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Lumberjacks hold off Thunderbirds

The NAU Lumberjacks jumped out to a 35-17 lead after 3 quarters, then had to hold off a furious rally by Southern Utah in the 4th quarter, prevailing over the Thunderbirds 42-39.

Alex Henderson led the way for the Jacks, with 32 carries for 168 yards and 2 TDs. He also recovered his own fumble in the end zone for a 3rd TD. Micheal Herrick completed 15 of 21 passes for 306 yards and a TD. 4 of those were complete to Conrad Meadows for 121 yards. Austin Shanks and Giovannie Dixon added TD Runs. NAU has 554 yards of total offense.

The Thunderbirds gashed the NAU defense for 540 yards of total offense, led by 425 yards passing by Cade Cooper. Cooper completed 33 of 48 for 4 TDs and no INTs. Austin Minifee had 89 yards rushing and 85 receiving, including 3TDs receiving. Tysson Poots had 6 catches for 109 yards and a TD.

The Lumberjacks evened their record at 1-1, while Southern Utah dropped to 1-2. The Lumberjacks will be in action Saturday September 26, hosting the Montana Grizzles.

Scoreboard
Final 1 2 3 4 T
Southern Utah (1-2) 7 7 3 22 39
Northern Arizona (1-1) « 14 14 7 7 42

Scoring Summary
NAZ Daiveun Curry-Chapman 5 yd pass from Michael Herrick (SHAUN FITZPATRICK 2pt run)
NAZ Alex Henderson 0 yd run (failed 2pt rush)
SUT Austin Minefee 17 yd pass from Cade Cooper (Ryan Griffith kick)
NAZ Austin Shanks 35 yd run (Matt Myers kick)
NAZ Alex Henderson 3 yd run (Matt Myers kick)
SUT Tysson Poots 25 yd pass from Cade Cooper (Ryan Griffith kick)
NAZ Alex Henderson 57 yd run (Matt Myers kick)
SUT Ryan Griffith 17 yd FG
SUT Major Gray 1 yd run (Ryan Griffith kick)
NAZ Giovannie Dixon 30 yd run (Matt Myers kick)
SUT Austin Minefee 15 yd pass from Cade Cooper (Fesi Sitake 2pt pass from Cade Cooper)
SUT Austin Minefee 40 yd pass from Cade Cooper (Ryan Griffith kick)

Team Stats
SUT NAZ
First Downs 29 23
Third Down Efficiency 8-16 5-10
Fourth Down Efficiency 2-2 1-2
Plays-Net Yards 81-540 61-554
Rushes-Yds 32-109 40-248
Passing Yds 431 306
Kick Return Yds 74 82
Punt Return Yds 15 4
Passes 34-49-0 15-21-0
Punts 4-167 3-154
Fumbles-Lost 3-1 4-1
Penalties-Yds 10-105 7-118
Time of Poss. 34:10 25:50

Individual Stats
RUSHING
SUT: Austin Minefee 19-89, Trevor Ward 1-14, Ammon Olsen 1-12, Major Gray 3-2, Cade Cooper 8–8
NAZ: Alex Henderson 32-168, Giovannie Dixon 7-45, Austin Shanks 1-35
PASSING
SUT: Cade Cooper 33-48-425-0, Ammon Olsen 1-1-6-0
NAZ: Michael Herrick 15-21-306-0
RECEIVING
SUT: Fesi Sitake 10-80, Tysson Poots 6-109, Austin Minefee 5-83, Mitch Jessop 4-74, Jared Ursua 4-48, Karl Williams 3-29, Deckar Alexander 1-5, Abbel Aiono 1-3
NAZ: Conrad Meadows 4-121, Alex Henderson 3-64, Daiveun Curry-Chapman 3-47, Ed Berry 2-33, Ryan Rauschert 2-19, Giovannie Dixon 1-22

The Lumberjacks come into Saturday’s showdown with the visiting Thunderbirds off of a 34-17 loss at Arizona. The Jacks put up a good fight, being as close as 21-10 with the ball deep inside Wildcats territory. NAU will look to kick off the 2009 home season on a positive note.

The Thunderbirds are coming off of a 35-19 loss at San Diego State this past Saturday. They stand at 1-1 after starting the season off with a 36-7 victory over Dixie State.

Look for the Lumberjacks offense, under the direction of Micheal Herrick to attack the SUU defense through the air . San diego State had a great deal of seuccess through the air. Having success through the air will allow Alex Henderson to find some gaps in the Thunderbird defense.

Another key factor will be if the Lumberjack defense can force Southern Utah QB Cade Cooper into forcing throws and throwing interceptions. In the win for the Thunderbirds: 0 turnovers; the loss: 3 turnovers.

Prediction: The NAU defense force the Thuderbirds to turn the ball over numerous times, and Herrick has a big day. NAU 31 SUU 20

The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks gave the Arizona Wildcats all they wanted for a half, but the Wildcats proved to be too much, pulling away late for a 34-17 victory at home. The Lumberjacks trailed only 14-10 in the 2nd quarter, but Arizona outscored NAU 20-7 the rest of the way.

The Jacks had no answer for Arizona running back Nic Grigsby. Grigsby carried the ball 15 times for 207 yards and 2 TDs, with a long run of 94 yards in the 3rd quarter.

Micheal Herrick made the start at quarterback for the Lumberjacks, completing 20 of 30 passes for 2 TDs and 2 INT.

Grigsby led off the scoring with a 25 yard TD jaunt in the 1st quarter. After a 43 yard field goal by NAU kicker Matt Myers, Grigsby took it in from 30 yards out to give the Cats a 14-3 lead. The Lumberjacks then went on a 14 play, 79 yards scoring drive to cut the Wildcat lead to 14-10, early in the 2nd quarter. Micheal Herrick hit Ed Berry with a 4 yard TD pass to finish the drive.

The 2nd quarter was uneventful, until Matt Scott hit Terrell Turner with a 2 yard TD pass with 30 seconds to go before the half to give the Cats a 21-10 halftime advantage.

NAU’s last opportunity to get back in the game was foiled by a Terrell Wade INT near the Arizona goal line, stopping a Lumberjack scoring drive. Nic Grigsby went 94 yards on the next play to the NAU 1. Keola Antolin plunged in on the next play and the Cats took a 27-10 lead.

Arizona backup QB Nick Foles threw a TD pass early in the 4th quarter to make the score 34-10. Herrick and Berry teamed up again for a 19 yard TD completion to close out the scoring.

The Lumberjacks host Southern Utah on Saturday.

SCOREBOARD
Final    1    2    3    4    T
Northern Arizona  (0-1)    3    7    0    7    17
Arizona  (2-0) «    14    7    6    7    34

SCORING SUMMARY
AZ    Nic Grigsby 25 yd run (Alex Zendejas kick)
NAZ    Matt Myers 43 yd FG
AZ    Nic Grigsby 30 yd run (Alex Zendejas kick)
NAZ    Ed Berry 4 yd pass from Michael Herrick (Matt Myers kick)
AZ    Terrell Turner 2 yd pass from Matt Scott (Alex Zendejas kick)
AZ    Keola Antolin 1 yd run (missed kick)
AZ    Juron Criner 5 yd pass from Nick Foles (Alex Zendejas kick)
NAZ    Ed Berry 19 yd pass from Michael Herrick (Matt Myers kick)

Team Stats
NAZ    AZ
First Downs    13    27
Third Down Efficiency    4-9    8-13
Fourth Down Efficiency    0-0    3-4
Plays-Net Yards    49-226    75-559
Rushes-Yds    19-67    47-365
Passing Yds    159    194
Kick Return Yds    88    84
Punt Return Yds    0    0
Passes    20-30-2    20-28-1
Punts    4-169    0-0
Fumbles-Lost    1-0    1-1
Penalties-Yds    1-5    5-35
Time of Poss.    24:8    35:52

Individual Stats
RUSHING
NAZ: Alex Henderson 14-56, Giovannie Dixon 2-13, Austin Shanks 1-6, Team 1–1, Michael Herrick 1–7
AZ: Nic Grigsby 15-207, Keola Antolin 9-60, Matt Scott 7-48, Greg Nwoko 9-32, Nick Booth 3-17, Terrell Turner 2-6, Nick Foles 1–2, Delashaun Dean 1–3
PASSING
NAZ: Michael Herrick 20-30-159-2
AZ: Matt Scott 14-20-150-1, Nick Foles 6-8-44-0
RECEIVING
NAZ: Ed Berry 7-71, Daiveun Curry-Chapman 4-34, Conrad Meadows 4-18, Alex Henderson 2-16, Mike Czyz 1-12, Austin Shanks 1-7, Curt Sweeney 1-1
AZ: Terrell Turner 5-46, David Douglas 5-43, Delashaun Dean 2-26, A.J. Simmons 2-21, David Roberts 2-17, William Wright 1-21, Nic Grigsby 1-12, Juron Criner 1-5, Chris Gronkowski 1-3

10:00pm ET Saturday September 12, 2009

The Arizona Wildcats are coming off of a season opening victory over the Central Michigan Chippewas, 19-6. New Wildcat quarterback Matt Scott completed 19 out of 30 passes for 202 yards and an interception. Nic Grigsby led the Wildcat rushing attack with 23 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown. Scott added 83 yards on 9 carries. Alex Zendejas jr. added a career high 4 field goals. The Wildcats owned a time of possession advantage of 38 minutes to 22 minutes, thanks to a balanced offensive output of 246 yards on the ground and 202 yards through the air.

The Wildcat defense was spectacular, holding a potent Central Michigan offense to under 300 yards of total offense. Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour never got going against the Wildcat defense, throwing for only 108 yards and an INT.

This is a tough opener for the Lumberjacks. Starting the season with a new QB, new RB and rebuilding the defense is tough enough, but beginning the season with an FBS opponent on the rise makes an already tough task even tougher. Look for the Lumberjacks to put up a fight, but the Cats to be too much.

Score Prediction: Arizona 41  NAU 7

Scoring Summary

FIRST QUARTER				UNCO	KU
	TD	10:10	Todd Reesing 1 Yd Run (Jacob Branstetter Kick)	0	7
SECOND QUARTER				UNCO	KU
	TD	13:42	Todd Reesing 13 Yd Run (Jacob Branstetter Kick)	0	14
	TD	10:03	Jake Sharp 10 Yd Pass From Todd Reesing (Jacob Branstetter Kick)	0	21
	TD	03:01	Tertavian Ingram 16 Yd Pass From Todd Reesing (Jacob Branstetter Kick)	0	28
THIRD QUARTER				UNCO	KU
	FG	12:27	Michael York 29 Yd	3	28
FOURTH QUARTER				UNCO	KU
	TD	14:17	Jake Sharp 1 Yd Run (Jacob Branstetter Kick)	3	35
	TD	04:38	Toben Opurum 10 Yd Run (Jacob Branstetter Kick)	3	42
	TD	00:33	Toben Opurum 26 Yd Run (Jacob Branstetter Kick)	3	49

2008 Record: 6-5, 4-4 Big Sky

Postseason: None

Head Coach: Jerome Souers

Returning Starters: 14 (7 Offense, 7 Defense)

Preseason Ranking: #21 by the Sporting News

Schedule

Sep 12, 2009 at Arizona Tucson, Ariz. All Day

Sep 19, 2009 Southern Utah Flagstaff, Ariz. 3:05 PM

Sep 26, 2009 Montana* Flagstaff, Ariz. 3:05 PM

Oct 03, 2009 Northern Colorado* (Family Weekend) Flagstaff, Ariz. 3:05 PM

 Oct 10, 2009 at Montana State* Bozeman, Mont. 12:35 PM

Oct 17, 2009 at Portland State *Portland, Ore. 1:05 PM

Oct 24, 2009 Idaho State* (Homecoming) Flagstaff, Ariz. 3:05 PM

Oct 31, 2009 at Sacramento State Sacramento, Calif. 2:00 PM

Nov 07, 2009 at Ole Miss Oxford, Miss. All Day

 Nov 14, 2009 at Weber State Ogden, Utah 12:05 PM

Nov 21, 2009 Eastern Washington* Flagstaff, Ariz. 3:05 PM

* Big Sky Conference

OFFENSE

NAU must replace multiple skill position performers. Junior Micheal Herrick (6′1″ 195lbs) takes over the quarterback responsibilities for NAU. He appeared in 10 games last year for the Lumberjacks, completing over 65% of his passes for 1043 yards, 3 TDs and 6 INTs. His best performance last year was in the season finale vs Eastern Washington, throwing for 283 yards. At running back, senior Alex Henderson (5′10″ 205lbs) takes over after an injury plagued 2008 season. He ran for over 400 yards at a 5.9 yards per carry clip, but only appeared in 6 games due to injury. The Lumberjacks return their top 3 receivers from 2008 in senior Ed Berry (5′9″ 185lbs), senior Curt Sweeney (5′11” 179lbs) and senior Conrad Meadows (5′9” 180lbs). The 3 combined for 128 catches, 1722 yards and 6 TDs.

DEFENSE

The Lumberjacks boasted one of the best defenses in the NCAA FCS in 2008, ranking in the top 10 in many defensive categories. The leader of the 2009 defensive unit will be preseason Big Sky All Conference pick, LB Cody Dowd (Sr. 6′3″ 250lbs). Dowd is the only Lumberjack to be picked preseason All Big Sky. Sr. DE Micheal Battisti (6′3″ 235lbs) will anchor the NAU defensive front. Battisti had 6 QB sacks last year and was named to the Big Sky Honorable Mention team in 2008.

Outlook

The Lumberjacks are coming off of their 3rd consecutive 6-5 season in 2008, looking to challenge Montana and Weber State for supremacy in the Big Sky Conference. Facing the Lumberjacks are many different challenges in the 2009 season.

The schedule provides both challenges and opportunities for NAU. The Lumberjacks face two FBS (formerly Division I-A) opponents in the Arizona Wildcats in the season opener, and the Ole Miss Rebels on November 7. Both teams won 8 or more games, as well as their bowl games. The Lumberjacks must also travel to Ogden, Utah to face Big Sky power Weber State, as well as Bozeman, Montana to challenge Montana State. NAU does get to host Big Sky preseason favorite Montana on September 26 and Eastern Washington on November 21. The other home games for NAU are: September 19 against Southern Utah; October 3 against the Northern Colorado Bears; October 24 against the Idaho State Bengals for homecoming. The other road games for the Lumberjacks are: October 17 at Portland State; October 31 at Sacramento State.

Season Prediction:

Overall Record: 7-4

Conference Record: 6-2  3rd Place

On Friday afternoon in Boise, the 13th seeded Portland State Vikings take on the 4th seeded Xavier Musketeers at the Taco Bell Arena. Neither has been expected to advance past the second round. A win for Xavier could mean a chance at the Sweet 16 if the Wisconsin Badgers can find some way to upset the Florida State Seminoles. Portland State has a better shot at advancing further if FSU moves on given that they play much better in a fast-paced game. However, as neither of these outcomes is likely, the teams will focus on the task at hand, each other. Who are these teams, and what might we expect from them come Friday?

Let’s begin with Portland State. After receiving a righteous beat-down from eventual national champion Kansas in the first round last season, the Vikings struggled to replace seniors Scott Morrison and Deonte Huff. The 10-3 start included a loss to Big West cellar-dwellers Cal Poly and close wins against Division III Lewis & Clark College and transitioning Division I Seattle University. That said, the one point loss at Washington and victory on Gonzaga helped offset the negative energy flowing from the previously mentioned near-disasters. Since then, the Vikings also had their issues with the Big Sky schedule. Although there are deceiving point spreads like the 14 point home loss to Weber State that was competitive until the last two minutes, the 5 losses seem to describe the inconsistency that plagued the team all season. It seems, however, that they have righted the ship at the critical point, winning the six heading into the tournament.

Xavier hasn’t been playing its best basketball for a while now. The Musketeers went 20-2 to start the season, but have only played .500 basketball since. Sorry Xavier fans. I’m not buying the argument that beating Dayton by 17 required the same kind of sustained effort that it took to beat Memphis by 5. Granted, that wasn’t the same Tiger team that thrashed everyone in Conference USA. What I am buying with this team is that all their losses aside from an ugly one to Charlotte came at the hands of solid opponents. If they can find a way to pressure the Vikings’ outside shooters, they should be able to take care of business and move on. Whether or not they can do that is the question many analysts are asking themselves at this point.

Match-Ups
Center
XU: Jason Love PSU: Jamie Jones
Love hasn’t been the focal point of the Xavier offensive scheme at many points this season. However, this may be the time coach Sean Miller needs to get the big man involved. He is matched up with a fragile, finesse player in Jones to begin the game and should be able to use his bulk to get to the hole. Kenny Frease could also do some damage if given the opportunity against Jones. However, don’t be surprised to see the Ken Bone go with Julius Thomas or a 1-3-1 zone if the Musketeers rattle off a bunch of points in the paint early on. Another defensive option for the Vikings here is Tyrell Mara. Although Thomas is still likely to be in the game, it adds a little bit more size and strength to match up with Love and/or Frease. If Miller really forces the issue, the Xavier centers may out-produce those of Portland State on the offensive end. However, I think we’re more likely to see the biggest discrepancies in the rebounding numbers, because the Vikings are one of the worst defensive rebounding teams you’ll ever see.
Advantage: Musketeers

Power Forward
XU: Derrick Brown PSU: Kyle Coston
Brown has been touted as a future NBA player by Xavier fans and should get the opportunity to prove his mettle here as long as the Vikings play man defense. Coston is intense, but not the best on-ball defender. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brown have a huge night if the Vikings stick with man the entire game. We’re talking 25 points and 10 rebounds. Coston and Mara should be able to contribute about 10 points and 5 rebounds, but unfortunately that’s together, not apiece. If it isn’t obvious from those numbers, Brown has a huge advantage, and should enjoy the national spotlight.
Advantage: Musketeers

Small Forward
XU: B.J. Raymond PSU: Phil Nelson
Raymond’s numbers have really improved markedly every season. In his senior year, he has averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, which are all at least 25 percent increases from last years numbers. The dependable senior matches up with Phil Nelson, an enigmatic talent. The future star has been the best player on the floor at times, and the worst at others. His defense has improved significantly since the beginning of the season, but he continually seems to struggle against players who put forth their best effort on both ends of the floor. If he plays up to his potential, this match-up should be the most exciting on the court. If not, at least we’ll have fun watching Raymond do some damage. We’re likely to see some highlight-reel dunks from Nelson given the audience, even if he doesn’t hit a high percentage from outside. I think both players will play up to the environment, and we’ll see something special.
Advantage: Push

Shooting Guard
XU: C.J. Anderson PSU: Andre Murray
This match-up should also be a lot of fun to watch. Although Murray is significantly smaller in stature, he tends to play like a forward when necessary. I’m inclined to think it may be necessary in this one. For those of you who aren’t familiar with “Draeno,” he came in from the College of the Canyons and immediately shook things up. He took advantage of Dupree Lucas’ struggles last year and pushed his way into the starting lineup with a huge performance at Southern Utah. This season, he has taken over Deonte Huff’s role of rebounding better than his size, playing tough on-ball defense, and making big shots when needed. Anderson could provide a test for Andre as he has the sort of height that could make him dangerous. However, I think we’re more likely to see Murray on Raymond and Nelson on Anderson given the sizes and skill sets of the respective players. Regardless of what we see on Friday, these players aren’t likely to get the most hype. Neither player has the types of skills that make him an obvious pick over the other.
Advantage: Push

Point Guard
XU: Dante Jackson PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
As many analysts have noted, Xavier does not have a true point guard. Will that hurt them? It’s hard to tell. Dominguez is very skilled, and has the ability to go off for 20 or 30 points on any given night. He is also a great passer, and has very quick hands, which could give Jackson fits. If you haven’t seen him play, you’ll be amazed by how quick he releases the ball on his jump shots. Jackson’s obvious advantage over Dominguez is his size. If he can post up, he may be able to exploit Jeremiah’s 5’6” frame. If this appears to be the game plan early, don’t be surprised to see the Vikings quickly transition to the 1-3-1 zone with one of their long-armed forwards (Coston or Nelson) at the top of the key. If Dominguez can’t handle the physicality, Dominic Waters will play the point. Ultimately, the quickness and scoring knack Dominguez has should be the one advantage the Vikings have over the X-men.
Advantage: Vikings

Bench
Xavier has a huge advantage here. Unlike the Big Sky Conference schedule, the Vikings will have to deal with significant depth that they just can’t counter. Jamel McLean, Kenny Frease, Brad Redford, Terrell Holloway all contribute to the offensive effort with more than 4 points per game. For all the Xavier fans out there, that should come as no surprise, but it’s a new experience for Viking fans who haven’t seen a team as deep as the Musketeers since they faced off with Baylor at the end of 2008. The main threat off the bench for the Vikings is Dominic Waters. Other contributors for the Vikings include backup center Julius Thomas and power forward Tyrell Mara. True freshman Wendell Wright has played in a number of games this season, but isn’t likely to see the floor in this one unless there is serious foul trouble or a large deficit one way or the other.
Advantage: Musketeers

This is a hard game to call. If PSU plays well, it’ll be close, regardless of how Xavier plays. If PSU plays like they did in the Big Sky Tournament, they’ll lose by 20. I’ll go with an optimistic prediction this time around. PSU has a shot at winning this game, but only if they shoot the ball like they did at home in the Bracket Buster game against Boise State and minimize the Musketeers’ offensive rebounding opportunities.

Prediction: PSU 74 XU 72