Homecoming has arrived early for many of the players on NAU's football team this weekend in Tempe, but unlike most homecoming games, this one comes in the season opener.
Perhaps the only advantage for NAU on Saturday night is that the Lumberjacks have absolutely nothing to lose.
"We have a great opportunity for our university and the football program to be showcased on the national stage against a team like ASU," NAU head coach Jerome Souers said.
In total, there are 27 players from the Valley, including two of their offensive stars in freshman quarterback Jason Murrietta (Glendale) and receiver Johnny Marshall (Phoenix). For some, this is an opportunity to show the home team what it missed out on.
The offense should be confident coming off a blowout victory over St. Mary's in which Murrietta entered the game in the second quarter and led the team on five touchdown drives while throwing 16-for-21 for 287 yards.
Marshall led all receivers with 11 catches for 128 yards, including two touchdowns. For Marshall, the game has a chance to be particularly sweet as a senior playing in front of his hometown.
"To me it's another home game for my family to have the opportunity to see me play college football," Marshall said.
However there's more to the offense than just Valley guys. Last year's leading receiver, senior Clarence Moore, was All-Big Sky in 2002, and senior center Matt Ravio was a Division I-AA All-American.
The biggest concern for the Lumberjacks has to be their defense, which returns only three starters from last year. Two are from the Phoenix area: Senior free safety Brent Daniels and senior cornerback Ryan Thornton.
The secondary will be tested early and often, and ASU is certain to test its running game against a front seven that returns only one starter. Chances are that the NAU defense has never seen the likes of ASU quarterback Andrew Walter and ASU's high-powered passing game.
"Andrew Walter is a very talented player," Souers said. "We expect to have a great challenge against the ASU passing game but we have an experienced group that will compete each down."
The defense was sharp against St. Mary's last weekend in limiting its opponent to only three points, but that can't be used as much of a barometer as to how it will match up against ASU's superior team speed.
"It is hard to simulate speed [in practice]," Souers said. "We have to make adjustments in our coverage that put us in the best position to be successful in passing situations."
ASU will be the third Pac-10 team NAU has faced in three years. In 2001, NAU lost to Oregon State 45-10, and in 2002, the Lumberjacks visited UA and lost 37-3.
NAU won't play its next home game until Sept. 27 when the Lumberjacks host Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. The team has a bye the following week before traveling to Oregon to face Portland State on Sept. 20.
In 2002, NAU got off to a 4-1 start and climbed all the way up the Division 1-AA rankings to No. 7. NAU then lost four of its next five games and missed out on the Division I-AA playoffs.
Reach the reporter at matthew.schubert@asu.edu.
