Conference Championship Preview

Northern Arizona (12-1) vs Cal Poly (13-0): The Lumberjacks got through a strong out of conference schedule undefeated and rode that wave of momentum to twelve straight wins to begin the season. The only stumble for coach robust_trex was a loss to Montana State on the last day of the regular season.

Coach kensei made it through the entire regular season undefeated. The Mustangs dispatched his division foes and coasted into the conference championship matchup.

A one seed is likely the reward for the winner, while the loser most likely is set for a 2 seed.

What To Watch For

Anthony Zeigler vs the Mustang LB corps. Zeigler only rushed for 274 yards this season, but it’s clear that he is a threat coming out of the backfield, grabbing 187 passes for 2413 yards and 20 TDs. Can the Mustang LB’s (Robert Colbert, Jerry Page, Warren Wilkinson) hang in and cover the speedy Zeigler?
Thomas Cooley, pick your poison. Cooley accounted for 2017 yards on the ground and another 1426 through the air. A stallion for the Mustangs this season. What will the Lumberjack defense and head coach robust_trex dial up to stop Cooley? The Lumberjacks run a 3-4 and nickel blend on defense and can situationally matchup. Cooley can still make magic happen even if the proper play is called on the sidelines.
Lynch to Underwood. Northern Arizona’s Zeigler isn’t the only one that supremely talented QB Willie Lynch likes to throw to. WR Robert Underwood can challenge the Mustang secondary and make some big and timely plays for the Lumberjacks.
First Brown and Goal. The Mustangs RB Richard Brown has a nose for the goal line, taking the pigskin across 28 times to lead Cal Poly in scoring. Cooley does the dirty work and Brown gets the glory.
Timely sacks. Which team will get the timely sack to put their opponent in a difficult conversion position? Both teams took down the opposing QB over 40 times this season, with 46 for Cal Poly and 49 for Northern Arizona. The time and place of these sacks could be the difference maker.