Northern Arizona keeps FCS playoff hopes alive with 30-18 win over Eastern Washington

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Ty Pennington threw for 312 yards and a touchdown and added a rushing touchdown to lead Northern Arizona to a 30-18 win over Eastern Washington on Saturday.

Seth Cromwell added 112 yards and a touchdown on the ground for the Lumberjacks (8-4, 6-2 Big Sky Conference), who have won five straight and hope to receive an at-large berth to the FCS playoffs.

The Eagles (4-8, 3-5) took an 18-17 lead on a Soren McKee field goal late in the third quarter but NAU answered with Cromwell’s 6-yard TD run, although the Lumberjacks failed on a two-point conversion.

EWU had an 11-play drive but turned the ball over on downs at the NAU 34 with 8:46 to play. The Lumberjacks then put together a 12-play, 66-yard drive, clinching the game on Pennington’s 12-yard run with 2:17 to play.

Pennington was 15-of-29 passing and Northern Arizona piled up 539 yards. Tay Lanier had five catches for 122 yards and Kolbe Katsis had three for 130, with both reaching the end zone.

Jared Taylor threw for two touchdowns for Eastern Washington, which had 301 yards after piling up 77 points and 478 yards rushing a week earlier. One of the touchdowns was a 67-yard connection with Efton Chism III, who had 13 catches for 119 yards.

Chism, a senior who caught a pass in every game of his career and is the FCS leader with 120 receptions for 1,311 yards, broke Cooper Kupp’s school record for receptions in a season.

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