After a huge win against Montana on Saturday, Oct. 10, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks are ranked in the FCS Top 10 for the first time in more than 10 years.
NAU next will look to keep their momentum against Portland State at home on Saturday, Oct. 17, for homecoming. Kickoff is at 4 p.m., and the game will stream live on ESPN+.
The Lumberjacks enter the matchup 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Big Sky play after knocking off previously No. 2-ranked Montana, 49-44, last Saturday in Flagstaff. It was the second straight win over a Top 20 opponent, after defeating Idaho State the previous week.
NAU climbed to No. 8 in the Stats Perform FCS top 25, its highest ranking since 2013. They are No. 10 in the FCS AFCA Coaches Poll.
Portland St. comes to Flagstaff
at 2-4 overall and 2-1 in conference play, riding a two-game winning streak after defeating Utah Tech, 30-14, last Saturday.
Pennington's standout performance
The Lumberjacks victory over Montana ended an eight-game losing streak against top-5 opponents dating back to 2015.
Senior QB Ty Pennington accounted for six touchdowns, including a career-high four rushing scores. He finished with 322 passing yards and a TD through the air, added 52 yards on the ground, and even caught a touchdown pass. That performance earned him Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week honors.
NAU also got a huge boost from fresham kick returner Lindsey Graves, who returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown with the Grizzlies bearing down with 13:06 to go in the fourth quarter. The score was Graves' second of the season and earned the freshman Big Sky Co-Special Teams Player of The Week Honors.
The Lumberjacks also forced two costly, turnovers, bringing their FCS-leading total to 18 through seven games this season. NAU has recorded multiple takeaways in six of its seven games this season.
Can Portland State save season?
Portland State doubled its win total from last year after their win over Utah Tech.
The Vikings snapped a seven-game losing streak dating back to last season earlier this year with their win over Weber State. Their recent success has been fueled by creating turnovers and taking advantage of short fields.
Portland State forced six turnovers against Weber State, their most in a game since 2004, and recovered two fumbles against Utah Tech. The Vikings have 13 takeaways in 2026, second in the Big Sky behind NAU.
Portland State is averaging nearly 24 points a game offensively. Junior quarterback Gabe Downing has seen the most playing time at QB for the Vikings, throwing for 614 yards and four touchdowns, although he has also thrown five interceptions.
Portland State's defense, however, has been their biggest liability this season. The Vikings are allowing 45 points per game, the most in the Big Sky, although since conference play they've allowed 28.7 points a game.
NAU head coach Brian Wright noted that Portalnd State is an improved team that has found an identity under its new staff.
"They've won their last two football games and they play extremely hard in all three phases," Wright said in an NAU press release. "They are tough and they have playmakers who catch your eye quickly."
NAU is 9-3 at home vs. Portland State. The Lumberjacks won last year's contest 31-17 in Portland.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Northern Arizona hosts Portland State after vaulting into FCS Top 10
