NAU Game Sends Up Warning Flag

When you hear the name of the Aztecs’ opponent in tonight’s season opener – Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks – it may not sound too ominous. They are FCS level, right? But so was Eastern Illinois last year. You remember that one, don’t you? So, beware!

You can bet Rocky Long remembers. And every returning player from that 2013 Aztec team remembers. If they could get off to an 0-3 start and still wind up 8-5, capped by an impressive win in a bowl game, think what a fast start could lead to.

Without rattling off reams of stats, suffice it to say the Lumberjacks are good. They wound up #25 in the FCS ratings last year, and they have won 17 of their last 22 games.

There’s not a lot of history here. We have played them only twice – almost half a century ago, in 1965 and 1966 – and beat them twice. It was the game in Flagstaff in ’65 that my son Ken has convinced me was really when I became serious about a streak. Because the team was traveling by train my original plan was to drive, sharing the driving with a guy from my office, and do the turnaround trip with no overnight stay. Turned out he could not go, so I drove almost exactly 1,000 miles, sandwiched around the game, which we won, 20-0. It was my 186th game, and the 16^th since the road game I missed in 1964. Have not missed one since, and my streak is at 574, with a total of 744 games. From that point on, Don Coryell always referred to me as “that crazy Aztec fan.” Probably right, but now I’m glad I did it.

WR Craig Scoggins (left) and DB Bobby Howard led the Aztecs to a 16-8 victory over Northern Arizona in 1966. It was the Aztecs’ ninth win on the way to a perfect 11-0 season. (Photos courtesy of San Diego State)

 GO AZTECS!  Beat the Lumberjacks!