ST. GEORGE, Utah (Sept. 14, 2024) – The Northern Arizona University football team defeated Utah Tech with an emphatic 45-17 victory tonight in St. George, Utah, at Greater Zion Stadium.
With the win, NAU improves to 2-1 for the first time since the 2019 season as head coach
Brian Wright earned his first Division I victory at the helm. Utah Tech drops to 0-3 on the year.
Northern Arizona's run game could not be contained, as the 'Jacks racked up 339 rushing yards on 44 carries, good for 7.7 yards per attempt. Through the air, they added 221 passing yards for 560 yards of total offense. On the defensive front, NAU held the Trailblazers to 278 yards of total offense and forced UTU to punt seven times.
Both teams were tied 3-3 in the early goings before NAU rattled off 42-unanswered points. At the half, the Lumberjacks led 31-3 after scoring on four-straight drives. The scoring didn't stop, as NAU found the endzone on its first two drives of the second half as well.
Ty Pennington started his third-straight game, completing eight of his 14 pass attempts for 123 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, he scored twice while rushing nine times for 67 yards.
Darvon Hubbard led all rushers with 130 yards on 14 carries and a score, while
Ta'ir Brooks hauled in 76 receiving yards with both of his catches resulting in touchdowns.
Ammon Allen led the team with seven tackles and contributed with two sacks for a loss of 11 yards.
Tommy Ellis added five tackles and grabbed his second career interception that he returned for 27 yards.
"Overall, I'm proud of our effort and I'm proud of their focus on the road. As I just told them, it all started early in the week. We had a great week of preparation after coming off a tough loss," said head coach
Brian Wright. "Our guys put the work in through the week and came out and executed at a high level, but we'll certainly see some things to clean up."
Marcus Lye got the Lumberjacks on the board first with a 24-yard field goal, his second of the season, to cap a 10-play, 70-yard drive that ticked 4:33 off the clock. Lye would end the day with nine kick points, going a perfect 6-for-6 on extra point attempts and 1-for-2 on field goal attempts.
Utah Tech went three-and-out its first time out and would later settle for a 48-yard field goal to tie the contest 3-3.
Before the first quarter ended, Pennington would connect with
Isaiah Eastman for a 31-yard receiving touchdown – the first of Eastman's career – to give the Lumberjacks a 10-3 lead after a Lye extra point attempt.
At the end of the first, NAU had already racked up 10 first downs and 166 yards of total offense.
After forcing another UTU three-and-out to start the second, NAU took over on their own 42-yard line and it would take just two plays until Hubbard rushed for 55-yards and the score, his first as a Lumberjack. After another Lye extra point attempt, Northern Arizona led 17-3.
NAU would tack on seven more points when Pennington found Brooks for an eight-yard touchdown to complete a five-play, 64-yard drive that ticked 2:21 off the clock.
On Utah Tech's next drive, Ellis came up with his second career interception, which he would return for 27 yards to set the 'Jacks up at the Utah Tech 38-yard line. NAU would capitalize when Pennington scored with his legs, the second rushing touchdown of his Lumberjack career, to push the lead out to 31-3.
At the end of the first half, Northern Arizona led 31-3 with 350 yards of total offense – 231 on the ground and 119 through the air – while holding the Trailblazers to 100 yards of total offense, including just 25 rushing yards.
In the third quarter, the Lumberjacks would tack on two more scores on their first two drives with the first coming on a two-yard rushing touchdown from Pennington. On the next drive,
Angel Flores came in and completed a 68-yard completion to Brooks for his second score of the game. Heading into the fourth quarter, NAU led 45-3.
The Trailblazers found the endzone for the first time with 9:39 left to go in the fourth, on a four-yard rushing touchdown to make it a 45-10 game. Utah Tech would find the endzone one more time on a 23-yard completion, outscoring NAU 14-0 in the fourth quarter.
Northern Arizona is back in action next week at No. 12/14 Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Mountain Standard time. The Cardinals are coming off a 35-28 loss to No. 8/9 Southern Illinois tonight.
