Not after winning three straight games to set up a Big Sky Conference showdown with No. 3-ranked and unbeaten Montana Saturday, at 4:05 p.m. Northern Arizona is 4-1 in league play, just a half-game behind the unbeaten Grizzlies (4-0).
The Lumberjacks' 5-3 overall record includes a couple predictable road losses. Scheduling games at the defending Football Championship Subdivision champion and Pac-10 foe Arizona can adversely affect the win column. Yet NAU's bottom line is fine.
“I really liked the way our schedule was lined up.”
Of course the Lumberjacks haven't come through two-thirds of their season unscathed. They lost receiver Skyler Moore for the season against Sacramento State. Defensive tackle Stephen Nwogbe was lost against App State. Safety Adam Wright has been out since the Northern Colorado game on Sept. 22. Center Jeff Hines, who stepped in when Kevin Meagher went down during fall camp, got hurt Oct. 6 against Portland State.
Yet NAU's “schedule hangover” hasn't had the effect of year's past, nor compared to Appalachian State's performance following its historic win at Michigan.
“We've had difficult schedules the last nine years,” said 10th-year head coach Jerome Souers. “Some more challenging than others, and injuries happen. That's the challenge of a good team, having the depth and guys ready to fill in.
“The years when we've struggled, we weren't able to handle that challenge.”
The Lumberjacks, co-Big Sky champs in 2003, went 4-7, 3-8 and 6-5 the last three seasons. In 2006 they lost defensive standouts Boynton and cornerback K.J. Gerard. Both are back, as is safety Cyrus Igono, an NAU recruit who spent 2005 at NAU and last year at Scottsdale Community College.
Igono was getting playing time before Wright was hurt. Lately he has been a force. He has three of NAU's FCS-leading 16 interceptions.
“He's just a natural play-maker and a game-time guy,” said Boynton. “It seems like he comes through whenever we need a big play. With K.J. and Ricky (Wilson) and Cyrus, I mean, we're blessed in the secondary.”
Boynton, who has a team-high three sacks, leads the way up front in NAU's unique “double-eagle flex” defense. Joshua Williams has stepped in capably for Nwogbe; Joe Lyman has been steady enough to step in when middle linebacker Zac McNally was banged up.
The NAU offense already had punch, with receiver Alex Watson and running back Alex Henderson. Henderson, the Big Sky's newcomer of the year for 2006, has been complimented nicely by senior transfer Lionel Scott, a 210-pounder who despite missing last week's 29-20 win over Weber State with a foot injury, still leads NAU in rushing with 610 yards.
But although Scott is averaging 6.9 yards a carry and Henderson is averaging 6.1, the key is 225-pound junior quarterback Lance Kriesien. He triggers a no-huddle, spread-option look and has averaged 4.6 yards a carry in place of the departed Jason Murrietta.
Behind Kriesien the Lumberjacks have transitioned into the league's best rushing attack, a year after Murrietta and Co. led the league in passing.
“Lance has been primed and ready to go since his sophomore year,” said Watson. “It's not a surprise to be he picked on everything so fast.”
Watson can't argue with the results. His 39 catches this season put him far behind his pace last season, when he had 82 receptions, but he doesn't mind.
“Last year's team was just the start of everything,” said the senior, who just became the seventh Lumberjack to go over 2,000 career receiving yards. “If there's going to be some attention on me, it opens up things for our running game. They're taking full advantage right now. That doesn't hurt me one bit.”
Things haven't been perfect. The lone league loss came in lopsided fashion, 38-9 at Sacramento State. Kriesien missed half that game. Watson was banged up but scored NAU's lone touchdown, after which Robbie Dehaze's extra-point kick was blocked.
But the next week the Lumberjacks rallied to take a see-saw 44-43 win at Portland State. The heroes were many: Scott ran for 172 yards and two scores, Henderson had two TDs, and freshman Kasseem Osheroff took a blocked extra point the distance for two critical points.
“We went into that knowing it was a must-win,” said Watson. “We just wanted to come out and show that we were primed and ready to challenge for a conference title. Everybody stepped up, even players that we're supposed to. It was a total team effort.”
“I think everybody was proud of the way we responded,” added Boynton.
They Lumberjacks have done that pretty well all season.
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)