The 2021 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team represented Northern Arizona University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Chris Ball and played their home games at the Walkup Skydome.
Preseason
Polls
On July 26, 2021, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Lumberjacks were predicted to finish seventh in the Big Sky by both the coaches and media.[1]
Coaches poll
| Predicted finish
|
Team
|
Votes (1st place)
|
| 1
|
Weber State
|
(7)
|
| 2
|
Montana
|
(3)
|
| 3
|
Eastern Washington
|
(2)
|
| 4
|
Montana State
|
(1)
|
| 5
|
Sacramento State
|
(1)
|
| 6
|
UC Davis
|
|
| 7
|
Northern Arizona
|
|
| 8
|
Idaho
|
|
| 9
|
Idaho State
|
|
| 10
|
Portland State
|
|
| 11
|
Southern Utah
|
|
| 12
|
Cal Poly
|
|
| 13
|
Northern Colorado
|
|
Media poll
| Predicted finish
|
Team
|
Votes (1st place)
|
| 1
|
Weber State
|
(14)
|
| 2
|
Montana
|
(4)
|
| 3
|
Eastern Washington
|
(3)
|
| 4
|
Montana State
|
(3)
|
| 5
|
Sacramento State
|
|
| 6
|
UC Davis
|
|
| 7
|
Northern Arizona
|
|
| 8
|
Idaho
|
|
| 9
|
Idaho State
|
|
| 10
|
Portland State
|
|
| 11
|
Southern Utah
|
|
| 12
|
Northern Colorado
|
|
| 13
|
Cal Poly
|
|
Preseason All–Big Sky team
The Lumberjacks had two players selected to the preseason all-Big Sky team.
|
Defense
Morgan Vest – S
|
Special teams
Luis Aguilar – K
|
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|
| 6:00 p.m. | No. 1 Sam Houston* | | ESPN+ | L 16–42 | 8,564 |
| September 11 | 11:00 a.m. | at South Dakota* | | ESPN+ | L 7–34 | 5,247 |
| September 18 | 7:00 p.m. | at Arizona* | | P12N | W 21–19 | 33,481 |
| September 25 | 12:00 p.m. | at Northern Colorado | | ESPN+ | L 10–17 OT | 5,769 |
| October 2 | 1:00 p.m. | Idaho State | - Walkup Skydome
- Flagstaff, AZ
| ESPN+ | W 48–17 | 9,713 |
| October 16 | 1:00 p.m. | Southern Utah | | ESPN+ | W 59–35 | 7,511 |
| October 23 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 19 Sacramento State | | ESPN+ | L 0–44 | 8,210 |
| October 30 | 1:00 p.m. | at Idaho | | ESPN+ | W 38–31 | 0 |
| November 6 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 8 UC Davis | - Walkup Skydome
- Flagstaff, AZ
| ESPN+ | L 24–40 | 6,088 |
| November 13 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 9 Montana | - Walkup Skydome
- Flagstaff, AZ
| ESPN+ | L 3–30 | 6,225 |
| November 20 | 6:05 p.m. | at Cal Poly | | ESPN+ | W 45-21 | 6,371 |
|
[2]
Game summaries
No. 1 Sam Houston
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| No. 1 Bearkats
|
7
|
14
|
14
|
7 |
42 |
| Lumberjacks
|
0
|
7
|
9
|
0 |
16 |
At South Dakota
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Lumberjacks
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
0 |
7 |
| Coyotes
|
17
|
10
|
7
|
0 |
34 |
At Arizona
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Lumberjacks
|
0
|
7
|
7
|
7 |
21 |
| Wildcats
|
10
|
3
|
0
|
6 |
19 |
At Northern Colorado
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Total |
| Lumberjacks
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
3 | 0 |
10 |
| Bears
|
0
|
3
|
7
|
0 | 7 |
17 |
Idaho State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Bengals
|
7
|
0
|
3
|
7 |
17 |
| Lumberjacks
|
3
|
20
|
15
|
10 |
48 |
Southern Utah
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Thunderbirds
|
0
|
14
|
14
|
7 |
35 |
| Lumberjacks
|
17
|
14
|
14
|
14 |
59 |
At No. 19 Sacramento State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Lumberjacks
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
0 |
| No. 19 Hornets
|
3
|
34
|
0
|
7 |
44 |
At Idaho
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Lumberjacks
|
14
|
3
|
14
|
7 |
38 |
| Vandals
|
7
|
14
|
0
|
10 |
31 |
No. 8 UC Davis
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| No. 8 Aggies
|
8
|
12
|
17
|
3 |
40 |
| Lumberjacks
|
14
|
3
|
0
|
7 |
24 |
No. 9 Montana
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| No. 9 Grizzlies
|
0
|
13
|
7
|
10 |
30 |
| Lumberjacks
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0 |
3 |
At Cal Poly
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Lumberjacks
|
7
|
31
|
7
|
0 |
45 |
| Mustangs
|
7
|
7
|
0
|
7 |
21 |
References
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