FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Nov. 23, 2024) – Dome defended.
For just the third time in program history, the No. 21 Northern Arizona football team has gone undefeated at home in Flagstaff, Ariz., after beating Eastern Washington 30-18 on the final day of the regular season. The Lumberjacks picked up their fifth-straight victory, the longest since 2017.
With the win, Northern Arizona improves to 8-4 on the year and 6-2 in Big Sky Conference play – it's best win total since the 2013 season. The victory also keeps NAU in contention for the FCS Playoffs, a place it hasn't been since 2017. The team will await its fate until tomorrow when the FCS Selection show airs on ESPNU at 10:30 a.m. Mountain Standard time.
Eastern Washington ends its season at 4-8 on the year and 3-5 in Big Sky play, dropping two-straight to the Lumberjacks.
Northern Arizona held the Eagles, who rushed for 10 touchdowns and 77 points against Idaho State last week, to 301 yards of total offense including 134 on the ground. The Lumberjacks had 539 yards of total offense, 352 of which came through the air. EWU was also only able to convert on third down on seven of their 15 attempts.
Ty Pennington led the Lumberjack offense by completed 15 of his 29 passing attempts for 312 yards and one touchdown, rushing for another 48 yards and a score. He connected with two receivers that each hauled in over 100 yards for the first time in their careers in
Tay Lanier and
Kolbe Katsis. Each scored a touchdown, with Lanier's being tossed by
Isaiah Eastman. Lanier would haul in 122 yards on five catches while Katsis had 130 yards on three catches. It was the first time the Lumberjacks have had two 100-yard receivers since the 2022 season.
NAU also boasted
Seth Cromwell who rushed for over 100 yards for the third-straight day, ending with 112 yards and a score.
On the defensive front, senior
Tommy Ellis racked up a career-high 15 tackles and was followed by
Alex McLaughlin who had 13 tackles and a game-sealing interception.
With five seconds to go in the first, Pennington connected with Katsis for a 75-yard strike to give NAU a 7-0 lead at the end of the quarter. Eastern Washington would even the scores with a two-yard touchdown pass to make it a 7-7 game in the third quarter, capping off an 11-play 50-yard drive.
Before the half was done, Eastman found Lanier for a 40-yard touchdown pass to help give NAU a 14-7 lead at the half. At the half, the Lumberjacks had 313 yards of total offense compared to just 129 for EWU.
The second half did not start out strong for the Lumberjacks and the third quarter would be a back-and-forth affair. EWU earned a safety just eight seconds into the half, and followed up with a 67-yard touchdown pass to give them a 15-14 lead after the failed two-point conversion. On the next possession,
Samuel Hunsaker connected on a 21-yard field goal attempt that capped a seven-play, 72-yard drive to regive Northern Arizona the lead at 17-15. But before the quarter was over, EWU would make a 31-yard field goal attempt to pull back ahead 18-17 entering the fourth.
After NAU got the ball back to start the fourth quarter, it would rattle off 14-unanswered points to secure the victory. First, Cromwell rushed six yards for his ninth rushing touchdown of the year for a 23-18 lead after a failed two-point conversion. Northern Arizona all but closed the game out when
Ty Pennington rushed for 12 yards to the endzone, giving the Lumberjacks a 30-18 lead with two minutes left to play.
On the second play of Eastern's next drive, McLaughlin picked off the Eagles on their 23-yard line for his first interception of the season, sealing the victory for NAU.
