Northern Arizona was unable to get past the Northern Colorado defense, as it fell to the Bears 21-18 at Nottingham Field Saturday afternoon. The Lumberjacks scored a touchdown late in the fourth, but their comeback fell short as they lost to the Bears for only the third time in school history.
“We made too many mistakes today,” said head coach Jerome Souers. “I’m proud of our athletes, the way they came back and didn’t quit. We played hard at times, but we didn’t play smart. We had too many penalties, and it seemed like we had a major one on every drive. The turnovers, especially in the red zone, absolutely killed us. You can’t turn the ball over inside the five-yard line and expect to win a ballgame.”
In his first start at quarterback for NAU, senior transfer Blake Kemp completed his first 12 passes, finishing 35-of-46 for the game with 273 passing yards. Starting quarterback Case Cookus did not play because of injury.
Linebackers Jake Casteel and Xavier Stephens led the defensive charge. Casteel led the team with 11 tackles, while Stephens chipped in nine.
NAU continues its road swing with a game at Montana State on Saturday, Oct. 8. Kickoff versus the Bobcats is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT. NAU last played in Bozeman in 2013. The Lumberjacks are 25-23 all-time versus Montana State.
Notes:
Blake Kemp connected on his first 12 passes of the game…Kemp went 35-for-46 with 273 passing yards……Hunter Burton threw NAU’s second non-quarterback touchdown pass of the season…Emmanuel Butler moved up to No. 12 on the career receiving yards chart with 1,852.
