FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Randy Hale Jr. returned an interception 51 yards for a touchdown and Zach Bauman added a 39-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to lead Northern Arizona to a 24-7 win over Northern Colorado Saturday.
The Lumberjacks (8-2, 6-1 Big Sky) built a 17-0 lead through three quarters, but Lobato brought the Bears back with a 77-yard touchdown bomb to Dimitri Stimphil early in the fourth quarter that made it 17-7.
Kyren Poe answered with a five-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by a 46-yard scoring pass to Jesse Brantley.
"Today was a great win for our guys, and especially for our seniors," NAU coach Jerome Souers said. “Northern Colorado is a good team, way better than their record, and I thought they played that way tonight."
Lobato finished 12 for 26 passing, good for 204 yards, but also threw a pair of interceptions.
Poe was 7 of 11 passing for 104 yards, and Chase Cartwright was 11 of 17 passing as the pair combined for 200 yards through the air. Bauman carried 24 times for 145 yards to lead Northern Arizona.
"The offense came out real stagnant,” Bauman said. "Maybe we were too high with emotion, but the defense made a couple of plays and we started rolling and once we start rolling, it's tough to stop us."
