CLICK ON EACH TEAM FOR THIS WEEK'S GAME NOTES FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA AND CAL POLY.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 6, 2022) – Returning home to face the Cal Poly Mustangs in Flagstaff for the first time since 2018, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks will be welcomed back to Findlay Toyota Field by Family Weekend.
Holding a 47-20 record on Family Weekend dating back to 1954, the Lumberjacks (1-4, 0-2 Big Sky) have won four straight games on the occasion and 13 of their past 14. Looking to snap a three-game losing streak, the capacity crowd will be a welcome sight for the program after a pair of tough weeks.
"You look at our last three games, we played well against North Dakota and just didn't finish," said Lumberjacks head coach
Chris Ball. "Against Idaho and Portland State, we didn't play like we are capable of playing. Too many mental mistakes and we have got to come out there ready to go. It's something we have been preaching, it's something we have practiced."
Northern Arizona's offense has put on a show for the Family Weekend crowd in recent history, breaking the 30-point mark in seven of the past eight games. Three of the past four contests have been dominating performances, including a 48-17 victory last season against Idaho State, a 41-23 win against Northern Colorado in 2019 and a 37-16 final against Illinois State in 2017.
Findlay Toyota Field has had its attendance reach 10,000 in six of those past eight games, including 12,640 against Montana in 2013 and 11,545 against Cal Poly in 2014.
Saturday's game will be available on
ESPN+, as well as
Hulu with a subscription to the Disney Bundle.
Mitch Strohman and Kevin Stephens will handle the call on the stream as well as on the Northern Arizona Healthcare NAU Lumberjack Radio Network with coverage beginning at 12 p.m. MST.
CAL POLY SCOUT
While the Mustangs (1-3, 0-1 Big Sky) fell to the Lumberjacks 45-21 in last year's season finale, the 2022 meeting between the programs will have a different look. Last season,
Kevin Daniels rushed for 280 yards and five touchdowns, with four coming in the second quarter, as he landed sixth all-time for rushing yards in a game. Breaking off a 90-yard touchdown, Daniels also set the record for the longest rush in program history. Defensively, Northern Arizona picked off Cal Poly quarterback Spencer Brasch three times and forced a pair of fumbles. Recording five sacks and eight tackles for loss, the Lumberjacks' defensive front set the tone while Daniels cashed in his numerous opportunities.
However, Mustangs head coach Beau Baldwin is now in his third season, and second full campaign, with Cal Poly after arriving from Cal. The former Eastern Washington coach led the Eagles to a 58-14 record in the Big Sky during his tenure and is another step toward completing Cal Poly's transition from a triple-option offense to the spread attack Baldwin used to win the 2010 FCS National Championship.
"He's getting his stuff in and the kids seem to understand it," Ball said. "They are playing with a lot of energy. They are getting beat in some of the games and there's still great energy on the sideline, the kids are still into it."
Ranked sixth in passing offense at 324.5 yards per game and 22nd in total offense at 428.8, the Mustangs are well ahead of last year's averages that finished 52nd (218.8) and 100th (306.2) respectively. Cal Poly has also allowed just five takeaways this season, two interceptions and three fumbles lost, while playing FBS Fresno State, San Diego, South Dakota and No. 4/5 Sacramento State.
On the opposite side of the ball, Cal Poly ranks 121st of 123 FCS programs with 326.8 passing yards allowed per game, 117th in total defense at 504.0 yards allowed per game and 116th in team passing efficiency defense at 173.4.
"We have got to get our confidence back and embrace the opportunity this week to get a win and go do what we need to do," Ball said. "It doesn't really matter who we are playing. We've got to start faster and everybody has got to do their 1/11th."
CHUK IT DEEP
Playing in his second game since returning from a serious knee injury suffered last fall at Northern Colorado,
Stacy Chukwumezie made his impact felt in the fourth quarter against Portland State.
Catching a pair of touchdown passes from
RJ Martinez, Chukwumezie moved himself up a pair of Northern Arizona's all-time receiving lists while also closing in on a career milestone. Now 21st all-time with 1,614 receiving yards, Chukwumezie is just 352 yards away from the Top 10 in school history. Additionally, Chukwumezie's 53-yard touchdown reception pushed him up to third all-time with a career yards per catch average of 17.7.
Just nine receptions away from reaching 100 for his career, Chukwumezie now has 12 touchdown receptions and sits four away from tying for 10th on the career list. Of those 12 scores, seven have come from 50 or more yards out. Scoring his first career touchdown in 2019 against Missouri State from 55 yards out, Chukwumezie added a 51-yard touchdown against Northern Colorado, 63 and 94-yard scores against Weber State, and a 73-yard touchdown against Sacramento State that same season. Beating Southern Utah for a 55-yard touchdown in the Spring 2021 opener, last week's 53-yard score made a new addition to the list.
Streaking down the sideline for roughly 30 yards after the catch, Chukwumezie returned to the sidelines to multiple hugs from teammates and staff members, including
Amanda Bock, Northern Arizona's assistant director of sports medicine, who oversaw much of the receiver's progression through rehab.
"He's a great person, everybody likes him and he's been there for everybody in his career here," Ball said. "He knows who really believed in him and helped him get to where he is at. That just shows you what type of person he is."
GAMEDAY INFO
Limited tickets remain for Saturday's Family Weekend and can be purchased online at
www.nauathletics.com/buynow, with single game, mini-plan and season ticket packages still available. Questions can be directed to the Lumberjack Ticket Office at LumberjackTicketOffice@nau.edu or 928-523-0639.
Introduced last fall, Northern Arizona is utilizing mobile ticketing this season. For step-by step instructions and resources, click
here. Students will also need to claim their tickets online this season with step-by-step instructions available
here.
The Tundra B Lot with assigned tailgating will open at 8 a.m., while the student tailgating lot opens at 10 a.m. The Ponderosa will open at 10:30 a.m. ahead of the 1 p.m. kickoff with the Lumberjack Walk from the Student-Athlete High Performance Center into Findlay Toyota Field set for 10:45 a.m. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., 90 minutes prior to kickoff.
Shuttle services also begin at 10 a.m. with pick up locations at the South Commuter Lot P62 and in the front of the campus bookstore.
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.
