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Fans who were ready to concede the Division I FCS title to Appalachian State two weeks ago after the Mountaineers upset Michigan should take some solace in Northern Arizona's trip to Boone, N.C., last Saturday.

Though the result was a double-digit win, at least Appy State looked a little less invincible.

The Lumberjacks even had chances to swing the game in their favor, but some costly turnovers and an inability to capitalize in the red zone doomed them to a 34-21 defeat at the hands of FCS' top-ranked team.

“They're No.1 for a reason,” NAU quarterback Lance Kriesien told the Arizona Daily Sun. “But I definitely feel we left a lot of points on the field. If we could have finished a few drives the outcome could have been different.”

The Lumberjacks proved able to move the ball - they ventured inside ASU's 25-yard line four times in the first half - but came away with just six points.

NAU could've taken leads of 14-0 and 20-14, if it hadn't been for penalties and a fumbled snap. A pair of botched field goal attempts scuttled other promising drives and allowed the Mountaineers to take a two-touchdown lead into the break.

“We got down into the red zone, an area we'd been good in all year, and they out-executed us in that setting,” head coach Jerome Souers told the Sun. “It really hurt a lot of opportunities for us not to come away with points.”

Kriesien finished with 171 yards passing and 129 rushing. He tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Skyler Moore that brought the Jacks to within 20-13 with 4:55 to play in the third quarter.

But Appalachian State turned an interception and a fumbled punt into 14 points in the fourth and extended the nation's longest win streak to 17 games. The Mountaineers haven't lost at home in 29 tries

Now for the really bad news.

ASU looked just fine without starting quarterback Armanti Edwards, who's been on the mend from a shoulder injury the past two weeks.

Back-up Trey Elder was 15-of-22 for 216 yards and three touchdowns while running for 82 yards on 19 attempts.

Running back Kevin Richardson also continued to shine, rolling to a career-high 122 yards receiving and 58 yards on the ground, including 37 in the second half.

Richardson scored on passing plays of 34 and 47 yards. The latter was a screen play he broke open to put the Mountaineers up 27-13 in the fourth quarter.

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