POCATELLO, Idaho (Sept. 29, 2018) – The Northern Arizona football team committed four turnovers which Idaho State turned into 21 points as the Bengals rolled to a 56-42 victory on Saturday afternoon at Holt Arena in Pocatello.
The turning point of the game was the second quarter, which saw Idaho State outscore the Lumberjacks by a 28-7 margin.
The Bengals rushing attack was also dominant in the victory as they compiled a total of 315 yards on 49 carries in the win. Senior James Madison led the Bengals with 146 yards on 19 carries for an average of 7.7 yards per touch. Junior Ty Flanagan added 86 on 15 attempts.
Senior wide receiver
Emmanuel Butler was a bright spot in the loss for NAU as he tallied a season-best 187 receiving yards on eight receptions, including a touchdown. Sophomore quarterback
Daniel Bridge-Gadd finished 30-of-56 for 313 yards.
The loss drops the Lumberjacks' overall record to 2-3 overall and evens their conference mark to 1-1. The win for Idaho State marks its first over NAU since the 2004 season and moves them to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in Big Sky action. The 'Jacks entered the game having won 10 consecutive meetings vs. the Bengals.
Idaho State claimed a 7-0 lead on a 19-yard run by quarterback Tanner Gueller. The 12-play, 74-yard scoring drive for the Bengals was keyed by a total of 32 rushing yards by Madison.
Junior
Marcel Myers deadlocked to game at 7-7 by blocking an Idaho State punt and returning it five yards for a score with 3:58 left in the first quarter.
The Bengals reclaimed the lead at 14-7 after Gueller hit Campbell with an 8-yard scoring pass at 14:23 of the second quarter. Madison set up the score with a 25-yard run.
NAU battled back to tie the game at 14-14 on an 11-yard scoring toss from Bridge-Gadd to Baldwin with 9:41 left in the second but four plays later Madison busted loose once again for the Bengals with a 51-yard rushing score to put Idaho State back on top 21-14.
Bridge-Gadd fumbled on the 'Jacks next series which recovered by Idaho State at the NAU 30-yard line. Following a 27-yard completion by Gueller to Ty Flanagan, Flanagan punched it in from three yards out to make the score 28-14 with 6:54 left before halftime.
Idaho State kept the pressure by forcing another fumble deep inside Lumberjack territory by Bridge-Gadd which was recovered by Kainoa Fuiava and returned nine yards for a score to increase the margin to 35-14.
Senior
Wes Sutton got things going for the Lumberjacks in the second half with his second interception of the season at the Idaho State 43-yard line. One play later, Justice Stokes connected with senior wide receiver
Emmanuel Butler for a 43-yard touchdown on the back-end of a double pass to get the 'Jacks to within 35-21.
Following an interception by ISU's Kody Graves on a fourth-down pass by Bridge-Gadd, the Bengals scored their third touchdown off an NAU turnover on a 36-yard rush by Flanagan with 10:06 remaining in the third quarter to push their lead to 42-21.
Madison added his second rushing score for the Bengals to finish off an eight-play, 72-yard drive with a four-yard burst to make the score 49-21 at the 4:23 mark of the third quarter.
NAU used a 45-yard reception by Butler to set up a three-yard touchdown run by
Cory Young to get within 49-28 with under two minutes left in the third quarter.
The 'Jacks couldn't keep the momentum however as Gueller broke free for a 43-yard run for a score in the opening moments of the fourth quarter to up the lead to 56-28.
Sophomore Matt Kempton added an 18-yard touchdown reception and
Cory Young scored on a two-yard touchdown rush late in the fourth quarter for the Lumberjacks.
The Lumberjacks will be home on Saturday, Oct. 6 in a 2:30 p.m. MST kickoff vs. Weber State at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome.
The matchup with the Wildcats will be televised live on ELEVEN Sports and streamed on Pluto TV (Channel 239). It will also air on the Lumberjack Radio Network with
Mitch Strohman and Kevin Stephens on the call beginning with the pregame show at 1:30 p.m. MST.
Postgame Notes – at Idaho State – Sept. 29, 2018
- NAU wore white helmets with white pants and jerseys for the first time this season in Saturday's game at Idaho State.
- Junior Jalen Goss recorded his first sack of the season on Idaho State's opening drive.
- NAU senior Emmanuel Butler tallied the 13th 100-yard receiving game of his career with a season-high 187 yards on eight receptions.
- Idaho State scored 21 points off four NAU turnovers (three fumbles, one interception).
- Idaho State rushed for 177 yards on 26 carries in the first half (6.8 yards per carry).
- Idaho State's Kody Graves was ejected in the fourth quarter for targeting.
- The loss for NAU snapped a 10-game winning streak in the series over the Bengals which dated back to 2004.
