FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (March 27, 2021) – After scoring the go-ahead touchdown with just 17 seconds left against the No. 2/3 Weber State Wildcats, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks were bit by some of their own late-game magic.
A last-second Hail Mary by the Wildcats spoiled the Lumberjacks' (1-2) upset attempt at Stewart Stadium in Ogden, Utah, as Weber State (3-0) survived with a 28-23 victory Saturday afternoon. Battling back from a 14-0 deficit to start the game, NAU's defense came up with yet another timely turnover before its offense marched 95 yards down the field for its potential game-winning touchdown.
Eating up 8:07 off the clock with a 16-play, 79-yard drive, the Wildcats appeared to be poised for a game-clinching score with less than five minutes remaining. However, a gang tackle from
Eloi Kwete,
Tristen Vance and
Brenndan Johnson forced Daniel Wright to fumble at the NAU 5-yard line.
Picked up by
Morgan Vest and upheld after a replay, the fumble put NAU's offense back on the field needing to go nearly the length of the field for a score.
Already holding one game-winning drive and last-second score this season,
Keondre Wudtee drove the Lumberjacks right down the field. Completing 8-of-8 passes, Wudtee threw for 72 yards on the drive while also rushing for 19 yards, with the Lumberjacks converting twice on third down and once on fourth.
Having sprinted out for an 18-yard gain as NAU faced fourth-and-2 at its own 13, Wudtee tucked the ball away again on third-and-goal from the Weber State 1 for his first rushing touchdown of the season.
Weber State's fourth-quarter fumble was the third of three in the second half, as NAU's defense stepped up to hold the Wildcats scoreless following a kickoff return for a touchdown by Rashid Shaheed to open the third quarter.
Vest picked off a pass from Randall Johnson at the NAU 2 midway through the third quarter, keeping Weber State off the board at the end of a 58-yard drive, and Kwete forced a fumble on a Dontae McMillan run on the Wildcats' next possession with
Jhasi Wilson scooping up the loose ball.
The latter of the two led to a 45-yard field goal by
Luis Aguilar, his second from the same distance and third of the game, as NAU cut its deficit down to 22-16 just minutes before the fourth quarter began.
NAU was forced to chip away at the score throughout the day, after Johnson connected with Shaheed for a 44-yard touchdown less than five minutes into the game and Noah Atagi took a lateral off a catch from Ty MacPherson into the end zone from five yards out a little more than three minutes later.
Aguilar put the Lumberjacks on the board with a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter, capping off a 12-play, 59-yard drive highlighted by 27 yards on the ground from
Draycen Hall and an 18-yard run by Wudtee.
Having forced the Wildcats to punt following a short five-play drive, the Lumberjacks found themselves in the end zone for the first time thanks to Hall's 49-yard touchdown run on third-and-10.
Slipping off a tackle near midfield while surrounded by four Wildcats, Hall stayed on his feet and broke through for his first career touchdown. NAU entered halftime down 14-10 thanks to the score, before it turned back into a 22-10 deficit with Shaheed's return and a two-point conversion.
For a stretch of 29:30 in the second half, neither side would reach the end zone. The Lumberjacks responded to the return touchdown with Aguilar's first 45-yard field goal of the day as 11:23 remained in the quarter.
Trailing by nine and with Weber State's offense threatening, Vest stepped in front of a pass across the middle as Johnson was pushed to his left by the pressure from
Nehemiah Magalei. It would be the final time Weber State would reach the red zone, as the Wildcats' offense sputtered due to its two fumbles across its next three drives.
Wudtee spread out his eight passes on the final drive to five different receivers, with the returning
Brandon Porter coming up with a 12-yard catch while
Hendrix Johnson tallied 33 yards receiving and
Matthew Kempton added 23.
Kempton's second catch off 11 yards landed him at the Weber State 1 with 41 seconds left on the clock. Faking an inside handoff, Wudtee pulled the ball out and sprinted to his right for the 1-yard score.
After converting the extra point for the 23-22 lead with 17 seconds left, NAU forced a pair of Weber State incompletions from the 50-yard line before Johnson's heave to the end zone found Justin Malone for the touchdown on the final play of the game.
NAU hosts the Cal Poly Mustangs (0-3) at the Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff next Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
