Lumberjacks Ranked High in Preseason Poll

Arizona Sports News online

Courtesy: NAU Athletics:

The Northern Arizona University football team sits at No. 3 in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Polls for both the coaches and media, each of which were announced on Monday morning during 2018 Big Sky Football Kickoff festivities by league officials. The Lumberjacks received 121 points in the coaches’ poll, including three first-place votes in finishing third. Eastern Washington (134 points/six first-place votes) and Weber State (124 points/three first-place votes) were the only two programs to finish above NAU in the coaches’ preseason rankings.The media poll saw the ‘Jacks garner a total of 535 points and one first-place vote.  Eastern Washington (651 points/27 first-place votes) and Weber State (636 points/19 first-place votes) also held the top two spots in the media’s preseason poll.The Lumberjacks return 19 starters and 39 letterwinners from last season’s squad that earned the program’s sixth NCAA FCS Playoff appearance, including 2017 All-Big Sky First Team quarterback Case Cookus, who boasts 72 career touchdown passes and 7,703 passing yards entering 2018.