FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 23, 2019) – The Northern Arizona football team put together a 73-yard drive over the final 44 seconds of regulation to set up a game-tying 19-yard field goal by
Luis Aguilar to force overtime, but came out on the short end of a 60-53 margin against the University of Idaho on Saturday afternoon at the Walkup Skydome.
Idaho scored a touchdown on its first play in overtime and stopped the Lumberjacks on a fourth and goal from the two-yard line to secure the victory.
NAU (4-8, 2-6 Big Sky) led as late as with 4:01 left in regulation at 50-46 before the Vandals went ahead 53-50 on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Mason Petrino to Nick Romano, before Aguilar's field goal sent the contest into overtime.
Overall, the game featured a total of three lead changes - all in a span of 22:24 in the second half. The score was also tied a total of three times. Idaho did not claim its first lead of the game until the 8:08 mark of the third quarter when it led 31-30 and also held the game's largest advantage at 46-36, entering the fourth quarter.
The two teams combined for a total of 1,396 yards of total offense – NAU and Idaho also posted a total of 20 plays of over 20 yards or more in the offensive explosion.
Saturday's combined point total of 113 points marked the most by NAU and its opponent in program history – surpassing the 107 combined points posted in a game at Montana State in 1990.
NAU senior quarterback
Case Cookus finished with a career-best 450 passing yards and three touchdowns while completing 29-of-51 attempts. Cookus also became just the fourth player in Big Sky Conference history to post over 12,000 career aerial yards – with his current total of 12,082.
In addition, Cookus finished the 2019 campaign with a career-high 4,114 yards on the season and becomes only the 10
th player in league history to reach 4,000 in a single campaign.
Sophomore
Brandon Porter snagged a total of nine passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. Porter became NAU's single-season leader in receptions at 85 – surpassing Alex Watson's previous record-total of 82 set in 2006.
Porter also finished the 2019 season with 1,198 receiving yards – the second-highest single season total in NAU annals and just 10 yards off
Emmanuel Butler's program-record total of 1,208 which was set in 2015.
Senior running back
Joe Logan capped off his NAU career with a career-high four touchdowns in defeat – three rushing, one receiving. Logan now sits tied for fifth among the Lumberjacks' all-time scoring leaders with Archie Amerson at 228 points.
Petrino paced the Idaho offense with 491 passing yards and six touchdowns while completing 35-of-42 attempts. Jeff Cotton was his top target with 17 grabs for 223 yards and two TDs. Nick Romano chipped in 154 rushing yards and one touchdown on 26 carries.
Sophomore
Anthony Sweeney led the NAU defense with a career-high 18 stops (12 solo) – which ranks as the third-best single-game effort by a Lumberjack since 2000.
The 'Jacks struck first on a 25-yard toss from Cookus to
Stacy Chukwumezie on a fourth down attempt to give NAU a 7-0 advantage with 8:06 left in the opening quarter. The score capped a six-play, 60-yard drive that was set up following a stop on a fourth and one attempt on the preceding possession by the Lumberjack defense.
The Vandals finished off a 65-yard march that took 12 plays with a 27-yard field goal by Cade Coffey at the 4:16 mark of the first quarter, trimming the NAU lead to 7-3. The drive was aided by a personal foul penalty on the Lumberjacks' for targeting.
NAU got the three points right back on its next drive as Cookus connected with
Hendrix Johnson for a pair a completions totaling 45 yards which put Aguilar in position to boot a 24-yard field goal to put the 'Jacks back up by a touchdown at 10-3 with just over four minutes remaining in the first.
Idaho (5-7, 3-5 Big Sky) responded four plays later to knot the game at 10-10 on a six-yard touchdown reception by Cotton that was set up by a 46-yard run by Nick Romano that set up the Vandals at the NAU seven yard line.
Cookus tossed his 30
th touchdown of the season just 51 seconds into the second quarter when Logan took a screen pass 52 yards to the house for his 17
th touchdown of the season – putting the 'Jacks back in front 17-10.
Idaho's Petrino went 4-for-4 passing on the Vandals' next drive including a 30-yard connection with Cotton that set up an eight-yard scoring toss from Petrino to Hayden Hatten to tie the score again at 17-17 with 10:49 left in the second.
The big plays kept coming for the 'Jacks, as they didn't take long to reclaim the lead as Cookus avoided a near sack to hit freshman
Leon Morgan for 63-yard pick up. Two plays later, Logan punched in his 18
th touchdown of the season to put NAU ahead 23-17, with just over eight minutes left before the break.
Following an unsuccessful fourth down try by the Vandals at the NAU 37, the Lumberjacks put Aguilar in position to boot a 48-yard field goal and increase the lead to 27-17 at the 2:45 mark of the second.
Idaho managed to trim the margin to 27-24 just before the break with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a one-yard touchdown plunge by Romano with 30 seconds left in the opening half. The drive was keyed by a big 23-yard completion on a third and seven play from Petrino to Connor Whitney.
The Lumberjack offense was not satisfied with the three-point lead however as they drove 55 yards in just 30 seconds to put another three points on the scoreboard via a 25-yard field goal by Aguilar, to head into halftime ahead 30-24.
Hatten gave the Vandals their first lead of the game at 31-30 with 8:08 left in the third on his second touchdown reception of the game – an eight-yard catch from Petrino that finished off a 13-play, 76-yard drive. Idaho managed to convert on all three of its third-down opportunities in the push.
The lead didn't last long as the 'Jacks ripped off a 75-yard drive in under three minutes to reclaim to lead at 36-31 at the 5:12 mark of the third quarter on the third touchdown of the game by Logan – who scored his 19
th of the season on a 20-yard burst. NAU went for a two-point conversion, but came away empty.
Idaho returned the favor one play later with a 70-yard scoring toss from Petrino to Cotton. The Vandals went for the two-point conversion and threw an incomplete pass but the Lumberjacks were called for roughing the passer, giving Idaho another shot at the conversion and Petrino found Whitney in the end zone to put the 'Jacks behind, 39-36.
The Vandals increased the lead to 46-36 on their next drive, which went for 65 yards and was finished off on a two-yard TD run by Petrino on the final play of the third quarter.
NAU's Porter broke the program's record for most receptions in a single season on the Lumberjacks' next possession on a 63-yard touchdown strike from Cookus at the 13:41 mark of the fourth quarter, which trimmed the deficit to 46-43.
The catch marked his 83
rd of the season and moved him past Alex Watson's 2006 total of 82. Cookus also became just the fourth signal caller in Big Sky history to reach 12,000 passing yards and in career and the 11
th with 4,000 in a single season.
The NAU defense kept the game within reach by forcing a key turnover after the Vandals drove to the NAU 4-yard line with just over six minutes left. Senior
Khalil Dorsey forced a fumble, which was recovered in the end zone by fellow senior
Brian Barry. Setting up a drive that saw Logan post his fourth touchdown of the game and 20
th of the season, which reclaimed the lead for the 'Jacks at 50-46 with 4:01 remaining.
Postgame Quotes –vs. Idaho – November 23, 2019
NAU Head Coach Chris Ball
"We just didn't finish. The bad part of it is that we couldn't send these seniors off the way we wanted to."
"We've got to figure out the core guys we have coming back and we have to get things done in the weight room next year."
Senior Quarterback Case Cookus
"Thank you to NAU, the coaches, players, fans, support staff and everyone that's helped me on my journey. This has been a second home for me."
"There were a couple of mistakes here and there, we could have got one or two more touchdowns or field goals. Overall, we were pretty close to having one of the offensive games that we talked about - finishing and following through with."
Postgame Notes – vs. Idaho – November 23, 2019
- Senior quarterback Case Cookus finished with three touchdown passes to run his season total to 31 and his career total to 105 – those totals rank best in NAU history and second in Big Sky career annals.
- Senior running back Joe Logan scored a career-high four TDs (3/rush, 1/ rec) to bring his career point total to 228 and rise up to a tie for No. 5 among NAU's all-time scoring leaders.
- Saturday's game marked the first time that NAU and Idaho have met in football since the 1995 season.
- Junior kicker Luis Aguilar kicked a total of four field goals – a career-high. Aguilar connected on field goals from 24, 48, 25 and 19 yards. He finishes the 2019 season with only one miss from under 50 yards and 22-of-25 overall on field goal attempts and a perfect 52-for-52 on extra point tries.
- Sophomore Brandon Porter became NAU's single-season leader in receptions at 85 – surpassing Alex Watson's previous record-total of 82 set in 2006.
- Porter also finished the 2019 season with 1,198 receiving yards – the second-highest single season total in NAU annals and just 10 yards off Emmanuel Butler's program-record total of 1,208 which was set in 2015.
- Sophomore Anthony Sweeney led the NAU defense with a career-high 18 stops (12 solo) – which ranks as the third-best single-game effort by a Lumberjack since 2000.
- Saturday's game marked the first time NAU played a game that went into overtime since Nov. 10, 2012 at Southern Utah.
- Saturday's combined point total of 113 points marked the most by NAU and an opponent in program history – surpassing the 107 combined points posted in a game at Montana State in 1990.
- NAU honored the 11 members of the 2019 senior class prior to kickoff of Saturday's game vs. Idaho.
The 11 seniors included:
- Aaron Andrews - DL - Livermore, Calif. - Communication Studies
- Brian Barry - DB - Santa Clarita, Calif. - Heath Sciences//Fitness Wellness
- Jalen Cook - DB - Goodyear, Ariz. - Psychological Science
- Case Cookus - QB - Thousand Oaks, Calif. - Educational Leadership/Graduate
- Khalil Dorsey - DB - Ontario, Calif. - Heath Sciences//Fitness Wellness
- Tommie Dorsey - WR - Ontario, Calif. - University Studies
- Joey Gatewood - TE - Glendale, Ariz. - Exercise Science
- Cole Habib - OL - San Diego, Calif. - Educational Leadership/Graduate
- Chris Jules - LB - Litchfield Park, Ariz. - University Studies
- Joe Logan - RB - Goodyear, Ariz. - Criminology & Criminal Justice
