| GAME 1: Northern Arizona (0-0) at UTEP (0-0) |
GAME NOTES (PDF)
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (August 28, 2018) - The Northern Arizona football team kicks off the 2018 season on Saturday, Sept. 1 versus UTEP in El Paso, Texas with high expectations. The 2018 season-opening kickoff from the Sun Bowl is slated for 4:30 p.m. MST.
The game will also be available on the Lumberjack Radio Network with
Mitch Strohman (play-by-play) and Kevin Stephens (color) on the call beginning with the pregame show at 3:30 p.m. MST. It can be seen on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN app.
NAU OPENING DRIVE
- NAU opens away from home for the eighth consecutive season when it travels to El Paso to take on UTEP on Saturday in the Sun Bowl. The game will kick off at 4:30 p.m. MST and be televised live on ESPN3.
- The Lumberjacks return one of the most prolific pass combinations in the FCS this season in junior quarterback Case Cookus and senior wide receiver Emmanuel Butler. The pair have combined for 19 touchdowns over 25 games and both are on pace to be the program's leaders in passing touchdowns and receiving touchdowns respectively.
- Butler enters the season just two touchdowns and 49 receptions away from becoming the program's leaders in both categories and Cookus is 22 passing touchdowns away from becoming the 'Jacks all-time leader.
- NAU returns all four starters from a secondary that ranked first in the Big Sky Conference and 19th nationally in passing yards allowed.
NAU IN SEASON OPENERS
- Under head coach Jerome Souers, NAU owns an all-time record of 9-11 in season openers entering Saturday's matchup at the Sun Bowl vs. UTEP.
- Saturday's season opener will mark the Lumberjacks' first since 2015 against Stephen F. Austin when it did not open the schedule against either Arizona or Arizona State.
- NAU has opened its season on the road in each of the last eight seasons, including this season's opener at UTEP.
LUMBERJACKS IN THE LONE STAR STATE
- The Lumberjacks own a record of 4-2 in their last six games played in the state of Texas dating back to the 1999 season.
- Saturday's game vs. UTEP will mark NAU's first trip to Texas since a 34-28 win over Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 5, 2015.
- The 'Jacks have won each of their last two trips to the Lone Star State including the 2015 victory over Stephen F. Austin and a 27-21 at Abilene Christian on Sept. 6, 2014.
- The week one meeting with UTEP will represent NAU's first game against a FBS (Division I-A) opponent from Texas since it faced West Texas State in 1969, which saw the Lumberjacks post a 21-20 victory.
NAU VS THE FBS
- The Lumberjacks are 8-52 all-time versus FBS/I-A opponents since 1957 and have lost five straight since defeating UNLV, 17-14, on Sept. 8, 2012 in Las Vegas.
'JACKS SLOTTED THIRD IN BIG SKY PRESEASON POLL
- NAU was slotted No. 3 in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Polls for both the coaches and media.
- The Lumberjacks received 121 points in the coaches' poll, including three first-place votes in finishing third. Eastern Washington (134 points/six first-place votes) and Weber State (124 points/three first-place votes) were the only two programs to finish above NAU in the coaches' preseason rankings.
- The media poll saw the 'Jacks garner a total of 535 points and one first-place vote. Eastern Washington (651 points/27 first-place votes) and Weber State (636 points/19 first-place votes) also held the top two spots in the media's preseason poll.
THREE 'JACKS NAMED TO ALL-BIG SKY PRESEASON SQUAD
- Senior wide receiver Emmanuel Butler, senior safety Wes Sutton and junior cornerback Khalil Dorsey were named to the 2018 All-Big Sky Football Preseason Team.
- The Lumberjacks were one of only four Big Sky programs to have three or more players recognized with preseason all-league status.
- Butler enters the season as one of the most feared receivers nationally in the FCS. He already holds the single-season records for yards (1,208) and touchdowns (16) and has registered a total of 11 games with 100 or more receiving yards in his career. The senior enters the 2018 season just 49 receptions, 501 yards and two touchdowns from tying Northern Arizona's career records in each of those categories.
- Sutton returns after helping guide the NAU secondary to a total of 12 interceptions in 2017 and leading the unit to a 19th overall ranking nationally by limiting its opponents to an average of just 174.3 yards per game passing. The strong safety was a 2017 All-Big Sky First Team choice after ranking third on the squad with 72 tackles (43 solo, 29 assists) and finishing second on the 'Jacks defense with eight tackles for loss. He pulled down a pair of interceptions and broke up three passes last season.
- Dorsey was another full-time member of NAU's dominant secondary as he started all 12 games at cornerback last season. He was a 2017 All-Big Sky Second Team honoree after ringing up 49 tackles (29 solo, 20 assist), including three tackles for loss. Dorsey also collected three interceptions and broke up six passes.
WHAT'S BACK IN 2018
- The Lumberjacks return 19 starters and 39 letterwinners from last season's squad that earned the program's sixth NCAA FCS Playoff appearance, including 2017 All-Big Sky First Team quarterback Case Cookus, who boasts 72 career touchdown passes and 7,703 passing yards entering 2018.
- NAU brings back one of the most prolific receivers in the FCS as senior Emmanuel Butler returns to the fold after missing all but two games last season due to injury. Butler has compiled 152 receptions, 2,541 yards and caught 26 touchdown passes in his career. He has also totaled a pair of 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
- Butler is just 49 receptions, 501 yards and two touchdowns away from tying Northern Arizona's career records in each of those categories. He already holds the single-season records for yards (1,208) and touchdowns (16), which he set in 2015.
- Defensively, the 'Jacks return all four starters from one of the nation's top performing backfields last season in cornerbacks Maurice Davison and Khalil Dorsey as well as safeties Wes Sutton and Kam'ron Johnson.
- The quartet limited opponents to an average of just 174.3 yards per game through the air, which ranked 19th nationally and combined for a total of 12 interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns.
COOKUS ON WALTER PAYTON AWARD WATCH LIST
- Northern Arizona junior quarterback Case Cookus has been selected to the Preseason Watch List for the prestigious Walter Payton Award, which honors the top offensive player nationally in the FCS.
- Cookus was a 2017 first-team All-Big Sky selection after tossing for 3,413 yards and 22 touchdowns against just six interceptions while leading the Lumberjacks to an appearance in the 2017 NCAA FCS Playoffs. He was also honored as the 2015 recipient of the Jerry Rice Award, which is presented to the best freshman nationally in the FCS.
- The junior quarterback will be looking to become the second NAU player to receive the coveted honor, joining running back Archie Amerson, who captured the award in 1996.
