NORMAL, Ill. (September 21, 2019) – The Northern Arizona football team dropped a 40-27 decision at No. 15/10 Illinois State on Saturday night, as the Redbirds erased an eight-point first-half deficit by scoring 24 unanswered points over the second and third quarter.
Illinois State was led by Andrew Edgar, who finished with 12 catches for 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Brady Davis directed the passing attack with 419 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 22-of-33 pass attempts.
NAU senior quarterback
Case Cookus became the fifth quarterback in NAU history to reach 9,000 career passing yards in the loss as he completed 32-of-56 attempts for 357 yards and four touchdowns. He tied Travis Brown for second place on the program's career passing touchdown list with his current total of 86. He also recorded at least 300 yards for the 14
th time in his career and tossed multiple scoring passes for the 23
rd time.
Senior
Joe Logan scored three times through the air in the loss and now has five touchdown grabs in the last two games. Freshman
Hendrix Johnson tabbed 122 yards on nine catches - both represent career bests.
The loss drops the Lumberjacks' overall mark to 2-2 while Illinois State moves to 3-1 on the season.
The action started fast and furious as
Carson Taylor forced a fumble for the 'Jacks that was recovered by
Chris Jules on the ISU 18-yard line on the first play from scrimmage. Illinois State responded three plays later however, when Charles Woods intercepted a swing pass attempt by Cookus and returned it 61 yards to the NAU 27.
Three plays later Davis connected with Edgar for a 10-yard touchdown to make the score 7-0, just 2:04 into regulation.
The Lumberjacks (2-2) answered on their next possession with a 10-play, 65-yard drive that was capped by a nine-yard scoring toss from Cookus to Logan, that deadlocked the score at 7-7 at the 8:40 mark of the opening quarter.
Following a punt by the Redbirds, the 'Jacks were back on the attack with a crisp 55-yard drive that took just 2:44 and culminated with a five-yard scoring grab by
Stacy Chukwumezie from Cookus, to up the NAU advantage to 14-7 with five minutes left in the first.
Illinois State (3-1) pulled to within 14-10 just before the end of the first quarter after a 42-yard reception by Kacper Rutkiewicz set up a 23-yard field goal by Sam Fenlason.
Fenlason added another field goal, this one from 28 yards out to get Illinois State to within 14-13, but the Lumberjack defense forced their second turnover when freshman
Jaden Tauanu'u snagged the first interception of his career and returned it 18 yards to the ISU 24. Cookus then threw his third touchdown pass of the game, his second to Logan, to increase the advantage to 21-13 with 4:45 left before half.
Illinois State got back to within one point at 21-20 three plays later when James Robinson busted loose for a 52-yard scoring gallop at the 3:21 mark of the second. The Redbirds followed by reclaiming the lead at 23-21 with a 32-yard field goal by Fenlason on the final play of the first half.
Robinson kept the momentum on the Illinois State side with a 20-yard touchdown burst 10:54 mark of the third to increase the margin to 30-21.
Edgar added his second touchdown catch of the game later in the third quarter on a 53-yard strike from Davis to make the score 37-21.
Logan and Cookus hooked up for a third score, this time on a 23-yard center screen pass with 12:15 left in regulation to get NAU to within 37-27. The 'Jacks went for a two-point conversion in an attempt to trim the lead to eight, but came away empty.
Illinois State added a late field goal from 29 yards to round out the scoring.
The Lumberjacks continue their current road stretch next Saturday, Sept. 28 with the Big Sky Conference opener at No. 8/14 Montana State. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. MST kickoff and the clash will be aired on Pluto TV (channel 538) and the Lumberjack Radio Network.
Postgame Notes – at No. 15/10 Illinois State – September 21, 2019
- Senior quarterback Case Cookus became the fifth player in program history to eclipse 9,000 career passing yards with a completion to Stacy Chukwumezie on NAU's second possession of the game.
- Cookus now boasts 9,345 career passing yards – 2,055 shy of NAU all-time leader Travis Brown (11,400).
- Junior wide receiver Stacy Chukwumezie has caught a touchdown pass in three of the first four games this season.
- Senior running back Joe Logan has scored five touchdowns – all on swing or screen passes – in each of the last two games.
- Cookus tossed three or more touchdown passes for the 14th time in his career and tossed four or more TD passes for the 10th time.
- Freshman Jaden Tauanu'u recorded the first interception of his career in the second quarter.
- Junior kicker Luis Aguilar missed a field goal for the first time this season – from 52 yards – in the second quarter.
- Senior Chris Jules recovered a pair of fumbles in the loss – a career high.
