Eastern closes season with loss at NAU

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The rushing engine that drove Eastern Washington to victory a week before ran out of steam, and for the most part so did the passing game.

The result was Northern Arizona outscored Eastern 16-3 over the game's 24 minutes to earn a 30-18 Big Sky Conference victory in the Walkup Skydome, Nov. 23.

"We hung in there, but it's a 60-minute game, not a 45-minute game at the end of the day," head coach Aaron Best said.

The game closed out the season for the Lumberjacks, who with the win and their 8-4 record, earned one of the conference's five Football Championship Subdivision playoff berths.

For Eastern it marked a third consecutive season missing the playoffs with a 4-8 record. One must turn back the clock to two times in program history - 1987 through 1991 and 1959 to 1963 - when there was a longer streak of sub-.500 records.

Eastern's 3-5 Big Sky record landed them in a four-way tie with Portland State, Idaho State and Weber State for sixth place.

NAU's big statistical edge came with passing where they outgained Eastern 352-167. The Lumberjacks had a more modest 187 to 134 edge rushing for a total 539 to 301 margin.

"Our QB run game wasn't as effective, but that was a lot of credit to them," Best said.

Normally called upon for his running game, Jared Taylor threw two touchdowns and 73 yards on 4-of-5 passing.

Kekoa Visperas led the team with 62 yards on six carries while adding 15-of-22 passing for 94 yards and one interception - the only turnover of the game.

The Lumberjacks got a pair of big play scores, one 75 yards on a flea-flicker with just five seconds remaining in the first, and the second for 40 yards and took a 14-7 lead to the locker room at the break.

Jett Carpenter caught his second career touchdown pass with 9 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the first half to knot the game at 7-7.

Trailing at halftime Eastern got a safety just seven seconds into the third quarter. Two possessions later a 67-yard Jared Taylor to Efton Chism III scoring connection provided the Eagles their only lead, 15-14 at the 10:52 mark of the third quarter.

Northern Arizona assumed command from there with a field goal and a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns.

After winning four in a row in the series Eastern has now lost the last two meetings.

In his final game as an Eagle, Chism caught 13 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown. It was Chism's 53rd consecutive game with a reception breaking Cooper Kupp's 52-streak for the Eastern and FCS record. Chism also broke Kupp's single-season EWU reception record of 117 receptions in 2016. He finishes with 120 for the season. 

Defensively, Kentrell Williams Jr. set a career-best with 10 tackles in the game. Matthew Brown's third-quarter safety was Eastern's first since 2021 against Southern Utah.