GREELEY, Colo. (Nov. 16, 2024) – The No. 25 Northern Arizona football team cruised to its fourth-straight victory today, winning 44-3 at Northern Colorado at Nottingham Field. It's the first win in Greeley, Colo., for the Lumberjacks since 2012, snapping a five-game losing streak.
With the victory, NAU improves to 7-4 on the year and 5-2 in Big Sky Conference play, guaranteeing a winning season for the first time since 2017. It's the first time the Lumberjacks have won four games in a row, seven games in a season, and two-straight road games, also since 2017.
UNC drops to 1-10 on the year and 1-6 in conference action. It is the first time the road team has won a game in the series dating back to 2012. Northern Arizona also did not allow a touchdown for the second time this season, setting a season low in points allowed, while outscoring UNC 30-0 in the second half.
Northern Arizona put up an emphatic 535 yards of total offense, including 218 through the air and 317 on the ground. For the second-straight game,
Seth Cromwell rushed for over 100 yards, putting up 155 rushing yards plus a touchdown.
Ty Pennington completed seven of his 20 passing attempts for 193 yards and two passing touchdowns, while rushing for another score.
PJ London also saw action, completing both of his passing attempts for 25 yards. Pennington's favorite target was
Bryzai White who caught seven passes for 57 yards.
On the defensive front,
Tommy Ellis led the way with nine tackles. NAU held the Bears to 1-of-8 on third down and just 135 yards of total offense – 71 of which came on the first drive of the game.
"As I told the team, I'm proud of their preparation this week. It all started on Sunday, and we finally don't have to listen to NAU in Greeley, Colorado, anymore in a negative way. Our guys prepared well all week and worked extremely hard, and it pays off on Saturday," said head coach
Brian Wright. "Our defense did a great job adjusting. On offense, Northern Colorado came out in a double-wing formation that hadn't shown all season long and our defense had to make adjustments quickly."
The Bears got on the board first, capping off a 12-play, 71-yard opening drive with a 21-yard field goal attempt.
It did not take long for Northern Arizona to answer, responding on its first drive on offense. Pennington rushed for his sixth rushing score of the season to end a seven-play drive that ticked 3:32 off the clock. After
Samuel Hunsaker's extra point attempt, NAU took a 7-3 lead.
At the start of the second quarter, Pennington threw his first interception of the season, completing 147 passes until his first miscue of the year, but the Bears could not capitalize.
Before the first half was over, Northern Arizona would find the endzone again. This time, on a 17-yard strike from Pennington to White.
At the half, Northern Arizona led 14-3. The Lumberjacks put up 221 yards of total offense in the first half and held the Bears to 0-for-5 on third down and just 95 yards of total offense – 71 one of which came on the opening drive.
The Lumberjacks tacked on to their lead to start the second half, finding the endzone twice in the first nine minutes. Using a 10-play drive that went for 75 yards,
J'Wan Evans scurried in for a two-yard score to put NAU up 21-3 after Hunsaker's extra point attempt.
After the Lumberjack defense forced another three-and-out, it took just four plays to find the next score. Pennington found
Myseth Currie for 18-yards in the endzone for his first career touchdown, helping NAU pull ahead 28-3. Continuing to find ways to get on the board,
Quinlan Popham recorded a safety that gave NAU a 30-3 advantage.
After the third, the Lumberjacks had held UNC to negative-six rushing yards while putting up 182 themselves to lead 30-3.
Northern Arizona showed no quit in the third quarter. Cromwell found the endzone on a three-yard rush, his eighth of the season, to help NAU go up 37-3 after the PAT, outscoring UNC 16-0 in the third quarter.
Kyler Kruck scored his first career touchdown, a one-yard rush, in the fourth quarter. It was the first game of his career in his home state.
The Lumberjacks return to Flagstaff for their final regular season home game on Saturday, Nov. 23 when it hosts Eastern Washington for Senior Day and Native American Heritage Day. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Findlay Toyota Field inside the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome.
Northern Arizona has won six-straight at home dating back to 2023 when it won its two final regular season home games. Sitting at a perfect 4-0 in Flagstaff this year, NAU is looking to finish 5-0 in the Skydome for the first time since 2015 and the third time in program history (1978). Northern Arizona has won five games inside the Skydome on three other occasions: 2017, 2015 and 2013. The record for consecutive wins is eight.
