No. 18 Weber State, coming off a bye week, is scheduled to visit No. 5 Northern Arizona at the Walkup Skydome. According to a November 13 report, the game serves as the third and final rivalry trophy game for the Wildcats.
The matchup features a significant contrast in statistical trends. Weber State's offense averages 36.1 points per game and 434.9 yards per game through 10 games, but the team remains at minus-nine in turnover margin. In contrast, Northern Arizona holds a plus-12 turnover margin, having recorded 21 takeaways while losing only nine. Northern Arizona head coach Brian Wright told the Big Sky this week that his defense must be assignment-sound to affect Weber State quarterback Nate Dahle, noting Dahle's ability to get the football out quickly.
Northern Arizona's offense is led by senior quarterback Ty Pennington, who has thrown for 88 touchdowns and four interceptions in 34 career games. This season, Pennington averages 232 yards per game with a 64% completion rate. His primary targets include Joey Stout, Jeter Purdy, and Myseth Currie. Defensively, the Lumberjacks are led by safety Shoes Brinkley, who has 70 tackles, and defensive lineman Devin Murphy, who has recorded 7.5 sacks.
Weber State enters the contest with a defense that ranks second in the Big Sky with 23 sacks and leads the conference in red-zone defense with a 68.2% opponent conversion rate. The Wildcats also rank third nationally in blocked kicks, having recorded six this season. Weber State head coach Eric Kjar noted that Northern Arizona is playing as hot as anyone in the country right now.
The all-time series between the two programs is tied 29-29. Northern Arizona holds a 20-9 record against Weber State when playing in Flagstaff. The series has been 2-2 since the introduction of the Red Rock Rivalry trophy prior to the 2022 matchup.
The game is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. in Flagstaff and can be viewed on ESPN+. The Weber State radio broadcast will be available on 103.1 FM and online at coast103.com.
