EL PASO, Texas (Sept. 1, 2018) – The Northern Arizona football team jumped out to a 17-0 lead and never trailed as it posted its first victory over an FBS opponent since the 2012 season with a 30-10 win at UTEP in the Sun Bowl on Saturday night.
The victory marked the Lumberjacks' first over an FBS foe since it handed UNLV a 17-14 setback on Sept. 8, 2012 and snapped a five-game skid over FBS opponents. The setback extended UTEP's current losing streak to 13 consecutive games, which is tied for the longest nationally for FBS members.
"It feels great to get this win," NAU head coach
Jerome Souers said. "I am really proud of the players. We ended last year on a rough swing and they put their minds to setting things right. Since last January we have seen nothing but a diligent work effort, a commitment and a mental toughness. I thought we started out fast, which is what we needed to do. We had some injuries tonight but we had guys step up, our coaching staff made some great adjustments and I really feel like we got after them tonight."
Senior wide receiver
Emmanuel Butler saw his first game action since Sept. 9, 2016 vs. Western Illinois and looked like he hadn't missed a step as he rang up 138 receiving yards on six catches, including a pair of touchdowns, which allowed him to tie the program's record in that category with 28 previously set by Clarence Moore (2000-03).
"It is pretty exciting to both get a big win and to tie the record for touchdown catches," Butler said. "I came here with the hopes of being one of the best to ever do it here. The stat I am most proud of though is the win. It was a tough fought battle and our team was able to pull out the victory, so I am very excited about that."
Senior safety
Wes Sutton was one the standouts NAU defense that allowed a total of 229 yards (127 pass, 102 rush) finishing with five tackles, an interception, two pass breakups and one tackle for loss.
"The interception was on one of the coverages when I was playing the post and I was just reading the quarterback's eyes and praying that he threw it and I got my wish," Sutton said.
Junior linebackers
Taylor Powell (8) and
Tristen Vance (7) were the top tacklers for the defense, along with sophomore defensive end
Chauntez Thomas (7), as they combined for 22 stops to lead the front seven.
"I feel like we really played as a team today and just got it going," Powell said. "I have to give all the credit to the defensive line it wouldn't have been possible. They were all playing their gap assignments and I was just trying to come off their hip and make a play."
NAU quarterback
Case Cookus finished the game 19-26 through the air for a total of 211 yards and two touchdowns. Cookus opened the game a perfect 6-of-6 to aid the NAU's hot start.
Two turnovers in the first quarter allowed the Lumberjacks to race out to a 10-0 advantage.
Sutton got things going fast for the Lumberjacks as he picked off a pass by UTEP quarterback Ryan Metz on the third play of the game. NAU turned that into a 7-0 lead as junior running back
Joe Logan churned out 13 yards on back-to-back runs. Cookus then connected with Butler for a 16-yard gain before senior running back
Cory Young capped off the six-play, 49-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run at the 11:10 mark of the opening quarter.
NAU (1-0) increased its lead to 10-0 with 2:11 remaining in the first quarter on a 26-yard field goal by junior
Griffin Roehler. The drive was set up when senior
Maurice Davison forced a fumble following a completion to UTEP's Winston Dimel which was then recovered by the Lumberjacks'
Brandon Worthy at Miners' 26-yard line.
Cookus hit a streaking Butler down the middle of the field for an 84-yard touchdown pass at the 5:04 mark of the second quarter to increase the Lumberjack lead to 17-0. Butler made a one-handed grab in traffic as he was surrounded by a pair of UTEP defenders and outraced both the remaining 40-plus yards for the score.
UTEP (0-1) trimmed the deficit to 17-7 with 2:42 remaining until halftime on a 32-yard scoring gallop by junior Quardraiz Wadley. Wadley's burst closed out a four-play, 77-yard drive that was aided by a pass interference call against NAU sophomore
Elijah Orr.
Big completions on consecutive plays with under 40 seconds left in the first half set up a successful 24-yard field goal attempt by UTEP's Jason Filley on the final play of the first half, sending both teams into the locker room with the 'Jacks holding a 17-10 lead. UTEP quarterback Kai Locksley posted a 21-yard completion to Walter Dawn Jr. before adding another 26 yards on a pass to Wadley to set up Filley's kick.
The Lumberjacks opened the second half with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive to push their lead to 23-10. The drive was well balanced as NAU posted 42 yards through the air, 35 rushing yards and four via penalty. The drive culminated in a six-yard touchdown pass from Cookus to Butler, which marked his second scoring catch of the contest and the program record tying 28
th of his career.
The NAU defense forced an incompletion on a fourth-down conversion attempt by the Miners after they drove a total of 31 yards to the Lumberjacks' 24-yard line. UTEP forced Cookus into his first interception of the season four plays later as Kalon Beverly jumped in from of the intended receiver to post the pick.
Senior
Kam'ron Johnson bailed out the 'Jacks with an interception of his own just three plays later and raced 59 yards to the UTEP eight-yard line. Logan followed one play later with an eight-yard scoring rush to make the score 30-10 Lumberjacks with 2:13 remaining in the third quarter.
The Lumberjacks will return to action with the home opener on Saturday, Sept. 8 vs. No. 9/7 Eastern Washington in a 4 p.m. MST kickoff from the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome.
Next Saturday's home opener vs. the Eagles will be televised live on Your PHX CW, NAU-TV and streamed on Pluto TV (channel 239).
Postgame Notes – at UTEP – Sept. 1, 2018
- Senior Emmanuel Butler's six-yard touchdown catch at the 11:10 mark of the third quarter marked the 28th of his career which tied for most touchdown receptions in program history with Clarence Moore (2000-03).
- NAU forced a pair of UTEP turnovers in the first quarter (interception and fumble) that turned into a 10-0 lead.
- The Lumberjacks opened the game with 17 unanswered points.
- NAU only possessed the ball for 4:02 in the opening quarter but closed the opening 15 minutes of action with a 10-0 edge (UTEP had a time of possession of 10:58 in the first quarter).
- NAU junior quarterback Case Cookus opened the game a perfect 6-of-6 passing before committing his first incompletion. He finished the first half 10-of-12 for 132 yards and a touchdown.
- Senior wide receiver Emmanuel Butler's 84-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter marked the longest reception of his career and his first touchdown since Nov. 19, 2016 at Southern Utah.
- Senior cornerback Maurice Davison was ejected from the game for targeting with 1:42 left in the second quarter.
- Butler's 138 receiving yards marked the 12th 100-yard receiving game of career.
- NAU opened the second half with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that increased NAU's lead to 23-10.
- The Lumberjacks' defense forced an incompletion on a fourth-down attempt by UTEP with 4:28 left in the third quarter on their own 26-yard line.
- Senior Kam'ron Johnson's 59-yard interception return in the third quarter marked the longest of his career.
