FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 28, 2021) – Northern Arizona head coach
Chris Ball didn't mince words as he looked back to this past Saturday's loss at No. 15 Sacramento State and moved forward to this week's matchup with the Idaho Vandals.
"It's just about how you handle it. We can feel sorry for ourselves, or we can move forward and put it to bed. There's nothing you can do about it now," Ball said. "We have four games left, it's a lot of football left. We don't need to look down the road, it just creates anxiety. We just need to worry about this one, if we take care of business and the door is still open to the postseason."
The Lumberjacks (3-4, 2-2 Big Sky) enter the second half of Big Sky Conference play with a trip to Moscow, Idaho, in what will be the program's first trip to face the Vandals (2-5, 1-3 Big Sky) since 1994.
A member of the Big Sky from 1963 to 1996, Idaho departed for the Big West Conference, and the FBS, beginning in the fall of 1996. Conference realignment took the Vandals' football team to the Sun Belt, the WAC, a season as an Independent and back to the Sun Belt before ultimately returning to the Big Sky and the FCS in 2018.
The programs, which faced off in 20 of 21 seasons from 1975 to 1995, did not play again until the regular season finale in 2019. The move to the spring brought the Vandals back to Flagstaff in April, with the Lumberjacks finally set to play in the Kibbie Dome this fall.
There will be less than 200 days between meetings between the teams, and the third game against Idaho in Northern Arizona's past 14.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow and will be available on
ESPN+ or
Hulu with a subscription to the Disney Bundle. The game will also be available on the Lumberjack Radio Network and at NAUAthletics.com/listen, with coverage beginning at 12 p.m.
At first glance, it appears Idaho has struggled to contain opponents' passing attacks this season as the Vandals rank 118th in passing yards allowed per game (283.0) and 121st in passer efficiency allowed (171.56) out of 123 FCS programs. However, much of that came against Eastern Washington and Portland State, the No. 2 and No. 14 pass attacks in the FCS. The two games alone account for nearly 53% of the passing yards Idaho has allowed through seven contests.
The Vandals have struggled to force turnovers with just four takeaways this season to rank 120th and a turnover margin of -8 sitting at 116th.
Even with last week's struggles on offense, the Lumberjacks rank 31st in total offense and 30th in passing alone at 253.3 yards per game. Northern Arizona also won the turnover battle against Sacramento State, improving to +4 in turnover margin and averaging 2.0 takeaways per game.
RECENTLY ACQUAINTED
Northern Arizona locked up a winning record in the spring with its 19-9 victory over Idaho on April 17 in the Walkup Skydome.
The Lumberjacks held the Vandals out of the end zone, the first time doing so against a Division I opponent since 2011. All nine points came off the foot of former Vandal Cade Coffey while Northern Arizona kicker
Luis Aguilar finished a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals.
Coleman Owen scored the lone touchdown of the game from 2-yards out, while Northern Arizona's defense contained Idaho's dual quarterback arrangement of Mike Beaudry and Zach Borisch.
Beaudry has missed time this season due to an injury, but still leads the team with 776 yards passing and three touchdowns. Borisch has thrown nine passes for 126 yards and one touchdown.
Borisch leads the team with 361 yards on the ground followed by freshman Elisha Cummings who is second at 244 yards, Aundre Carter at 185 yards and Roshaun Johnson at 144. The group gives Idaho the third-best rushing offense in the Big Sky at 176.6 yards per game.
RECORDS WATCH
When he sets foot on the field Saturday, Northern Arizona defensive end
Carson Taylor will set a new school record for games played at 47. Taylor tied four other former Lumberjacks at 46 games last week in Sacramento while
Luis Aguilar,
DJ Arnson and
Tristen Vance will all do the same this week in Moscow.
Taylor is also tied for third in career tackles for loss at 36.0 and third in sacks since 2000 with 19.0.
Last week,
DJ Arnson broke the school record for career punting yards as he surpassed Terry Belden's record set in 1993 by 10 yards and enters the week with 9,769.
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