Senior NAU quarterback Cary Grossart throws a pass during a home game in Flagstaff last season. Grossart leads a balanced offense in hopes of achieving an upset in Thursday’s game. (Photo by Sarah Hamilton, The Lumberjack)Correction: A previous version of this article mislabeled ASU football coach Todd Graham as “Ted.”
When any FCS team challenges a FBS team, the smaller school will always be the underdog.
The NAU Lumberjacks are coming to Tempe looking for an upset, and their talented offense could give coach Todd Graham and the Sun Devils defense some headaches.
The aspect of NAU (0-0) that sticks out is its offense. Last season the Lumberjacks averaged just over 28 points per game.
The Lumberjacks are led by their playmakers — senior quarterback Cary Grossart and junior running back Zach Bauman. NAU coach Jerome Souers said that the team has improved from last year in the frontline.
“Our (senior) tackle Trey Gilleo has been a tremendous leader in the off-season getting our offensive line group a lot stronger, more physical and technically sound,” Souers said.
A better offensive line is good news for Bauman, the anchor of the offense.
Bauman rushed for 1,435 yards in his sophomore season, averaging 5.3 yards a carry. He also rushed for 15 touchdowns.
Graham explained how important Bauman is to the Lumberjack offense.
“(He’s) a really good tailback,” Graham said. “He is a guy that can definitely play at this level and a guy that we are going to have to keep in check. He’s the guy to stop.”
Bauman was a star at Chandler Hamilton High School and will be returning home to play in front of family and friends.
Souers said that in order to have a chance in Thursday’s game, the Lumberjacks are going have to be more balanced and utilize the passing game.
Leading the air attack is Grossart. Grossart comes into his senior season looking to put up even better numbers after throwing for 2,745 yards and 16 touchdowns.
He believes that his offense can score against ASU (0-0).
“We think that we have a good game plan,” Grossart said. “Really it’s not about doing too much. It’s just about executing and making completions.”
Grossart can distribute the ball well. He had four receivers that recorded over 300 receiving yards last season.
This season he will have to find a new go-to receiver with the departure of Khalil Paden, who was a couple catches away from a 1,000-yard season and averaged 100 yards per game.
Grossart said that other receivers have to step up.
“We have multiple guys and some versatile receivers that we are going to use,” Grossart said. “We have talent on offense.”
The NAU offense is a strong side of the ball, but they cannot win any games by solely relying on scoring.
Souers said that NAU’s biggest challenge after last season was replacing key players on the defense. The Lumberjacks were concerned about the depth and experience on the defensive front.
They added some players to the defensive side, and they have shown major improvement since spring.
“I’ve been real pleased with the balance and production across the board,” Souers said. “We feel like we’ll be more balanced and more competitive than we’ve been and that was an issue for us last year finishing games.”
Reach the reporter at ehubbard@asu.edu
