Lumberjacks Host Bears in Big Sky Home Opener Saturday
Football / September 26, 2017
| GAME 4: Northern Arizona (1-2, 1-0 BIG SKY) vs. Northern Colorado (2-1, 1-0 BIG SKY) |
GAME NOTES (PDF)
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The Northern Arizona football team will kick off the home portion of the 2017 Big Sky Conference schedule when it hosts Northern Colorado on Saturday afternoon in a 4 p.m. PT start at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff.
Saturday's Big Sky home opener will be televised live on Phoenix's CW6 (Suddenlink/Flagstaff Channel 6) & NAU-TV (Suddenlink/Flagstaff Channel 4).
The game will also be aired on the Lumberjack Radio Network beginning with the pregame show at 3 p.m., hosted by the voice of the Lumberjacks
Mitch Strohman and
Kevin Stephens.
Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado will be meeting for the 18
th time in history when they square off on Saturday in Flagstaff – with the Lumberjacks leading the all-time series 14-3. The Lumberjacks posted 11 consecutive wins in the all-time series through the 2014 season before the Bears captured two of the last three meetings overall.
NAU is a perfect 8-0 at home in the all-time series vs. UNC entering Saturday's clash.
Northern Arizona is 32-15 all-time in Big Sky home openers and has posted victories in six of its last seven such games overall. The Lumberjacks last faced Northern Colorado in a conference home opener during the 2007 campaign and defeated the Bears 34-14 on Sept. 22.
NORTHERN COLORADO SERIES NOTES
Northern Arizona leads the all-time series with the Bears 14-3 but Northern Colorado has posted victories in two of the last three meetings overall.
The Lumberjacks posted 11 consecutive wins in the all-time series prior to the 24-17 setback on Oct. 4, 2014.
The two programs have played in each of the last 11 seasons - prior to that, Northern Arizona last battled Northern Colorado during the 1987 season. The first meeting between te programs came back in 1964 - a 45-7 NAU win.
NAU is a perfect 8-0 at home in the all-time series vs. UNC entering Saturday's clash.
COLORADO CONNECTIONS
The Lumberjacks boost one player from the state of Colorado in senior wide receiver Hunter Burton. Burton played his prep ball at Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colo. Cherry Creek HS boosts nine state championships in football, with the most recent coming in 2014.
Northern Colorado also boasts a pair of players from Cherry Crekk High School including freshman safety Trey Adams and junior tight end Michael McCauley.
SUTTON HONORED AS BIG SKY POW
Junior Wes Sutton was named the Big Sky ROOT SPORTS Defensive Player of the Week announced by the conference office on Monday following his performance in the Northern Arizona football team's first win of the season on 9/23 at Cal Poly.
Sutton led a Lumberjack defense that limited Cal Poly's triple option attack to just 3.2 yards per carry in the 28-10 road victory. He registered seven tackles, including two tackles for a loss of five yards. His biggest play of the game though came with six minutes left in the fourth quarter when he intercepted Cal Poly's Khaleel Jenkins in the endzone to halt a Mustang drive that could have made it a two-possession game. Sutton's interception resulted in Jenkins' first pick of the season as NAU secured a win in its Big Sky opener.
The weekly award is the first of Sutton's career. For the season, through three games, Sutton is second on the team with 20 total tackles.
HALT THE STREAK
NAU avoided its first 0-3 start since 1971 by defeating Cal Poly, 28-10, on Sept. 23 in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
This is just the third 0-2 start during head coach Jerome Souers' 20 years and first since 2006.
