OGDEN, Utah-Saturday, the No. 4 (STATS FCS poll)/No. 5 (AFCA Coaches poll) Weber State Wildcats (4-2, 2-0 in Big Sky Conference play) ensues in their Big Sky season by hosting the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (3-3, 1-1 in Big Sky) at Stewart Stadium.
The Wildcats are tied for 70th nationally in scoring offense (25.5 points per game) with Bethune-Cookman. Sophomore signal-caller Kaden Jenks completes 54.4 percent of his passes (43-79) for 458 yards and four touchdown passes against only one interception.
In the backfield, junior tailback Kevin Smith Jr. (74 car, 344 yards, TD) and sophomore back Josh Davis (57 car, 292 yards, 3 TD’s) have served the Wildcats in a complementary manner this season. Redshirt freshman tailback Kris Jackson (26 car, 139 yards, 5 TD’s, 5.3 yards per carry) leads the Wildcats in both rushing touchdowns and yards per carry.
Sophomore receiver Devon Cooley (23 rec, 270 yards, TD) and junior wide-out Rashid Shaheed (17 rec, 209 yards, 3 TD’s) have each been productive targets in the passing game for the Wildcats.
Junior kicker Trey Tuttle has made 9 of his 11 field goal attempts on the season and 16 of his 17 PAT’s thus far.
The Wildcats’ defense ranks 11th nationally in scoring defense (19.2 points per game) and is second nationally in turnover ratio (+10).
These key stats are instrumental in why the Wildcats are considered one of the top teams in the country.
Weber State has also posted 16 sacks on the season, led by senior defensive end Jonah Williams (5 sacks) while redshirt sophomore George Tarlas and sophomore defensive end McKade Mitton have 3 sacks apiece for the Wildcats. Tarlas also leads the squad with two forced fumbles.
Sophomore safety Brody Burke leads the Wildcats with two interceptions, rounding out a stout defense.
The Lumberjacks come into this game having lost two of their last three games, but prior to their bye last week, they defeated Northern Colorado 41-23 at the Walkup Skydome of Flagstaff, Ariz., earning their first conference win of the season.
Northern Arizona scores 38.7 points per game, ranking them 11th nationally. The Lumberjacks’ high-octane offense also amasses 488 yards per contest, sixth in the nation.
NFL Draft prospect, senior signal-caller Case Cookus, completes 57.2 percent of his passes on the season (135-236) for 2,075 yards (5th nationally), 18 touchdowns (tied for eighth nationally with Alcorn’s Felix Harper and Jake Maier of UC Davis) and six interceptions. Cookus also averages 345.8 passing yards per game, ranking him third nationally.
Cookus has several reliable targets in the passing game. They include redshirt sophomore receiver Brandon Porter (36 rec, 554 yards, 6 TD’s [tied for 10th nationally]), freshman wide-out Hendrix Johnson (30 rec, 471 yards, 2 TD’s), and redshirt junior receiver Stacy Chukwumezie (24 rec, 422 yards, 3 TD’s).
Senior tailback Joe Logan (74 car, 243 yards, 3 TD’s) and junior backfield mate Nate Stinson (23, car, 120 yards, TD, 5.2 yards per carry) are the Lumberjacks’ stalwarts in the running game. Logan is also dangerous in the passing game as he has 14 receptions for 265 yards and five scores.
Junior kicker/punter Luis Aguilar has made 11 of 13 field goals on the season for the Lumberjacks and all 27 of his PAT’s on the season.
However, the Lumberjacks’ defense is among the most porous units in the nation. Northern Arizona surrenders 36.8 points per game, ranking them 105th nationally.
Northern Arizona has posted a respectable 12 sacks on the season. They are led in this category by senior linebacker Brandon Worthy and junior linebacker Carson Taylor, each of whom have 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble to their credit.
Worthy also has an interception on the season, as do sophomore linebacker Taylor Powell, freshman linebacker Jaden Tauanu’u and freshman defensive back Daego Albert.
Six different Lumberjacks defenders have a forced fumble to their credit. They include the aforementioned Worthy, senior defensive back Jalen Cook, junior linebacker Harrison Beemiller, redshirt sophomore defensive back Anthony Sweeney, Taylor and senior defensive lineman Jonathan Lolohea.
This meeting is the 53rd all-time between these schools, while the Lumberjacks have a narrow 27-25 advantage in the series. Northern Arizona has also won four consecutive games at Stewart Stadium.
