DAVIS, Calif. (October 11, 2025) – No. 6/6 UC Davis scored three fourth quarter touchdowns to pull away from No. 14/16 Northern Arizona Saturday night, 45-24, in a Big Sky battle between top 15 teams.
The loss is the Lumberjacks' second straight, dropping their record to 4-3 overall and 1-2 in conference. Meanwhile, UC Davis (5-1) posted its fourth consecutive win and remained undefeated in conference play at 3-0.
The Aggies outgained the Lumberjacks, 458-408, and did the majority of their damage in the passing game. UC Davis threw for 348 yards, the highest single-game opponent total allowed by NAU since UC Davis threw for 410 yards nearly three years to the day on Oct. 15, 2022. NAU also had trouble getting UC Davis off the field as the Aggies converted 8-of-11 third downs.
The Lumberjacks were led offensively by
Quran Gossett and
Isaiah Eastman. Gossett recorded a team-high 66 yards rushing and two touchdowns, marking his second multi-touchdown effort in three games, while Eastman posted his best game as a Lumberjack, turning in career-highs of seven receptions and 135 yards receiving.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Lumberjacks' linebacker duo of
Brandon Wong and
Ramere Davis also posted career-best performances. Wong and Davis led the team with nine and seven tackles respectively. Wong's nine tackles set a new career-high and he also posted his first career multi-sack game, totaling two of NAU's four sacks. Davis added 1.5 sacks of his own, also marking a career-best.
The game got off to a slow start, at least on the scoreboard, with UC Davis leading only 10-7 at halftime before scoring five second half touchdowns.
After NAU's opening drive stalled in opponent territory as a result of two UC Davis sacks, the Lumberjacks' defense came up with a stand of its own, holding the Aggies to a field goal on their first possession of the game.
NAU possessed the ball for the remainder of the first quarter – a common theme in the first half – and responded with a touchdown drive. Over 13 plays, the Lumberjacks covered 65 yards in more than seven minutes with the final 20 coming through the air from
Ty Pennington to
Kolbe Katsis.
NAU doubled up UC Davis on time of possession in the first half, but it was the Aggies who held the advantage heading into the locker room. The Aggies took the lead midway through the second quarter on a 31-yard touchdown from Caden Pinnick to Samuel Gbatu Jr.
The start of the second half was a sign of things to come for the Aggies as UC Davis scored a pair of touchdowns within their first eight plays after halftime. Jordan Fisher extended UC Davis' lead to 17-7 on the second play of the third quarter, rushing 59 yards for a score, and Carter Vargas tacked on a 50-yard touchdown off a shovel pass from Pinnick.
Between the two Aggie touchdowns, the 'Jacks strung together a quick scoring drive of their own. After Fisher's score, NAU marched 62 yards in six plays with Gossett punching in his first of two touchdowns on the ground from 7 yards out.
Samuel Hunsaker brought the Lumberjacks within 24-17 late in the third quarter with a 32-yard field goal only for UC Davis to answer on its ensuing possession despite having its back against the wall twice. The Aggies converted first downs on 3rd-and-18 and 3rd-and-20 before finishing off a 13-play, 75-yard drive with a second scoring connection from Pinnick to Gbatu Jr.
Trailing 31-17, Katsis sparked NAU with a 46-yard kickoff return, setting up the Lumberjacks on the Aggies' half of the field. A 30-yard completion from Pennington to Eastman put the 'Jacks in red zone and Gossett took it the rest of the way, concluding the drive with his second touchdown of the evening.
Once again down a score, NAU appeared to get the stop it needed on UC Davis' next offensive play with
Travis Arena punching the ball out from Vargas and recovering it on his own giving the ball right back to the Lumberjacks' offense. However, NAU returned the favor on the very next play, fumbling the ball back to UC Davis.
The Aggies cashed in the turnover with a touchdown, giving them a 38-24 lead with 6:43 to play, and added a final touchdown with under two minutes to go.
NAU heads into its bye week and returns to action on Oct. 25 at Idaho State.
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