FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Sept. 22, 2018) – Sophomore quarterback
Daniel Bridge-Gadd hit wide receiver
Brandon Porter with a 68-yard scoring strike with 34 seconds left in the third quarter to put the Northern Arizona University football team ahead for good in a back-and-forth 31-23 victory over Southern Utah on Saturday in the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams.
The win allowed the Lumberjacks to claim the Hinton-Burdick Grand Canyon Trophy, which is awarded to the victor of the annual border war rivalry, for the first time since 2013. With the win, NAU improves to 2-2 on the season and 1-0 in Big Sky action. Southern Utah slips to 0-4 and 0-1 in the conference.
"I love this team," NAU head coach
Jerome Souers said. "After the disappointment of last Saturday, I really thought the guys showed their character today as well as their competitive nature. They worked very hard in the offseason, worked hard in camp. I am so proud of these guys the way that they have come together and figured out a way to get a win today."
NAU added a final touchdown with 5:36 left on the clock to cap a scoring drive that saw Bridge-Gadd hit five different receivers, while totaling 57 aerial yards, and ended with him finding tight end
Jonathan Baldwin from eight yards out.
Bridge-Gadd, who was making his second career start, finished 21-of-31 through the air for 295 yards and three touchdowns. Porter also enjoyed the best game of his collegiate career, as posted the first 100-plus yard receiving effort with five catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. Porter also added 37 rushing yards and 47 on kickoff returns for a total of 188 all-purpose yards.
Senior wide receiver
Emmanuel Butler placed his name at the top of the NAU career record book in the victory as well as he hauled in his 29
th career touchdown reception with 6:26 of the second quarter to surpass Clarence Moore for the most in program history. Butler, who sat out last week's loss to Missouri State with an injury, tallied four catches for 57 yards in the win.
Junior cornerback
Khalil Dorsey led the defense with a pair of interceptions, including one with 2:51 left in regulation that snuffed out the final attempt at a comeback for Southern Utah. Sophomore
Anthony Sweeney added his first career interception on the final play of the first half. The Lumberjack secondary has now recorded a total of nine picks over the first four games this season.
A total of three players finished with double-digit tackle totals for the NAU defense including
Kam'ron Johnson (13),
Jake Casteel (13) and
Maurice Davison (10). Junior
Brandon Worthy recorded the 'Jacks lone sack which also knocked Southern Utah starting quarterback Chris Helbig out of the game with 18 ticks left in the first half.
Dorsey set up the Lumberjacks early with his first pick of the game at 12:16 of the first quarter at the NAU 15-yard line on the first possession of the game for Southern Utah. NAU capitalized with a 10-play, 85-yard drive that saw the 'Jacks churn out 68 of those yards on the ground and cap it off with a six-yard scoring jaunt by Bridge-Gadd to make the score 7-0 NAU 6:51 into regulation.
Southern Utah deadlocked the game at 7-7 with 10:46 left in the second quarter on a three-yard touchdown run by Helbig. Helbig beat the 'Jacks defense up the middle on a draw after the drive was kept alive following a pass interference call that went against NAU on third down.
Butler made his record-breaking touchdown reception on a four-yard from Bridge-Gadd with 6:26 left before halftime to give the Lumberjacks the lead back at 14-7. The scoring drive was keyed by a 16-yard reception on third down by sophomore running back
Aramis Aldredge that kept the drive alive and a pass interference call against Southern Utah that moved the 'Jacks into the red zone.
Junior running back Jay Green tied things up for the Thunderbirds with a five-yard touchdown burst 2:58 into the third quarter to cap off a five-play, 70-yard drive. The score was set up by a 28-yard completion from backup quarterback Aaron Zwahlen to Alex Croyle and a pass interference penalty by the Lumberjacks.
Porter set up the 'Jacks in nice field possession with a 47-yard kickoff return right after the SUU score but a fumbled snap by Bridge-Gadd gave the Thunderbirds possession and they turned that into a successful 31-yard field goal by sophomore place kicker Manny Berz, which gave Southern Utah its first lead of the game at 17-14 with 7:36 remaining in the third.
NAU's
Luis Aguilar answered for the 'Jacks one possession later with a 32-yard field goal of his own to knot the game for the third time at 17-17. Butler set up the kick with a 25-yard catch from Bridge-Gadd earlier in the drive.
With 2:44 left in the third, Zwahlen hit Nick Colson from four-yards out for a score to finish off an eight-play, 61-yard push that put the Thunderbirds back in front 23-17 following a missed extra point by Berz.
The Lumberjacks will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 29 in a 1:30 p.m. MST kickoff at Idaho State on the road in Pocatello, Idaho.
The matchup with the Bengals will be streamed live on Pluto TV (Channel 243). It will also air on the Lumberjack Radio Network with
Mitch Strohman and Kevin Stephens on the call.
Postgame Notes – vs. Southern Utah – Sept. 22, 2018
- Junior Khalil Dorsey nabbed a career-high two interceptions in the victory, including one on Southern Utah's first possession of the game.
- Senior Emmanuel Butler became NAU's all-time leader in touchdown receptions with the 29th of his career at the 6:26 mark of the second quarter on a four-yard toss from Daniel Bridge-Gadd.
- Southern Utah quarterback Chris Helbig was forced from the game with 18 seconds left in the first half following a sack by NAU's Brandon Worthy.
- Sophomore safety Anthony Sweeney recorded the first interception of his career on the final play of the first half.
- Brandon Porter finished with 104 receiving yards, which marked the first 100-yard receiving effort of his career. He also added 37 rushing yards and 47 kick return yards in finishing the game with 188 all-purpose yards.
- NAU had three players record double-figure tackles including Kam'ron Johnson (13), Jake Casteel (13) and Maurice Davison (10).
- Junior Brandon Worthy recorded the 'Jacks lone sack which also knocked Southern Utah starting quarterback Chris Helbig out of the game with 18 ticks left in the first half.
- The win marked NAU's first over Southern Utah since a 20-10 victory in 2013 and snapped a four-game losing streak for the Lumberjacks in the series.
- It also marked NAU's first win at home over Southern Utah since 2009 when it defeated the Thunderbirds by a 42-39 margin.
- NAU has won seven of its last nine Big Sky Conference openers following Saturday's victory.
