The Northern Arizona football team will take on new Big Sky member North Dakota on Saturday for the first time as a conference opponent, with kickoff set for 1:07 p.m. Arizona time in Grand Forks, N.D.
After opening Big Sky play with a 35-13 road victory at Sacramento State, North Dakota (3-3, 1-2 Big Sky) has dropped two straight in league play to Cal Poly and Eastern Washington, both ranked teams.
The Lumberjacks (4-1, 2-0 Big Sky) will be going for the first five-game winning streak since 2008. NAU is ranked -- for the third consecutive week -- at No. 16 in the Sports Network poll and No. 18 in the FCS Coaches poll. The No. 16 ranking is the highest for the Lumberjacks since they were No. 15 heading into a game at Weber State on Oct. 25, 2008.
NAU is coming off a bye week, and coach Jerome Souers said his team took advantage of the week to rest and prepare but wants to keep the momentum the winning streak has created.
“There are a couple challenges,” said Souers. “Any time there is a bye week, there is an opportunity for rest. But at the same time, it takes away the rhythm and the momentum that you built up. I think we have done a great job this week of practicing fast. We had extra time to prepare for our opponent. They are a new team, but we have managed to learn a little bit extra because of the time that we have had. We are trying to turn those into benefits and turn them in our favor.”
NAU is meeting North Dakota for the first time since the 1985 season and first time as a member of the Big Sky Conference. The two schools met twice in Flagstaff in 1967 (a 39-10 win) and 1985 (a 41-0 win). It will be the first trip to Grand Forks in school history and first trip to the Peace Garden State since 1980.
“We have made great strides. Coming out of the nonconference with a winning record and starting off conference play at 2-0 is a great position to be,” Souers said. “I could not have picked a better start to the season. They key, and what I believe this team has accomplished, is the mentality that every week we get better. They are focused on the opponent ahead of us for that week only. Our goal is to go 1-0 for that week. As long as we maintain that, we will be a better team each week and at our best at the end of the season.”
The Lumberjacks will face another challenging road environment in the Alerus Center, one of 11 indoor stadiums in college football.
“Having played in front of large crowds and noisy conditions has helped us,” said Souers. “All of the games are situations where we had to overcome some adversity. It is loud, a lot like Northern Iowa’s, and they have rabid fans that support their team. It is our job to come in and adapt to the situation and be able to communicate like you have to those settings.”
Quarterback Cary Grossart says the team is prepared based on earlier road experiences and competing in the Walkup Skydome.
“We know what to expect,” said Grossart. “It is about executing and doing what we do. If any team should be comfortable in a dome setting like that, it should be us.”
