No. 24/24 Lumberjacks Host Montana State in Regular-Season Home Finale
Football / November 07, 2017
| GAME 10: #24/24 Northern Arizona (6-3, 5-1 Big Sky) vs. Montana State (4-5, 4-2 Big Sky) |
GAME NOTES (PDF)
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Nov. 7, 2017) - The No. 24/24 Northern Arizona football team will be looking to get back in the win column when they play host to Montana State on Saturday, Nov. 11 in a 5 p.m. MST kickoff. The Lumberjacks-Bobcats contest will mark the final regular-season home game of the year for NAU.
Saturday's game will be televised live on Eleven Sports Network (Flagstaff Suddenlink - Channel 455), (DirectTV - Channel 623) with
Bill Doleman (play-by-play) and
Darius Walker (color) on the call.
The game will also be available on the Lumberjack Radio Network with
Mitch Strohman (play-by-play),
Kevin Stephens (color) and
Matt Howdeshell (sideline) on the call beginning with the pregame show at 4 p.m. MST.
The Lumberjacks are 4-1 at home this season entering Saturday's action with the Bobcats and have won each of the last two meetings with Montana State.
NAU OPENING DRIVE
- Northern Arizona will out to get back in win column after seeing its season-best six-game winning streak snapped in last Saturday's 17-15 loss at Montana.
- The Lumberjacks are currently 5-1 in Big Sky Conference action entering Saturday's game vs. Montana State. This season marked the second season in the Jerome Souers era that NAU has opened with at least five consecutive wins in conference play.
- NAU finds itself in a three-way tie for the Big Sky Conference lead with Southern Utah and Weber State entering Saturday's regular-season home finale with Montana State.
- The Northern Arizona football team were ranked No. 9 in the season's first edition of the 2017 NCAA FCS Selection Committee Rankings, which were announced on Nov. 2.
- The committee will reveal its next edition of the Top 10 on Thursday, Nov. 9 at halftime of the Appalachian State-Georgia Southern game, which kicks off at 5:30 p.m. MST on ESPNU.
- The final FCS Playoff selection are scheduled to be announced on Sunday, Nov. 19. A total of 24 teams will earn a berth to the postseason tournament.
- NAU has posted 400 yards or more of total offense in seven of its first nine games of 2017.
- NAU enters the weekend ranked ninth overall nationally among FCS programs in passing offense (3rd in Big Sky) with an average of 319.3 yards per game.
- Defensively, the 'Jacks lead the Big Sky and rank fifth nationally with 15 interceptions - four of which they have returned for touchdowns.
- The Lumberjacks enter the weekend ranked 17th nationally (6th in Big Sky) among leaders in total offense (445.4) and 25th nationally (4th in Big Sky) in scoring offense (32.9).
- NAU sits 55th nationally (2nd in Big Sky) in total defense (361.1) and 56th nationally (3rd in Big Sky) in scoring defense (25.7).
- The 'Jacks passing defense is slotted 11th nationally (1st in Big Sky) in passing yards allowed (163.3).
LAST MEETING VS. MONTANA STATE
OCTOBER 8, 2016 - Bozeman, Mont. - Bobcat Stadium
- NAU running back Joe Logan scored a pair of touchdowns and kicker Griffin Roehler connected on two field goals (37 yards and 31 yards) as the Lumberjacks took home a 20-14 on the road at Montana State.
- The NAU defense, which was led by Xavier Stephens three fumble recoveries, limited the Bobcats to just 286 total yards and forced a total of four turnovers in the victory.
- Logan paced the offense with 147 rushing on 21 carries (7.0 average per rush).
MONTANA STATE SERIES INFO
- Northern Arizona and Montana State will be meeting for the 50th time in the program's history when the square off Saturday in Flagstaff.
- Northern Arizona leads the all-time series with the Bobcats 26-23 overall and have won the last two meetings.
- The Lumberjacks defeated Montana State by a 20-14 margin on Oct. 8 in Bozeman in the most recent meeting between the programs and posted a 49-41 victory in Flagstaff on Oct. 3, 2015.
- The 'Jacks last dropped a game against the Bobcats on Oct. 5, 2013 by a 36-7 count on the road. The last home loss vs. Montana State came on Oct. 15, 2011 (41-24).
SOUERS ALL-TIME AT HOME
- NAU head coach Jerome Souers has tallied an all-time mark of 70-35 during his 19-plus seasons at the helm in Flagstaff.
- Souers has posted winning home records in 17 of his first 19 seasons in charge of the Lumberjack football program and enters Saturday's regular-season home finale vs. Montana State 4-1 at home in 2017.
- The only losing records came during the 1999 (2-3) and 2000 (2-4) seasons. The 1999 record included one loss that was due to forfeit for having an ineligible player in the lineup.
LUMBERJACKS AT HOME IN 2017
- NAU boasts a record of 4-1 in home games during the 2017 season entering Saturday's regular-season home finale vs. Montana State.
- The 'Jacks have outscored their opponents 187-122 over the initial five home contests.
- Northern Arizona has dominated the second (68-33) and fourth (55-21) quarters in the five home games entering Saturday.
- NAU has posted 120 first downs at home this season while limiting its opponents to just 91.
- The Lumberjacks have tallied 1,595 passing yards at the Skydome in 2017 while limiting their opponents to 1,037.
WIN STREAK SNAPPED AT SIX IN MISSOULA
- Northern Arizona saw its season-best six-game winning streak snapped following a 17-15 loss at Montana on Nov. 4.
- The Lumberjacks were 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 EJECTED IN LOSS AT MONTANA
- Northern Arizona sophomore quarterback Case Cookus was ejected on a questionable targeting call in the Lumberjacks' 17-15 setback at Montana on Nov. 4.
- Cookus was tossed following a peel-back block on a reverse with 7:34 remaining in the opening quarter.
- Cookus is believed to be the first quarterback ejected for targeting even though the NCAA does not track such items.
LUMBERJACKS SLIP TO NO. 24 IN FCS COACHES TOP 25, NO. 24 IN STATS POLL
- The Lumberjacks fell eight spots to No. 24 in the most recent FCS Coaches Poll, which was released Nov. 6.
- Northern Arizona received a total of 85 points - 18 behind No. 23 Kennesaw State.
- In addition, this week's STATS FCS Top 25 saw Northern Arizona ranked No. 24 as well, receiving 581 points.
- 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).
- The week of Oct. 30 the 'Jacks were ranked No. 16 (Coaches) and No. 18 (STATS) which represented the highest that the 'Jacks have been ranked since they checked in at No. 8 on Nov. 30, 2013.
