OGDEN, Utah (Oct. 7, 2023) – The Red Rock Rivalry trophy is coming back to Flagstaff.
The Northern Arizona University football team earned a 27-10 road victory over No. 13/14 Weber State this evening at Stewart Stadium in Ogden, Utah, marking the program's first ranked road victory since 2015.
After the win, the Lumberjacks improve to 2-4 overall and a 2-1 record in Big Sky Conference play while the Wildcats drop to 3-3 and 1-2.
The win was historic in several ways, as it's the first road win in Ogden since Nov. 5, 2016, and the first overall victory over WSU since the 2018 season.
Northern Arizona claims the Red Rock Rivalry trophy, evening the series at 1-1 since the trophy was introduced last season. The Lumberjacks also snap a three-game losing streak to the Wildcats.
The Lumberjack defense locked down the Wildcats, holding them to 12 first downs and just 180 yards of total offense, including 61 rushing yards. Northern Arizona also grabbed two interceptions.
On the offensive side, NAU racked up 321 yards of total offense, including 191 through the air and 130 on the ground.
Adam Damante completed 25 of his 31 pass attempts for 183 yards and a touchdown pass. Coming off the bench,
Angel Flores rushed for 52 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.
Coleman Owen hauled in 60 yards on 10 catches and ran for NAU's first punt return for a touchdown since 2014, he also surpassed 2,000 career receiving yards.
Devon Starling was the team's leading rusher with 94 yards on 21 carries.
On the defensive side, both
Zach Lewis and Alex McLauglin ended with eight tackles each. McLaughlin also had an interception, a tackle for loss and a breakup.
Eloi Kwete also had two sacks and a forced fumble, and
Mark Ho Ching had a sack as well.
Northern Arizona was able to overcome 11 penalties for 90 yards and two missed field goals. The Lumberjacks held the ball for 37:11 compared to 22:49 for WSU.
"I'm really proud. We came into a hostile environment against a tough football team. We came in and played well in the first half. In the second half, we struggled a little bit, but our defense did a great job picking up the slack and I'm proud of the way we finished the game," said head coach
Chris Ball, who defeated Weber State for the first time as head coach today while also picking up his first road victory over a ranked opponent. "We knew we had to stop the run and I'm proud of the way our defense played, not giving up any big plays. In the fourth quarter, our defense closed it out."
Weber State struck first with less than five minutes to play on a one-yard rushing touchdown for a 7-0 lead. The drive ticked 6:05 off the clock and was 13-plays for 73 yards.
The Lumberjacks got on the board early in the second quarter, completing a 10-play, 56-yard drive that took 5:39 off the clock.
Angel Flores, who was making his first appearance since the opener at Arizona, scored on a five-yard rushing touchdown for his first career score. However, the extra point was missed and NAU still trailed 7-6.
After the Lumberjack defense forced the Wildcats to punt on 4
th and 7,
Coleman Owen returned the punt 85 yards for the touchdown. It marked the first time NAU had returned a punt for a touchdown since Sept. 13, 2014. After
Marcus Lye's extra point went through the uprights, the Lumberjacks took a 13-7 lead.
The Wildcats answered back with a 52-yard field goal attempt to cut the lead down to 13-10.
Following the field goal, the Lumberjacks struck again with their third touchdown of the game when Damante found
Marcus Phillips Jr. for a 22-yard completion to the endzone. The score capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive that took 4:54 off the clock. At the half, the Lumberjacks led 20-10.
Both teams were held scoreless during the third quarter. The Lumberjack defense locked down, limiting Weber State to just two drives in the third frame that resulted in a turnover on downs and a punt. Northern Arizona had the ball for 11:08 and the Wildcats had possession for just 3:29.
After a huge sack by Ho Ching, his second of the game, on 1
st and 10, Northern Arizona looked to seal the victory with McLauglin's second career interception. Held them to negative rushing yards in the 4
th.
With less than three minutes remaining, Flores rushed 16 yards for his second score of the game. After Lye's PAT was good, the Lumberjacks pulled ahead 27-10.
Northern Arizona added one last spark with
Tommy Ellis' interception to secure the victory.
The Lumberjacks return home for the remainder of October, hosting Portland State for Family Weekend on Oct. 14 at Findlay Toyota Field inside the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Mountain Standard time on ESPN+. The Vikings are currently on their bye week and will enter the contest 2-3 overall and 1-1 in conference action.
