Football Drops Heart-Breaking Overtime Game to #4 Montana

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Fourth-ranked Montana needed a score and a timely interception in overtime to avoid the upset by Northern Arizona 41-34 at the Walkup Skydome Saturday night.

“It is a tough loss for us today,” said Head Coach Jerome Souers. “We worked very hard this week. I am proud of the way our kids competed today. We showed great improvement from the week before. I speak for everybody when I say how deeply disappointed we are that we did not get a victory today.”

Montana (4-0, 2-0 Big Sky) led 27-14 midway through the third quarter but the Lumberjacks fought hard to end the 11-game winning streak by the Grizzlies in the series. Michael Herrick hit Sweeney for the second of three touchdowns in the game from 21 yards to pull NAU within 27-21 with 15 seconds left in the third quarter.

NAU added a 37-yard field goal by Matt Myers to bring the game within three points with 6:09 left in the contest. NAU held Montana on the next drive, taking over at the UM 42 after an 11-yard return and personal foul by Montana. The Lumberjacks scored two plays later when Herrick and Sweeney connected again to give NAU a 31-27 lead.

The Griz responded with a 45-yard strike to Sam Gratton from Andrew Selle, taking just three plays to retake the lead. Myers forced the overtime with a 47-yard field goal to cap an 11-play drive to end regulation.

After NAU won the overtime toss, Montana scored on its first offensive play and kicked the extra point to take a 41-34 lead. NAU looked to have repeated the sequence with a scoring play to Alex Henderson on its first play but the play was called out at the three-yard line. UM’s Shann Schillenger intercepted Herrick on the next play on a tipped attempt in the end zone to end the game, leaving the Skydome crowd and NAU team stunned.

Herrick finished the game 36-for-49 for a career-high 440 yards and four touchdowns. The 440 passing yards were the third-best single-game performance in school history and most by a NAU quarterback since 1997. It also set a Walkup Skydome mark for individual passing yards, breaking the 19-year old mark set by John Bond of 424 yards set against Nicholls State in 1990. Travis Brown is the only other NAU quarterback to throw for more yards in a game, throwing for 452 yards at Weber State in 1997 and 474 at Montana in 1996.

Sweeney had five grabs for a career-high 148 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Conrad Meadows had a career-high 11 catches, while senior Ed Berry added nine receptions.

Montana’s Selle had 349 passing yards on 29-of-28 passing with three touchdowns.

It was the first overtime game in the Walkup Skydome since 1996 and just the fourth in school history. NAU last played in an overtime game in 2004 at Stephen F. Austin, losing 24-17.

NAU finished with 507 yards of total offense, including 458 passing yards

NAU will play the final game in a three-game homestand next week against Northern Colorado in the annual Family Weekend game.