DAVIS, Calif. (October 15, 2022) – As has become the case multiple times for the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks this season, the second quarter proved to be the turning point on Saturday in Davis.
Completing an 80-yard pass on a third-and-11, the Lumberjacks set up inside the UC Davis Aggies 5-yard line. Two plays later, UC Davis took the ball 29 yards back in the opposite direction with an interception and cashed in the takeaway seven plays later with a touchdown. The 14-point swing, with a possible Northern Arizona touchdown instead going to UC Davis, contributed to a 28-0 advantage for the Aggies in the second quarter, leading to the final score of 56-27.
Entering the game with a 48-point deficit in second quarters this season, the 28 points for the Aggies (2-4, 1-2 Big Sky) were the most allowed by the Lumberjacks (2-5, 1-3) in a single quarter this season and the most in a quarter since the second quarter against Sacramento State last season.
Northern Arizona opened the game with an impressive 15-play, 52-yard drive, converting a trio of third downs thanks to plays by
Draycen Hall,
Stacy Chukwumezie and
Jamal Glaspie. Eventually held to a 45-yard field goal by
Collin Robbins, the Lumberjacks's lead was short lived as the Aggies responded with an 8-play, 68-yard drive to the end zone.
With Lan Larison giving the Aggies a 7-6 advantage with an 8-yard scoring run, the Lumberjacks answered back with another field goal by Robbins from 40 yards out after a 10-play, 42-yard drive. Larison then extended UC Davis' lead to 14-6 with a 47-yard touchdown early on in the second quarter, setting the stage for the game's turning point.
Facing a third-and-11 at their own 17, the Lumberjacks connected on their longest play of the season while looking to potentially even the score.
RJ Martinez found Glaspie wide open along the Northern Arizona sideline, with the receiver going 80 yards down to the UC Davis 3-yard line before being shoved out by Rex Connors.
Two plays later, it was Connors stepping in front of Glaspie in the middle of the end zone for the interception. The Lumberjacks managed just 41 yards on the final three drives of the first half while the Aggies added two more touchdowns in the final 5:23 of the second quarter.
The UC Davis offense made it seven consecutive touchdown drives, scoring twice to open the third quarter, before Northern Arizona ended the run.
Hendrix Johnson put the Lumberjacks on the board with their first touchdown of the game midway through the third quarter, finishing off an 11-play, 79-yard drive with a 6-yard score to cut the deficit to 49-13.
After one last touchdown by the Aggies with 5:22 remaining in the third quarter, the Lumberjacks added a pair of late scores. A 36-yard reception by Chukwumezie put the Lumberjacks deep in the Aggies' territory, with Hall punching in a 3-yard touchdown run four plays later.
With many of Northern Arizona's regulars removed from the game, the Lumberjacks added one last score with just 1:39 left on the clock. Mixing in
Jeff Widener and
Angel Flores at quarterback, the two combined for 42 yards rushing before the former slipped through the middle of the defense for a 9-yard touchdown run.
The Lumberjacks finished with 477 yards of offense but allowed the Aggies to roll up 688 yards. The yardage total and 56 points were the most allowed by Northern Arizona since Idaho finished with 738 and 60 respectively in the 2019 finale.
Northern Arizona heads back out on the road again next Saturday, facing the Idaho State Bengals on Saturday at 12 p.m. The Bengals (1-6, 1-3 Big Sky) earned their first win of the season, 40-31, over the Cal Poly Mustangs in Holt Arena on Saturday.
Stay up-to-date on all NAU Football news this season by visiting NAUAthletics.com and following NAU Football on
Twitter,
Instagram and
Facebook for updates throughout the fall season.
