Northern Arizona mounted a dramatic comeback to defeat Eastern Washington 34-27 on Saturday night in their season and Big Sky Conference opener. The 25th-ranked Lumberjacks trailed by as many as 21 points during the second quarter before orchestrating a remarkable turnaround in Flagstaff.
The pivotal moment came when Ty Pennington connected with Nassim Isaac on a short touchdown pass on fourth down in the fourth quarter, giving Northern Arizona its first lead of the game at 27-24. Eastern Washington tied the contest moments later at 27-27, but the Lumberjacks’ defense proved decisive in the final stretch, forcing three consecutive incomplete passes to stop the Eagles’ last-ditch drive from the 8-yard line with under two minutes remaining.
Northern Arizona’s comeback was ignited by a spectacular 100-yard kickoff return by Lindsey Graves that shifted momentum dramatically. Quran Gossett contributed 103 rushing yards and a touchdown, while receiver Jeter Purdy added 105 receiving yards and a touchdown. Pennington completed 164 passing yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Eastern Washington’s Nate Bell threw for 307 yards but couldn’t overcome the late-game collapse.
The Lumberjacks will face Arizona next Saturday, while Eastern Washington travels to take on Northern Iowa.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
About the Author
