FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 31, 2025) – Down 26-7 with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, No. 19/21 Northern Arizona battled all the way back to take a fourth quarter lead before falling in overtime, 35-32, to Idaho on Friday night.
The Lumberjacks (5-4, 2-3 Big Sky) took the lead on a 28-yard endaround by
Kolbe Katsis with 8:28 left in the game on the third of three consecutive touchdowns. NAU held the lead until Idaho's Adams Owen split the uprights with a game-tying 42-yard field goal as time expired in regulation to send the two teams into overtime.
In overtime, NAU struck first on a 38-yard field goal by
Samuel Hunsaker to regain a 32-29 advantage. However, it took just two plays for Idaho (4-5, 2-3 Big Sky) to snag the Halloween primetime victory. Hayden Kincheloe punched in the game-winning touchdown from a yard out after Joshua Wood hit Elisha Cummings for a 24-yard gain on the Vandals' opening play of overtime.
"We put ourselves behind the first half, but I was proud of our team's fight and the comeback that we made," said head coach
Brian Wright. "There's a lot of belief in our guys to battle the way they did. They have some a lot of pride and they didn't plan to go out like that regardless of the score."
NAU outgained Idaho, 413-393, and the offense came alive particularly in the second half. Trailing 19-7 at halftime after mustering only 121 yards of offense, the Lumberjacks put up 127 yards in the third quarter alone as they slowly started to steal back momentum. In the fourth quarter, NAU averaged over 11 yards per play to put itself in position to complete the rally.
Quran Gossett rumbled in for a 1-yard touchdown to stop a 26-0 Idaho run and cut NAU's deficit to 26-14 with five minutes left in the third quarter. After the teams traded possessions, the Lumberjacks' comeback effort hit another gear when
Quentin Moten picked off his team-leading third interception in the end zone to halt an Idaho drive before the end of the quarter.
The Lumberjacks quickly took advantage of the takeaway with
Ty Pennington hitting a streaking Katsis for a 57-yard touchdown a minute into the fourth quarter. NAU's defense followed up with a stop, forcing an Idaho punt, and Katsis put the Lumberjacks ahead with his second score of the game. A two-point conversion from Pennington to
Joey Stout gave NAU a 29-26 lead.
Idaho sent the game into overtime with a 13-play drive that covered the final 4:06 of regulation on Owen's field goal.
NAU got on the scoreboard first in the nationally-televised contest on an exceptional special teams play by
Ryan Fontaine. Fontaine essentially caught the Vandals punt off Cameron Pope's foot and returned it 20 yards for the game's initial score. Although Idaho came back with a touchdown on its next drive,
Tausagafou Ho Ching blocked the extra point attempt, preserving NAU's 7-6 edge.
Cummings scored a pair of second quarter touchdowns to give Idaho a 19-7 halftime advantage. The Vandals' lead grew to 26-7 when Cruz Hepburn scooped up a fumble and returned it 63 yards for an early third quarter touchdown before the Lumberjacks began to mount their rally.
Pennington completed 23-of-34 passes for 267 yards and a touchdown.
Seth Cromwell recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of the season, leading all players with 116 yards on the ground, while Katsis paced all players with 98 yards receiving on five receptions.
Jeter Purdy totaled a career-high 75 yards receiving on five receptions as well.
Defensively,
Bobby Nivens in his first start as a Lumberjack totaled a team-leading, and career-high, 10 tackles.
Ramere Davis matched his career-high with nine tackles and Jaylen Wesley notched a career-high eight stops.
Next up for NAU is Homecoming next Saturday, Nov. 8, at Findlay Toyota Field at the Walkup Skydome versus Northern Colorado at 4 p.m.
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