NAU Football Prepares for First Round Matchup at Abilene Christian

NAU GAME NOTES

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Nov. 27, 2024) – For the first time since 2017, the Northern Arizona football team is preparing for a first round FCS Playoff matchup. The Lumberjacks travel to 15-seeded Abilene Christian on Saturday, Nov. 30 in Abilene, Texas, at Wildcat Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Mountain Standard time on ESPN+ and the Northern Arizona Healthcare NAU Lumberjack Radio Network.
 
The winner will go on face No. 2 North Dakota State in Fargo, N.D. on Dec. 7. To view the bracket, click here. Tickets are available for purchase here.
 
NAU ended the regular season 8-4 overall and 6-2 in Big Sky Conference play, winning its final five games for the longest winning streak since 2017. The Lumberjacks finished undefeated at home for just the third time in program history at 5-0 (2015, 1978), and its four losses all came on the road to No. 20 Arizona, No. 14 UIW, No. 10 Idaho and No. 12 Montana – all of which made the FCS playoffs outside of the Wildcats.
 
It marks the most amount of wins since 2013 when the Lumberjacks won nine games and is the first winning season since 2017 as well outside of the shortened Spring of 2021 season.
 
It's the sixth FCS Playoff appearance for the Lumberjacks in program history, going 1-5 in the postseason. The lone win came in 2003 when NAU upset top-seeded McNeese State on the road 35-3 to advance to the quarterfinals – the furthest the Lumberjacks have advanced. NAU is 0-4 in playoff games played in Flagstaff and 1-1 on the road. The Lumberjacks have played one playoff game in the state of Texas, losing to Sam Houston State 34-31 in 2001.
 
Abilene Christian also finished the regular season 8-4 and 7-1 in United Athletic Conference play. The Wildcats won the UAC Championship earning the auto-bid for its first ever playoff game at the Division I level. This season, ACU is 2-1 against nationally ranked teams with wins over Central Arkansas and Tarleton State and a loss to Idaho.
 
The Wildcats boast both a Buck Buchanan and Walter Payton Award finalist, with Will Shaffer leading the Wildcats with 108 tackles on the year and Maverick McIvor has thrown for 3,675 passing yards and 29 touchdowns this season. ACU ranks 16^th in the nation with 34.8 points per game and have the fourth-best passing offense with 321.8 passing yards per contest, ranking third with 479.7 yards of total offense per game.
 
Northern Arizona and Abilene Christian have met three times in program history, with the Lumberjacks leading 3-0. It marks the first meeting since 2014 when the Lumberjacks won 27-21 in Abilene. The other two meetings came in 1989 and 1995 in Flagstaff.
 
On Wednesday morning, it was announced that NAU quarterback Ty Pennington earned the Big Sky's Newcomer of the Year award, highlighting 13 all-conference selections.
 
Pennington transferred in from Pittsburg State with head coach Brian Wright in January. This season as a sophomore, Pennington has played in and started 11 games at quarterback. He has completed 171 of his 256 pass (66.80%) attempts for 2,123 yards and just one interception. His one and only interception of the year came in the 10^th game of the season at Northern Colorado, completing 147 of 215 passing attempts before his first miscue. He's thrown 13 touchdown passes to seven different players.
 
Pennington is also a threat on the ground, rushing 94 times for 432 net yards, good for seven rushing touchdowns and 4.6 yards per carry as NAU's second-leading rusher. He threw for over 100 yards on eight different occasions and had five games with at least two touchdowns.
 
His top target has been Bryzai White who earned unanimous first team honors, playing in all 12 games and led the team with 544 receiving yards on 39 catches, averaging 13.95 yards per catch while tying for the team lead with four receiving touchdowns.
 
McLaughlin earned Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors twice in 2024. He ranked second on the team with 85 total tackles, 34 of which were solo. This season, he's racked up a team-high 5.5 sacks, 6.0 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, one interception, three quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles that were both recovered for defensive touchdowns. In the regular season finale against Eastern Washington, he totaled a career-high 13 tackles.
 
As a team, Northern Arizona ranks 31^st nationally with 30.5 points per game with 413.8 yards of total offense per game. On the defensive front, the Lumberjacks rank eighth nationally in third down conversion percentage defense, allowing opponents to convert just 30.7 percent of the time.