#20/22 Football Travels to Missouri State as Part of Big Sky/MVC Challenge

GAME 3: #20/22 Northern Arizona (1-1) at Missouri State (1-1)

DATE	Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018
TIME	12 p.m. MST
LOCATION	Robert W. Plaster Stadium (17,500) | Springfield, Mo.
TV	ESPN3
RADIO	Flagstaff: 93.5 FM & AM 930 KAFF Country Legends
	Prescott: 97.9 FM The Eagle
	Phoenix: NBC Sports KDUS 1060AM
MOBILE AUDIO	TuneIn App
INTERNET	Listen Live | Watch Live
LIVE STATS	Northern Arizona - Missouri State Stat Feed
FOLLOW US	NAU Football on Facebook | NAU Football on Twitter | NAU Football on Instagram

GAME NOTES (PDF)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 12, 2018) - The No. 20/22 Northern Arizona football returns to action this week with a road trip to Springfield, Mo., to take on Missouri State in a 12 p.m. MST kickoff that will be televised nationally on ESPN3.

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 11 a.m. MST. 

NAU OPENING DRIVE

• NAU travels to Missouri State this Saturday for a 12 p.m. MST kickoff that will be televised on ESPN3 and will also be available on the Lumberjack Radio Network.
• Senior wide receiver Emmanuel Butler enters the game tied for the top spot in the NAU record book with 28 touchdown receptions.  One more touchdown catch and he will surpass Clarence Moore (2000-03) and have sole possession of the career record.
• NAU and Missouri State will be squaring off for the first time in the sport of football when they play on Saturday in Springfield.
• Saturday's game is part of the Big Sky-Missouri Valley Challenge.  Last season the 'Jacks posted a 1-1 mark against MVC teams with a win against Illinois State and a loss to Western Illinois.
• The 'Jacks are 2-6 since 1990 vs. Missouri Valley Conference opponents.

NAU TRAVELS TO MISSOURI STATE FOR BIG SKY-MVC CHALLENGE GAME

• NAU will take on Missouri State as part of the eight-game Big Sky-Missouri Valley Challenge Series this Saturday in Springfield.
•  It will mark the first-ever meeting between the programs in the sport of football.
•  Last season marked the inaugural year of the Big Sky-MVFC Challenge, which was won by the MVFC by a 5-3 margin.  The Lumberjacks played a pair of games against MVC opponents defeating Illinois State 37-16 on Oct. 17 and dropping a 38-20 decision against Western Illinois on Sept. 9.
•  Over the past five seasons, institutions in the two conferences have played 49 times.  The MVFC has an advantage of 8-5 in the Big Sky/MVC Challenge, including a 3-2 mark this season.
• Since being founded in 1985, the MVFC has an all-time edge of 58-39 in games played against Big Sky foes, which includes 31 playoff meetings. 
•  Notably, the Big Sky and the MVFC make up two of only three leagues to have two or more playoff teams every year since 1999.  In each of the past four seasons, the MVFC and Big Sky, meanwhile, have combined to produce eight of the 24 teams in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoff field each year. 
•  Since the FCS playoffs began in 1978, the two leagues have combined to produce 14 national champions. 
•  This year a total of eight teams representing the two leagues highlight the STATS FCS Top-25 Preseason rankings.  All eight match ups in the 2018 Challenge Series will feature at least one team that received votes or is ranked in the STATS Preseason Top-25 poll.

 
2018 BIG SKY-MISSOURI VALLEY CHALLENGE GAMES
Date -- Game (TV)
Aug. 30 -- (RV) Western Illinois at (RV) Montana State, 8 pm CT (SWX)
Sept. 1 -- Cal Poly at (#1) North Dakota State, 2:30 pm CT (NBC North Dakota, ESPN+)
Sept. 1 -- (#13) UNI at (#24) Montana, 8 pm CT (SWX)
Sept. 8 -- Northern Colorado at (RV) South Dakota, 2 pm CT (Midco Sports Network, ESPN+)
Sept. 8 -- (RV) Montana State at (#3) South Dakota State, 6 pm CT (Midco Sports Network, ESPN+)
Sept. 15 -- (RV) Northern Arizona at Missouri State, 2 pm CT (ESPN3)
Sept. 15 -- (RV) South Dakota at (#8) Weber State, 8 pm CT (Pluto 235)
Sept. 15 -- (#24) Montana at (RV) Western Illinois, 3 pm CT (ESPN+)


NAU VS. THE MISSOURI VALLEY SINCE 1990

• The Lumberjacks enter this week's game at Missouri State with a 2-6 record all-time vs. opponents from the Missouri Valley Football Conference dating back to 1990.
• NAU was victorious in its most recent outing vs. an MVC opponent as it posted a 37-16 victory at home over Illinois State last season.  The 'Jacks also suffered a 38-20 setback at home vs. MVC member Western Illinois last season.

BUTLER ONE TOUCHDOWN CATCH AWAY FROM PROGRAM RECORD

• Senior wide receiver Emmanuel Butler enters the week just one receiving touchdown shy of breaking the NAU program career record in that category.
• Butler currently boasts 28 career touchdown receptions and is tied with Clarence Moore (2000-03) for the most by a Lumberjack in a career.
• He also stands just nine yards shy of tying Shawn Collins (1985-88) for the second most receiving yards in NAU career annals.  Butler enters the week with 2,755 career yards with Collins total at 2,764.  Moore also holds NAU's career receiving yards mark at 3,042.
• Butler boasts a total of 162 receptions in his career and is currently four catches of cracking the top five and 39 away from Shawn Collins NAU record total of 201.