POCATELLO, Idaho (October 25, 2025) – No. 20/22 Northern Arizona used an effective ground game to control the clock and spoil Idaho State's Homecoming with a 31-18 win in the ICCU Dome on Saturday. The Lumberjacks (5-3, 2-2 Big Sky) ran for 200 yards and possessed the ball for nearly 35 minutes in snapping a two-game losing coming out of their bye week.
"I'm so proud of our team and really our whole organization," said head coach
Brian Wright. "These guys battled through the bye week and stayed together. They were really focused to head on the road against a really tough team in a hard place to win. Defense really stepped up to hold them to 18 points, our offense finished off some really long drives with touchdowns and our special teams played well. It was a great team win."
Behind a committee of runners led by
Darvon Hubbard's 68 yards, the Lumberjacks kept one of the most explosive FCS offenses off the field. Idaho State, entering the game averaging 35.0 points per game, was held to only 18 points. The Bengals were held to 70 yards fewer than their third-leading passing average in the country of 325.3 yards per game.
Hubbard's yardage was a season-best as was
Ty Pennington's 61 yards.
Quran Gossett ran for 49 yards and
Seth Cromwell posted 40. Hubbard, Gossett and Cromwell all ran for a touchdown.
"We really wanted to establish the running attack and control the clock," Wright said. "We did not want to let that (Idaho State) offense to wear us down on defense."
"Our offensive line did an amazing job," Hubbard said. "It was important for us to establish our run game with the guys that we have in our room. The o-line is definitely the MVP of the game."
In all, the Lumberjacks had three touchdown drives of 12-plus plays and an 11-play field goal drive.
The Bengals (2-6, 1-3 Big Sky) got on the board first courtesy of a Dason Brooks 6-yard rushing touchdown, giving Idaho State a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
NAU wasted no time in tying the game at 7-7 with Cromwell barreling his way into the end zone for the seventh time this season. A 32-yard shovel pass to
Kolbe Katsis started the drive and Pennington added a 17-yard quarterback keeper to set up Cromwell's 8-yard touchdown.
Idaho State appeared poise to retake the lead on its ensuing possession, driving the length of the field, however Jonah Burton fumbled at the 1-yard line while attempting to stretch the ball across the goal line.
Michael Hurst came up with the key fumble recovery, which resulted in NAU's first red zone scoring stop in 26 opponent trips this season.
After the Bengals managed to move in front, 10-7, with 10:59 left in the second quarter on a 40-yard field goal by Trajan Sinatra, the Lumberjacks once again answered with a scoring drive of their own.
Sparked by a 15-yard run by Hubbard on 4th-and-2 on its half of the field, NAU methodically marched down the field in 14 plays to move ahead on the scoreboard. The 'Jacks capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown strike from Pennington to
Braden Kramer. The touchdown was not only the first of Kramer's career, but also his first reception.
NAU's defense forced a quick Idaho State three-and-out and the Lumberjack offense took full advantage with second consecutive lengthy touchdown drive. Moments after a drive spanning more than seven minutes, the Lumberjacks drove 88 yards on 12 plays to secure a 21-10 halftime lead.
Hubbard set himself up for his second touchdown of the season, from 4 yards out, with a 17-yard gash through the left side of the line.
Following a scoreless third quarter, including a second missed field goal by Sinatra, Gossett carried the load for the Lumberjacks' third rushing touchdown. Gossett handled nine carries – and accounted for 45 of 70 yards on the drive – during NAU's longest touchdown drive of the season in terms of plays (16) and finished with a 3-yard plunge.
Idaho State finally snapped a 21-0 scoring run by NAU with a 23-yard touchdown from Jordan Cooke to Michael Shulikov to get within 28-18, but the Lumberjacks – as they did all game – chewed clock and came away with points. The 'Jacks milked nearly five minutes off the clock and padded their lead with a 41-yard field goal from
Samuel Hunsaker.
For good measure,
Quentin Moten recorded his second interception of the season in the end zone with a minute remaining in the game. NAU notched multiple takeaways for the second time this fall and the first time since Sept. 6.
Pennington efficiently navigated the Bengals defense, completing 24-of-30 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown. Katsis led the way with eight receptions for 68 yards, while
Hayden Daugherty posted his first multi-catch game of his career, finishing with four receptions for 25 yards.
For the second consecutive game,
Brandon Wong set a new career-high in tackles with 12, including seven solo. He also posted a team-best 1.5 tackles-for-loss.
NAU returns to Findlay Toyota Field at the Walkup Skydome for a nationally-televised matchup against Idaho on Friday, Oct. 31. The Halloween night showdown will be televised live on ESPN2.
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