2 weeks Ago By ERIC NEWMAN Sun Sports Editor
The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team had little trouble dispatching Cal Poly on Saturday, defeating the Mustangs 31-14 in San Luis Obispo, California. Lumberjacks coach Brian Wright was a bit discouraged by recent rushing production, and it looked like his team would be challenged on the ground again against one of the best run defenses in the conference. Northern Arizona's Seth Cromwell (34) fights for extra yards on a carry during a college football game against Cal Poly on Saturday in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Instead of struggling, the Lumberjacks had an outstanding game on the ground. Redshirt freshman transfer running back Seth Cromwell had his best game of the season, rushing for 132 yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries. In all, the Lumberjacks had 293 rushing yards, averaging over 7 yards per carry.
Running back J’Wan Evans also put up 72 yards. “(It was) a good job by the guys up front, of course,” Wright said. “Seth runs extremely hard and (we were) taking advantage of a couple of things they were trying to do defensively to stop maybe some things we’d done before.
So we changed up some of the scheme for this one, and, again, Seth ran really hard.” “I was following my linemen, following my blocks and just trusting those guys up front. It was a fun game,” Cromwell added.
Back-to-back touchdowns from Seth Cromwell 💪🔥 #RaiseTheFlag | #ALLIN | #BigSkyFB pic.twitter.com/1rFUyr6whQ The Lumberjacks have won three consecutive games, and now boast a record of 6-4 (4-2 Big Sky).
It’s the first time the team has accomplished either of those feats since the 2017 season. That year, the Lumberjacks made the FCS playoffs. The victory puts Northern Arizona another step closer to getting to that same goal this time around.
Northern Arizona’s defense was productive -- as it has been most of the season. While Mustangs quarterback Jackson Akins finished with 281 yards and a touchdown, he also threw a pair of interceptions. And, while the Lumberjacks ran the ball well, the Mustangs had little success on the ground, going for just 60 yards rushing in what amounted to a one-dimensional offensive plan.
In fact, Mustangs punter Jesse Erlich had the longest run of the day on a fake punt, going for 31 yards. The Lumberjacks stormed out to a 21-0 lead early, as Cromwell had two first-quarter scores and receiver Tay Lanier caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Ty Pennington with 8:41 remaining in the second quarter. Ty Pennington ➡️ Tay Lanier for a touchdown! 🏈🪓 #RaiseTheFlag | #ALLIN | #BigSkyFB pic.
twitter.com/b850uR1uyZ Akins threw his lone touchdown pass in response, trimming the Lumberjacks’ lead to 14. And Northern Arizona kicker Samuel Hunsaker kicked a 48-yard field goal late in the half to put the Lumberjacks up 24-7.
The Lumberjacks had allowed 225 yards of offense, but just 20 came on the ground. And they’d also intercepted two passes and turned the Mustangs over on downs in the red zone. Jacks on 🔝 at the half! #RaiseTheFlag | #ALLIN | #BigSkyFB pic.
twitter.com/t0tIi9bF4t The second half was a little more difficult, though Cal Poly never truly threatened to make a comeback. The defense was stout in the final two quarters, and it allowed only 120 total yards in the second half, so Cal Poly never got within a single-digit deficit.
Linebacker Tommy Ellis led the team with eight total tackles. Defensive back Zach Lewis added seven, including a tackle for loss, and had one of the two interceptions. Defensive back DJ VanHook totaled six tackles and had two for loss.
But Northern Arizona couldn’t add to its lead. It moved the ball some but put up just 184 offensive yards in the second half. The Lumberjacks weren’t efficient on third down either, converting just four of their 11 attempts.
They also turned the ball over on downs twice, though one came with less than two minutes left in a game that had already been decided. “I think we’re getting closer to that,” Wright said of trying to get to a consistent performance for a entire game. “(It was) a good start to the first half, really, in all three phases.
I would like to see us come out and dominate a little more in the second half, but it’s a good team win.” Northern Arizona Lumberjacks quarterback Ty Pennington (6) throws a pass during a college football game against Cal Poly on Saturday in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Still, up 10 with 10:28 left, Cromwell punched in his third touchdown run.
It would prove the final score of the game for either team. There are just two games remaining for the Lumberjacks in the regular season, including the final road game of the year at Northern Colorado on Nov. 16 in Greeley, Colorado.
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