NAU Lumberjacks win 69-0 over Ft Lewis

[Proud Griz Man]

1st team Quarterback was hurt in the Arizona State game.
2nd team QB was hurt in the Fort Lewis game.

September 16, 2012 9:15 am • BILL HARRIS Sun Sports Editor

The pace Northern Arizona set for itself in the Lumberjacks' final nonconference game of the season was evident from the first time they put their hands on the ball. Junior running back Zach Bauman took the Jacks' first offensive play 75 yards for a touchdown to jump-start NAU, and the team never looked back in a 69-0 shutout win over Fort Lewis College. Head coach Jerome Souers said the idea of being the overdogs was a role the Jacks were ready to play and that the team did everything it was supposed to do against the Division II Skyhawks Saturday.

"At the end of our nonconference schedule, it's nice to be able to say that we're 2-1," Souers said. "That was a lofty goal of ours, and I'm proud of our program for achieving that. "We came out wanting to play consistent with few mistakes and no penalties or turnovers, and with the number of people playing to just be able to maintain continuity on our team, you can always tell the quality of your program by how your depth plays." The Jacks saw players from all levels of the depth chart take to the field, including freshman running back Casey Jahn and freshman quarterback Jordan Perry. Jahn backed up Bauman and Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson in the backfield, while Perry took over the quarterback duties when second-stringer Chase Cartwright went down with an injury in the second quarter. Cartwright was kept in the training room for the second half, and Souers said more will be known about his injury once NAU's medical team has a chance to fully evaluate him.

... Saturday's win gives the Lumberjacks a two-game winning streak, something that the team will try to extend next week in the conference opening game at Montana. Souers said the Montana game will be the biggest challenge of the year so far. "To take what we've done these first three weeks and improve and see what we can do against Montana is going to be exciting to see," he said. "We need to know our opponent inside and out. We need to study Montana and get dialed in on what our assignments are. No matter what happens it's important to improve on what we're doing." Bauman added that the team has a lot of confidence, but isn't losing its head by being over-excited about the win. "We want to go out and have a good week of practice, and we want to go into the Montana game with a lot of confidence," he said. Kickoff is set for 12:35 p.m. Saturday.

Bill Harris can be reached at [email protected] or 556-2251.

 

[EverettGriz]

A nice win for NAU, but FLC did lose to New Mexico Highlands 50-0 the previous week.

I do hope their QBs recover, however.

 

[George Ferguson]

I think Grossart is due back this week, anyway so not that big of a deal that the backup got hurt.

 

[Proud Griz Man]

I don't know if any of their QBs are 100%.

"Cary Grossart has done a remarkable job and had a great fall camp," said Scangarello. "I think he is going to have an All-Big Sky type year and I think he can lead us to where we want to go. He has the complete skills and the leadership capabilities with the experience last year putting him in a position to be successful." Grossart hopes to improve on his late game production. He ranked first in the Big Sky and fifth in FCS in passing efficiency (156.0) last season but hopes to help the Lumberjacks win more games in 2012.

"Throughout the game I was efficient and made some short throws and longer throws, the throws I need to make," said Grossart. "Whenever it came to the end of games, it was not always smooth. I wish they had a stat for fourth quarter efficiency because that is when you have to be efficient. I was not always. If I can make those throws in the fourth quarter, we are going to win more games." Head Coach Jerome Souers is excited about the experience at the position for this year. "There is no substitute for experience at the quarterback position and having a rallying point for the offense always centers around the quarterback," said Souers. "Cary's experience gives us a lot more continuity and confidence that we lacked before." Grossart will be backed up by redshirt sophomore Chase Cartwright with redshirt freshmen Kyren Poe and Jordan Perry waiting for an opportunity to contribute. "We have a unique position in that we have four quarterbacks capable of running our offense and are ready to go," said Souers. "We have more depth at that position than any time I can remember." Cartwright will backup Grossart after competing for the job during the spring and fall, showcasing his abilities. "Without question Chase is ready to play," said Scangarello. "There might not be a better backup in the country at this level. He is very professional to his approach and his preparation. His knowledge of the game, physical skills and fundamentals have got better and better. Quite honestly, he is ready to be a starting quarterback at Northern Arizona as well."

 

[hm.grwn.grizfan]

Shit's real now.....conference play begins this week. Win the conference is no. 1 agenda!!!! Doesn't have to be pretty, just get it done, and get better every day!

GO GRIZ!!!