montana State – the eighth time in 10 games this season it has tallied at least 400 yards.
• Elijah Marks notched his seventh 100-yard receiving performance of the season with nine catches for a total of 123 yards.
• Case Cookus' fourth quarter interception marked just the second time he has been picked off over the last eight games.
• NAU received a total of seven first downs via penalty in Saturday's game vs. Montana State.
• Montana State's 36 points marked just the third time in nine games this season that the Lumberjacks have allowed 30 or more points to an opponent this season.
• NAU's 235 yards rushing yards marked its most in game this season – eclipsing its previous best effort of 202 vs. UC Davis (10/21/17).
• The Lumberjacks finished with a 5-1 home record this regular season following Saturday's win.