Game Time: 6PM Central
Location: J. Laurence Walkup Skydome, Flagstaff, AZ (Altitude: 6,910 ft)
Weather: (less relevant, due to being in a dome)
TV: Big Sky Streaming (free), also Pluto TV (streaming apps on various devices, just testing it out now, I’ll report back on how well it works later this week).
Radio: Announcers (Scott Kornberg, Dr. Tom Cody) - Beardstown - WRMS (94.3 FM); Macomb - WJEQ (102.7 FM); Galesburg - WAIK (1590 AM); Quincy - WPWQ (106.7 FM); Clinton, Iowa - (KCLN 1390 AM)
Internet: wrmsfm.com or Tune-In Radio App (Google store and iTunes)
Live Stats: NAU StatMonitr
Game Notes: Western Illinois | Northern Arizona
A bit about Northern Arizona
NAU finished last season a disappointing (considering their preseason expectations) 5-6 overall, 4-4 in the Big Sky conference, including a loss to Western in Macomb as their second game, by a score of 34-20. Part of their struggles later in the season were due to the season-ending injury to their star QB, FCS STATS National Freshman of the Year/Jerry Rice Award Winner Case Cookus in game 4 of their 2016 season. They also have WR threat Emmanuel Butler, OG Tyler Strank, and PK Griffin Roehler who were all named to the preseason All-Conference team this year. Overall, in the Big Sky preseason poll, NAU is expected to finish 3rd (out of 13 teams). In the 62-24 loss to Arizona last week, Cookus threw for 306 passing yards and 2 INT. They had two players go over 100 rushing yards, JR transfer from Boise State, Cory Young (115 yards, 2 TDs), and SO Joe Logan (101 yards, 1 TD). SR WR Elijah Marks was their top receiver with 147 yards.
Series History
Western has played Northern Arizona twice in our history, a 34-20 win in Macomb last season, and a 34-0 loss in Flagstaff in 1967.
Predictions
Massey - 35-30, WIU Victory
Compughterratings.com - 35-29, WIU win
Nationalsportsrankings.com - 33-28, WIU win
5Dimes Odds - WIU -3, Over/Under 65
Sagarin (calculation, doesn't round) - 30.12 to 28.83, WIU win
Rankings
Sagarin (out of all 254 DI teams) - WIU 113, NAU 142
STATS Top 25 - WIU 22, NAU 33 (ORV)
Massey Composite - WIU 16, NAU 43
AGS Poll - WIU 18, NAU 31 (ORV)
My Take
This game should be quite a bit more difficult than our game at TTU last weekend, for a few reasons.
- NAU has a very good offense, both on the ground and through the air. I’m not too worried about the ground game considering our D-Line and LBs, but long passes could be an issue
- Altitude - Flagstaff is at nearly 7,000 feet above sea level (the second-highest DI stadium in the country). If this game is close until late, or if it turns into a “track meet” then our guys have some issues getting winded before theirs do.