FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Sept. 30, 2017) – Senior
Elijah Marks (Goodyear, Ariz.) rang up 106 yards receiving and a touchdown while adding a 100-yard kickoff return for another score as the Northern Arizona football team posted a convincing 48-20 win over Northern Colorado on Saturday in Big Sky Conference action at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome.
The win marked the Lumberjacks' second straight and improved their overall record to 2-2 while moving to a perfect 2-0 in conference play. The Bears slip to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big Sky.
"I am proud of our program," NAU head coach
Jerome Souers said. "After the Cal Poly game we had some guys dinged up with injuries so things that could have slowed us down, but we had the next man step up on our depth chart. We had a couple of guys on the defensive line who hadn't played all year and stepped in and did a stellar job."
NAU jumped out to a quick 20-0 lead in the first half and never looked back as sophomore
Case Cookus (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) tossed all three of his scoring strikes in the opening 30 minutes – upping his season touchdown total to nine through the first four games.
Cookus hit three different receivers for scores including a nine-yard toss to
Jonathan Baldwin (Paso Robles, Calif.), capping a six-play, 43-yard drive to open the scoring with 4:54 remaining in the first quarter.
Marks followed with a 21-yard reception for a score, his third of the season, to up the NAU advantage to 14-0 with 3:40 remaining until halftime.
William Morehand (Lakewood, Calif.) closed out the first-half scoring for the Lumberjacks with a 10-yard touchdown catch, his first of the season.
Northern Colorado managed to get on the scoreboard with a 15-yard reception by Frank Stephens for a score with 30 seconds remaining before intermission to trim the NAU advantage to 20-7 at the break.
The Lumberjacks outgained the Bears 256-172 over the initial 30 minutes and finished the game with 437 yards of total offense – marking the third time in four games this season they have eclipsed the 400-yard mark.
Northern Colorado (2-2, 1-1 Big Sky) opened the second half scoring with a seven-yard scoring run by Trae Riek, making the score 20-14 before Marks responded on the ensuing kickoff with his 100-yard return for a score to give NAU a 27-14 edge.
Marks return tied for the longest scoring play in NAU history, matching Len Raney (1994 vs. Idaho State) and Randy Ferrell (1974 vs. Drake), who each also posted 100-yard runbacks on kickoffs.
Junior
Cory Young (Corona, Calif.) and Cookus each added a rushing touchdown in the win.
The NAU defense, which forced three turnovers in the victory, limited Northern Colorado to just a pair of field goals the rest of the way before sophomore linebacker
Taylor Powell (Tucson, Ariz.) iced the victory with an 85-yard interception return for a score – which tied for the fifth longest in NAU history (Joe Walker vs. Portland State/1978).
Northern Arizona moves to a perfect 9-0 at home in the all-time series vs. UNC with Saturday's win and 33-15 in Big Sky Conference home openers.
The Lumberjacks return to the Skydome turf next weekend when they host Missouri Valley Conference member No. 8/12 Illinois State in a 4 p.m. PT kickoff on Saturday, October 7.
POSTGAME NOTES
- NAU quarterback Case Cookus tossed all three of his touchdown passes in the first half. He now has tallied a total of nine through the first four games this season.
- Cookus now has 10 career touchdown passes over two games against Northern Colorado (seven in 2015, three in 2017).
- Jonathan Baldwin's nine-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter marked his third of the season.
- Elijah Marks' 21-yard pass from Case Cookus in the second quarter marked his third of the season.
- William Morehand's 10-yard touchdown catch on the second quarter marked his first this season.
- Kam'ron Johnson's second quarter interception marked his third interception through four games this season.
- Elijah Marks 100-yard kickoff return marked the first of his career and the first for NAU since Oct. 26, 2013 vs. Cal Poly (Marcus Alford/100 yards).
- Marks' kickoff return of 100 yards tied for the longest scoring play in NAU history matching 100-yard kickoff returns by Len Raney (1994 vs. Idaho State) and Randy Ferrell (1974 vs. Drake).
- Cory Young's 2-yard rushing score in the third quarter represented his third of the season.
- NAU tallied 256 yards of total offense in the opening half, while limiting Northern Colorado to 172 yards over the first 30 minutes.
- NAU kicker Griffin Roehler missed on a 31-yard field goal attempt in the first half and had a 21-yard attempt blocked. He also missed an extra point attempt in the opening half.
- Senior Byron Evans 10 tackles in the win over Northern Colorado marked a career high.
- Junior Josh Clarke registered 10 tackles, including two TFLs and a sack in the win over Northern Colorado.
- NAU's 48 points scored since a 52-7 victory at Idaho State on October 15, 2016.
- The Lumberjacks 437 yards of total offense marked the third time in four games that NAU has eclipsed 400 yards in total offense this season.
- Taylor Powell's 85-yard interception return for a touchdown tied for the fifth longest interception return in NAU history - matching Joe Walker vs. Portland State (1978).
- Powell's 85-yard scoring interception return also marked the first for the Lumberjacks since Marcus Alford ran one back the distance at Eastern Washington (11/7/15).
- Elijah Marks 21 catches over the last two games marks the highest two-game total in NAU annals since Daiveun Curry-Chapman tallied 19 over a pair of games during the 2010 campaign.
