NAU hopes to improve record in matchup against Portland State
Northern Arizona football will face off against Portland State on Saturday in its second Big Sky matchup of the season.
The team has lost two in a row after falling to Idaho last week, 27-10. NAU is ninth in the Big Sky standings currently with Montana and Weber State leading.
The series between the Lumberjacks and the Vikings dates back to 1978 with NAU leading the series with an 18-5 record. The last time NAU played Portland State was on Oct. 26, 2019, with an NAU win, 31-29.
Portland State opened its 2022 campaign against San Jose State, falling 21-17. The Vikings then fell to No. 15 Washington, 52-6 and No. 2 (FCS) Montana, 53-16.
Portland State was voted to finish ninth in the Big Sky Conference right behind NAU in the coaches and eighth by the media.
In last weeks matchup against Idaho, NAU's offense failed to accumulate more than 200 yards for the second time this season. The Lumberjacks lackluster offense was the lowest since its 120 yards performance against the Sun Devils.
NAU's defense now ranks at 12 in passing yards allowed (170.8). Wide receiver Hendrix Johnson now sits at 1,778 career yards and sits at 15 all-time, needing 188 more yards to crack the top-10. With his current pace, the receiver could eventually crack the top-3 in school history.
With 126 career receptions Johnson is 10 away from tying Ify Umodu for 10 all-time on the NAU career receptions list. Johnson is averaging 3.89 catches per game through his first 28 games. Wide receiver Coleman Owen is closing in on 2022 NAU Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee Charlie Brown's 1,283 receiving yards from 1968-69.
NAU will kick off against Portland State on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium in Portland, OR. The game will be available on ESPN+ and Hulu with a subscription to the Disney Bundle.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NAU hopes to improve losing record in matchup against Portland State
