Andrew BellNorthern Arizona had just gone 95 yards on 14 plays to take the lead in the final seconds against No. 2 Weber State. It was the Lumberjacks first lead all day, and they were on the verge of a massive upset.
However, a personal foul penalty on the ensuing kickoff put the ball at midfield. With the game down down to three seconds, Weber State was forced to throw up one final prayer. Then, this happened:
#FCS Top 25 final:
No. 3 Weber State beats NAU 28–23 on this play
pic.twitter.com/xkXh7RbZDJ— HERO Sports FCS (@HEROSports_FCS) March 27, 2021
NAU fell to No. 2 Weber State 28-23 on Saturday afternoon in heartbreaking fashion. A strong defensive effort and late-game heroics were washed away by the Wildcat hail mary.
For a young group that hadn’t played in three weeks, it was a valiant effort that just fell short. Prior to the madness on the final play, NAU had shown a lot of resolve. Down 14-0 in the first quarter on the road, the Lumberjacks clawed their way back.
After putting up a field goal, freshman running back Draycen Hall broke through for a 49-yard touchdown burst. Both teams would trade punches, and what appeared to be one of the biggest plays of the game came with under five minutes remaining.
With Weber State looking to ice the game away on a long drive in a one possession game, NAU dug deep near the goal line and forced a huge fumble. It was one of three turnovers forced in the second half.
(Q4 | 4:14) | NAU 16 – WSU 22
That's a HUGE turnover in the red zone!#NAUStrong ⚒️🌲💪 #BeatWSU pic.twitter.com/Yk3IRBHfFV
— NAU Football (@NAU_Football) March 27, 2021
Following the defensive stand, quarterback Keondre Wudtee led the 95-yard drive, going 7-7 in that span while targeting sophomore wideout and former Boulder Creek High School product Hendrix Johnson on the drive for big plays. That led to this one-yard keeper for the touchdown.
(Q4 | 0:17) | NAU 23 – WSU 22
@K_wudteeQB GETS THE SCORE#NAUStrong ⚒️🌲💪 #BeatWSU pic.twitter.com/YfjF6WOyIk
— NAU Football (@NAU_Football) March 27, 2021
It looked like it’d be the difference until the last second madness. Despite nearly pulling off the upset, NAU now drops to 1-2. They are back in action next week at home against Cal Poly.
