Jacks FINALLY Hit the Field!

At 12:00 PM on Sunday, August 7th, NAU Football Fall Camp officially began as newcomers began arriving on campus to move into their dormitory for fall camp housing. However, camp did not REALLY start until 6:00 PM last night (August 9th) when NAU Footbal held their first practice. On top of that, it was inside the newly renovated Sky Dome. As mentioned earlier in previous posts the Dome is currently closed to the public due to the construction project that is still occurring. However, the lower part of the stadium including the field, locker rooms, athletic training room, and equipment room are all operational and are currently housing their respective staffs, as well as the Arizona Cardinals. There will be more on the dome renovation shortly, but for now enjoy the sights from the first day of practice for the NAU Lumberjacks!

Winter Update

Happy New Year! Hope all of you enjoyed your holiday break. The NAU football staff was hard at work all through December and is now back on the road recruiting the 2011 class. We have a number of recruits in this weekend in Flagstaff.

 

Artist render of Sky Dome remodel

Here is a recap of news regarding NAU Football:

• Coach Souers was offered a 3-year contract in December. This promises to give the program continuity and stability and put it on track for continued success on the field and in the classroom. As of now, the entire staff will be back for next season.
• The NAU football offices moved out of the Skydome in December as renovations began last month. Currently, the staff is housed on the north side of campus next to South Beaver School in two module units. We will be located there until the end of July when renovations are scheduled to finish. Come by and visit!
• Many have asked what kind of renovations are going on in the Skydome. While an official release of information is expected in February, we can give a cursory report of what is happening. The Skydome is undergoing a fire, life, and safety remodel. Almost nothing had been upgraded since it was built in 1977. All electrical wiring and plumbing will be replaced. All areas of the dome will become handicap accessible. In addition, the athletic department will receive an upgrade in its facilities. New office/suites are being built on the east and west sides of the dome. The football staff will have new offices, some of which will overlook the field (see picture above) as well as meeting space that can be doubled as club level seating for games. The athletic training room will be moved and remodeled in addition to the equipment room. Locker rooms on the east and west sides will be redone as well. All seating in the Sky Dome will have individual seats with backs. The capacity will be reduced to a little over 10,000 because of the renovations. The project is going to be a great improvement for NAU and its student-athletes! Take a look at this video for a more comprehensive look at the plan.
• We just released our 2011 schedule this week. It’s a great schedule that includes six home games, including showdowns with defending national champion Eastern Washington and perennial power Montana. The Jacks open with Arizona in Tucson on Sept. 3 before returning to Flagstaff to face Ft. Lewis in their home opener.

Photos from NAU-MSU Game

If you didn’t have the opportunity to be at NAU’s 34-7  whipping of Montana State at the SkyDome Saturday, you missed a great day. A crowd of more than 12,000 watched the Jacks play their best game of the year against the No. 9 team in FCS. You can view more than 100 pictures at the NAU-MSU Photo Gallery.

Players of the Week

Offensive Player(s) of the Game: Michael Herrick, Anthony Williams, Daiveun Curry-Chapman

Offensive Scout Player of the Week: Craig Frum

Defensive Player of the Game: Scott McKeever

Defensive Scout Player of the Week: Sebastian Sica

Video: Highlights from NAU vs. Western New Mexico

OK, so we’re a bit late at getting the highlights up from last Thursday’s game, but here they are. The Jacks had a big game on both sides of the ball. A large student crowd came out to support the team. The annual “Running of the Freshman” was a huge success as nearly 600 freshmen ran out of the tunnel with the team. NAU hits the road for the next four weeks, starting with ASU this weekend. We hope to see you back at the Skydome on Oct. 16 for Family Day when the Lumberjacks face the Montana State Bobcats. Enjoy the video!

Jacks Throw Shut Out in 48-0 over Western New Mexico

The NAU football team opened its season with an easy 48-0 win over Div. II opponent Western New Mexico last night. It was a big coming out party for freshman running back Zach Bauman, who rushed for 167 yards and scored four touchdowns. Michael Herrick also threw two touchdowns in the first half. The NAU defense recorded its first shutout since 2007, holding the Mustangs to just 164 yards offense. Anthony Llanos led the team in tackles with six and Isaac Bond, Blayne Anderson, and Tim Wilkinson all recorded sacks. The Lumberjacks have some of the weekend off before beginning preparation for Arizona State next Saturday night in Tempe.  Here are some pictures below Thursday night’s game in the Skydome. More pictures can be found at our Flickr gallery.

Ify Umodu makes a grab in the second half against Western New Mexico.