SPRING 2021 NAU FOOTBALL @NAU Athletics @Naufootball @Nauathletics GAME 1 : Northern Arizona Vs
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#NAUSTRONG /LumberjackCountry /NAUFootball SPRING 2021 NAU FOOTBALL @NAU_Athletics @NAUFootball @NAUAthletics GAME 1 : Northern Arizona vs. Southern Utah @NAU_Football Saturday, February 27, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. | Flagstaff, Ariz. | Walkup Skydome NORTHERN ARIZONA LUMBERJACKS (0-0, 0-0 BIG SKY) SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS (0-0, 0-0 BIG SKY) GAMEDAY RECORD: 0-0, 0-0 Big Sky RECORD: 0-0, 0-0 Big Sky HOME RECORD: 0-0 HOME RECORD: 0-0 AWAY RECORD: 0-0 AWAY RECORD: 0-0 HEAD COACH: Chris Ball (2nd Year) HEAD COACH: Demario Warren (5th Year) RECORD AT NAU: 4-8 RECORD AT PORTLAND STATE: 19-27 OVERALL RECORD: Same OVERALL RECORD: Same PPG/ALLOWED PER GAME: 00.0/00.0 PPG/ALLOWED PER GAME: 00.0/00.0 ON THE CALL: Mitch Strohman (play-by-play) and Kevin Stephens (color) TELEVISION: Pluto TV Channel 1058 RADIO: 93.5 FM & AM 930 KAFF Country Legends - Flagstaff; 97.9 FM Fun Oldies - Prescott; NBC Sports KDUS 1060AM - Phoenix; ESPN KFFN-AM 1490/104.9 FM - Tucson MOBILE AUDIO: TuneIn App LIVE VIDEO: pluto.tv (Channel 1058) LIVE AUDIO: nauathletics.com/listen LIVE STATS: nauathletics.com NAU OPENING DRIVE grams, with Southern Utah the current holder of the Grand Canyon • For the first time in more than 460 days, the Northern Arizona Lum- Trophy after winning in Cedar City during the 2019 season. berjacks will be back on the field in the Walkup Skydome. With the fall • NAU has won 25 of its past 27 home openers dating back to the 1993 season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Lumberjacks will season. The Lumberjacks have also won their past two home openers, kickoff a season in February for the first time in history. with head coach Chris Ball winning his first season opener in his debut • Saturday will be the first of two meetings with the Southern Utah last season against the Missouri State Bears. Thunderbirds this season as the Big Sky Conference reworked its schedule due to five programs opting out of the spring season. In LAST MEETING VS. SOUTHERN UTAH order to reduce travel during the shortened season, the Big Sky cre- November 16, 2019 - Cedar City, Utah. - Eccles Coliseum ated four pairs (Cal Poly-UC Davis, Idaho-Eastern Washington, Weber State-Idaho State) from the eight remaining teams that are within While senior Case Cookus became the all-time leader in passing yards, driving distance from each other. as well as the single-season record holder, the Lumberjacks fell 31-30 to • The FCS Playoffs have also been altered for the Spring 2021 season, the Thunderbirds. with the field cut down from 24 teams to 16 due to opt outs, with only five at-large bids available to the 11 conferences participating. Neither team led by more than a touchdown in the game, with the score The field has been 24 teams dating back to 2013 after initially expand- tied at 3-3, 10-10 and 17-17 in the first half. The sides traded the lead ing to 20 in 2010. The last time the field was at 16 teams was in 2009. late in the third quarter, trading touchdown drives before both offenses • Northern Arizona has not faced a team twice in a season since 1936, slowed in the final 15 minutes. Trailing 31-27, NAU connected on a field when it played the Arizona State Sun Devils twice as a member of the goal early in the fourth before Southern Utah stopped the Lumberjacks Border Conference. It was the final year in a stretch of eight seasons with a goal line stand with eight minutes remaining. After the Lumber- that the two schools played each other twice in a season. jacks drove to the 3-yard line, the Thunderbirds stopped all four attempts • The home team has won the past three meetings between the pro- to get into the end zone. SPRING 2021 NAU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE SOUTHERN EASTERN IDAHO WEBER CAL SOUTHERN UTAH WASHINGTON STATE POLY UTAH Feb. 27 March 6 March 13 March 27 April 3 April 10 1 p.m. TBA 1 p.m. 12 p.m. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. Home Games in Gold | All times local to Flagstaff 1 QUICK FACTS HEAD TO HEAD COMPARISON GENERAL INFORMATION Location ................................................................. Flagstaff, Ariz. ALL-TIME SERIES: NAU leads 13-10 Founded ...............................................................................1899 LAST MEETING: 11/16/19 - SUU 31, NAU 30 Enrollment (statewide) ......................................................29,569 LAST NAU WIN: 9/122/18 - NAU 31, SUU 23 Nickname ................................................................ Lumberjacks LAST NAU LOSS: 11/16/19 - SUU 31, NAU 30 Mascot .................................................................................Louie NAU STREAK IN SERIES: Lost 1 Colors .................................................................... Blue and Gold Affiliation ..........................Football Championship Division (FCS) Home Facility (Capacity) ..................J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome (10,000) 0.0 Total Offense 0.0 Conference ....................................................................... Big Sky 0.0 Rushing Offense 0.0 President .............................................................. Dr. Rita Cheng 0.0 Passing Offense 0.0 VP for Intercollegiate Athletics .............................. Mike Marlow 0.0 Passing Efficiency 0.0 TEAM INFORMATION 0.0 Scoring Offense 0.0 2019 Final Record ................................................................... 4-8 0 First Downs 0 2019 Big Sky Record/Finish ........................................... 2-6/T9th Final National Ranking ........................................................... N/A 0% Third Down Conversions 0% Letterwinners 0 Turnovers (Off) 0 Offensive Returning/Lost .................................................... 13/12 0 Interceptions (Off) 0 Defensive Returning/Lost ................................................... 16/13 Special Teams Returning/Lost ................................................ 3/0 0 Fumbles (Off) 0 Starters 0.0 Total Defense 0.0 Offensive Returning/Lost ........................................................ 6/5 Defensive Returning/Lost ....................................................... 5/6 0.0 Rushing Defense 0.0 Special Teams Returning/Lost ................................................ 3/0 0.0 Passing Defense 0.0 0.0 Passing Efficiency Defense 0.0 COACHING STAFF 0.0 Scoring Defense 0.0 Head Coach .............................................Chris Ball (2nd Season) Alma Mater.......................Missouri Western State College, 1986 0 First Downs Allowed 0 Record at NAU .............................................................. 4-8 (.333) 0% Third Down Defense 0% Career Record ......................................................................Same Big Sky Record .............................................................. 2-6 (.250) 0 Turnovers Forced 0 Offensive Coordinator ..........................................Aaron Pflugrad 0 Interceptions (Def) 0 Defensive Coordinator .......................................... Jerry Partridge 0 Fumbles (Def) 0 Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends ......................... Robin Pflugrad Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator .................. Bob Connelly E Turnover Margin E Running Backs/Special Teams Coordinator ...............Aaron Price 0:00 Time of Possession 0:00 Defensive Backs ................................................. Jesse Thompson 0-0 Penalties-Yards 0-0 Defensive Line .............................................Everrette Thompson Wide Receivers ........................................................ Junior Taylor SOUTHERN UTAH SERIES INFO Outside Linebackers/Nickelbacks .................... Sammt Lawanson • NAU and Southern Utah will face off for the 24th time in program history, and the 13th Dir. of Player Personnel/Recruiting ......................... Brennan Ball Dir. of Football Operations ........................................Taylor Isbell straight season since 2008. The Thunderbirds have won five of the past six meetings with Dir. of Football Technology .......................................James Foran the Lumberjacks, dating back to the 2014 season. Graduate Assistant/Special Teams .............................James Bain • The Lumberjacks are 8-7 against the Thunderbirds in Flagstaff and 5-3 in Cedar City. Eight Graduate Assistant/Offense ............................. Noah Sutherland of the first 10 meetings between the programs came in Flagstaff spanning the 1982 season Graduate Assistant/Defense .................................Garrett Gibson to 2005. Graduate Assistant/Offense ..................................Cody Hodgens • It will be the first of the final three games between the schools as Big Sky Conference rivals Graduate Assistant/Defense ......................................... Josh Irvin after the Thunderbirds announced they will leave for the WAC beginning in 2022. Graduate Assistant/Offense .....................................Austin Jones Graduate Assistant/Recruiting Operations ................. Chaz Davis WUD YOU LOOK AT THAT MEDIA INFORMATION • Saturday will be the first career for Keondre Wudtee as the Lumberjacks look to replace Case Assistant Director for Athletic Communications ........................... Cookus. While Wudtee and a few others took some snaps in relief of Cookus last season, none Football Contact .....................................................Cody Bashore of the four players listed at the position have started a game for the Lumberjacks. E-Mail ....................................... [email protected] • It will be the first time in five years Cookus will not be taking the first snap of the season for Office Phone .........................................................