Just a few weeks ago the talks about NAU becoming a big name and a favorite to win their conference was on a lot of people’s minds in the Big Sky. Now those same people may just have the Lumberjacks written off for dead as they continue to suffer injuries at critical places. None more devastating as the injury against Eastern Washington last week.
Cookus Not On The Case
The game against the Eagles last week leaves the Lumberjacks in a tough spot against a strong Northern Colorado team. Eastern Washington hit Case Cookus in the third quarter and forced him to leave the game with an injury to his shoulder. This is a serious loss as the game last year against the Bears, Cookus threw for maybe his best game in his young collegiate career. A seven touchdown performance in Flagstaff put the hurt to Northern Colorado. The 42 point victory was a strange outcome considering the two teams usually play each other very close, the last four games being decided by just under 5 points. Now with a new quarterback under center the Lumberjacks will have to really change their game plan to adjust to the new signal caller. Fifth-year senior Blake Kemp will be thrown into the fire after just transferring this earlier this year from East Caroline, meaning he hasn’t been exposed to the playbook for very long. His ability to grasp the offense will be a key factor to the game
A Different Spin On Things
Another big difference with Kemp under center is the rotation of the ball. Case Cookus, a traditional right-handed quarterback, had grown quite familiar with his wide receivers as they had done the same. Kemp is a left-handed quarterback however. This could change the receiver’s abilities to catch the ball in their bodies due to the change in the rotation of the ball. Certain spins could cause a dropped pass or in the worst case scenario a ricochet that results in a turnover. Even in the pros, Jerry Rice admitted that he trained exclusively with Steve Young after Joe Montana was placed on the bench because of how different the ball moved in comparison to Montana’s. With only a week to get used to this change, the NAU receivers may go more exclusively with their hands than their bodies to catch the ball. The fear there is that they would be left exposed to big hits and get themselves hurt while not being able to use their body to shield themselves from the defenders. It will be a trying week for the offense of NAU.
Bears Struggling On Defense
The UNC Bears are having a tough season on the defensive side of the ball to say the least. Going into their Big Sky opener this weekend, the Bears have given up 102 points in just the last two weeks. Overall they have surrendered 126 points while gaining 132 themselves. Sitting at a 2 – 1 record, the main weakness in the defense is in their backfield. Already they have given up 1,000 yards through the air and allowed seven passing touchdowns in the early going of the season. Not to mention the 12 first downs the team has surrendered with penalties that have allowed their opponents to maintain drives and score more points. The offense has been able to keep the team in these high scoring affairs up until last week where they lost to Colorado State on the road, but at home they had their best defensive outing against Rocky Mountain College where they only allowed 27 points. A little bit of home cooking might be what the Bears need to give the defense the fire it needs to step up to the challenge.
The game will kickoff on Saturday, October the 1st at 12:00 PM. The Bears will be hosting at Nottingham Field in Greely, CO.