FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 19, 2022) – For the third consecutive week, and the fourth time during the season, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks battled for 60 minutes only to see a victory escape them in a game's closing minutes.
Battling back from a 14-0 deficit to open the game, the Lumberjacks (3-8, 2-6 Big Sky) pushed the No. 7/10 Weber State Wildcats (9-2, 6-2) to the very end before falling 33-31 in the inaugural edition of the Red Rock Rivalry. Leading 31-30 with 2:50 remaining in the game after a 39-yard field goal by
Collin Robbins, the Lumberjacks found themselves in a similar situation to just a few weeks prior.
An 11-play, 65-yard drive by the Wildcats culminated in a 23-yard field goal by Kyle Thompson, giving Weber State a two-point lead with just five seconds left on the clock, spoiling Northern Arizona's comeback from being 14 points down late in the first quarter and again early in the second.
"In the offseason, we've got to figure out a way to finish these games better," said Lumberjacks head coach
Chris Ball. "It starts with me and our coordinators, but our kids played hard enough to win today. Just really, really proud of them for the way they have handled themselves."
Hendrix Johnson put the Lumberjacks on the board a little more than three minutes into the second quarter with a perfect one-handed catch along Northern Arizona's sideline, hauling in a 45-yard touchdown pass from
RJ Martinez. Weber State immediately extended their lead back to 21-7 as Abraham Williams returned his fourth kick return for a 100-yard touchdown this season, forcing Northern Arizona to close out the first half with a pair of touchdowns.
The quick scoring continued with
Draycen Hall finishing off Northern Arizona's six-play, 75-yard drive in the end zone just 2:18 later.
After Hall recorded the first of four first downs on the drive, breaking free for 11-yards on second down, Johnson added 13 yards on a reception and
Coleman Owen made the play of the drive with a 40-yard gain. Set up in the red zone, Hall took care of the rest with gains of five yards and seven yards for the touchdown.
Recording a fourth-down stop on their own 37, as
Morgan Vest stood up Weber State's Damon Bankston a yard shy of the line to gain, the Lumberjacks put together a third consecutive touchdown drive in the second quarter.
Going 66 yards in 6:15, Northern Arizona converted three third downs on the drive as none of the 12 plays went for more than 11 yards. Relying on Hall, Johnson and Owen for the first eight plays of the drive, a 5-yard carry by
Chase Belcher brought Northern Arizona to a goal-to-go situation as the freshman running back was brought down by his facemask. Set up at Weber State's 7-yard line, a pair of carries from Hall brought Northern Arizona to the Wildcats' 5 while facing a third down.
Flushed out to his right under pressure by a trio of Wildcats with just seconds left on the clock before halftime, Martinez found tight end
Isaiah Gerena open in the end zone for the tying score.
While Weber State retook the lead with a pair of third-quarter field goals, Northern Arizona finally took its first lead of the game as a fake punt by Weber State fell incomplete at its own 16. A third-down pass interference call against the Wildcats reset the drive at Weber State's 6, with Martinez hitting his third touchdown pass of the day as a pass to Johnson in the flats sprung free as Owen and
Elijah Taylor sealed off the defense with 11:40 remaining in the game.
From there, the final three drives of the game were an exchange of field goals between the two teams resulting in Weber State's victory.
Martinez finished with 285 yards on 31-of-43 passing, as both Johnson and Owen finished over 100 yards at 113 and 115 respectively on nine receptions apiece. Johnson moved to No. 8 all-time in receiving yards and No. 6 in receptions. Owen finished 2022 ranking 21st in receiving yards. Hall added 69 total yards from scrimmage while Gerena finished with six catches for 38 yards.
Playing in his final game for the Lumberjacks, Vest finished with a team-high 11 tackles to move to No. 1 in career tackles since 2000.
"I've just been so blessed. That's the one word I keep coming back to leading up to this game," Vest said. "The journey has been phenomenal. Coach Ball trusted me bringing me here. Playing at NAU, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. We could be 11-0 or we could be 0-11, I knew that this is home and this is where I wanted to be. I'm so glad I chose NAU and to come here. It's been an absolute blast, I have had so much fun."
