FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 20, 2025) – With timely plays in all three phases, No. 17/19 Northern Arizona earned its third consecutive win – and ninth straight at Findlay Toyota Field at the Walkup Skydome – on Saturday by a 31-23 margin over No. 19/14 UIW. The Lumberjacks head into conference play with a 3-1 mark.
"This was a hard-fought win," said head coach
Brian Wright. "The team put in a lot of work, starting early this week, because we knew we wanted to play better than a week ago. We had a tough opponent and the work paid off today. I'm proud of our defensive efforts put against a talented quarterback, and we grinded out a lot of yards and scores when we needed them on offense."
NAU's ninth consecutive victory set a new program record for longest win streak in the Walkup Skydome – a record that held for 46 years since the 'Jacks strung together eight consecutive home wins from 1978-79. The victory also avenges a 38-14 loss to UIW last season as the Cardinals fell to 1-3 this season.
Both teams moved the ball efficiently on offense, each averaging more than six yards per play. UIW actually outgained NAU, 436-402, but the Lumberjacks made plays when they needed them most, maybe none bigger than
Myseth Currie's 46-yard Hail Mary touchdown reception on the final play of the first half.
With NAU leading 14-10, Currie came down with
Ty Pennington's heave into the end zone right before halftime, sending the Lumberjacks into the locker room with a 21-10 advantage.
"On that play, with that personnel, you have to go up and get the ball," Currie said. "I have to give thanks to Coach (Wright) for believing in the personnel. The ball was in the air and it's 50/50 and it comes down to who wants it more. We both had the ball at the same time and I knew it was mine. My mentality was to rip the ball away and score."
The passing touchdown was one of three on the day for Pennington, tying a career-high set last week at Southern Utah. Pennington finished with 286 passing yards and scores to Currie,
Jayson Raines and
Jeter Purdy.
The 'Jacks struck first, marching 77 yards on 10 plays and grabbed the early 7-0 lead on a 4-yard end around by
Ethen Cluff. The touchdown was the first career score for the sixth-year Lumberjack.
UIW scored 10 unanswered points to snag its only lead of the game, 10-7, following a 47-yard touchdown from EJ Colson to Jameson Garcia with 9:34 left in the second quarter. The Lumberjacks did not take long to counter as Raines took a screen from Pennington – keyed by a block on the edge by
Steven Eakins – 33 yards to the house for the go-ahead score, and his first career touchdown, two minutes later.
The Lumberjacks' 21-10 lead following Currie's second career touchdown reception held throughout most of the third quarter before the Cardinals' Lontrell Turner scored on a 3-yard touchdown with 3:24 remaining in the period. However, UIW missed the ensuing extra point, and NAU for the second time in the game responded with a touchdown drive of its own.
Pennington completed three passes on the next drive and capped it with a 30-yard toss to a wide-open Purdy to make it a 28-16 NAU advantage late in the third quarterback. The scoring connection marked Purdy's second score in as many games.
After UIW climbed within one score with 11 minutes left at 28-23, NAU once again had an answer. Feeding the ball to
Seth Cromwell, who recorded 32 of his team-high 64 yards rushing on the drive, NAU ate up nearly six minutes on the game clock before
Samuel Hunsaker knocked through a career-long 50-yard field goal. Hunsaker's field goal extended NAU's lead to 31-23 with 5:13 remaining, and the Lumberjacks' defense closed it out from there.
With the ball just past midfield in the game's waning seconds, Colson was forced into an intentional grounding penalty by
Ramere Davis' pressure. UIW's desperation laterals fell short a play later, clinching NAU's first ranked win in nearly a calendar year since last season's Family Weekend 34-16 win over No. 10/10 Sacramento State.
In front of a sold-out crowd of 10,007 in the Walkup Skydome, NAU posted its seventh Family Weekend win in its last eight dating back to 2017.
"It was a gusty win. The past three weeks, that's been the theme – finding ways to win," Pennington said. "We can keep building on the fight and resiliency we showed against a good opponent. There's a lot of football to play though (this season) and we're going to have to come up with a lot of big wins this season, but this one certainly helps moving forward."
For the third consecutive game,
Travis Arena led the Lumberjacks in tackles, matching a career-high of 11. Arena notched his fifth sack of the season on a third down, forcing a UIW three-and-out, after Hunsaker's field goal. He also recorded three quarterback hurries.
Quentin Moten and
Quinlan Popham each added eight tackles.
The Lumberjacks head to Portland State for the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams next Saturday. Kickoff from Portland, Ore. is 2 p.m.
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