1978 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football
Big Sky champion
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record8–2 (6–0 Big Sky)
Head coach
Home stadiumWalkup Skydome
Seasons
← 1977
1979 →
1978 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 7 Northern Arizona $ 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
No. T–9 Montana State 4 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Montana 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Boise State 3 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Weber State 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Idaho 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
Idaho State 0 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA AP Poll

The 1978 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a member of the Big Sky Conference (Big Sky) during the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their fourth and final year under head coach Joe Salem, the Lumberjacks compiled an 8–2 record (6–0 against conference opponents), outscored opponents by a total of 259 to 174, and won the Big Sky championship.[1] The team played its home games at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome, commonly known as the Walkup Skydome, in Flagstaff, Arizona.

The team's statistical leaders included Allan Clark with 1,366 rushing yards (including 261 yards against Montana State, 250 yards against Boise State, and 245 yards against Idaho State), at the time a Northern Arizona school record.[2] Bill Holst led the team in passing with 835 passing yards. Jerry Lumpkin led with 121 tackles.[3]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 2at North Dakota State*
L 7–238,100[4][5]
September 9Portland State*
W 42–14
September 16Idaho State
  • Walkup Skydome
  • Flagstaff, AZ
W 34–14
September 23at Montana
W 21–6
September 30at Idaho
W 34–29
October 7Cal Poly Pomona*dagger
  • Walkup Skydome
  • Flagstaff, AZ
W 31–316,153[6]
October 21at Northern Colorado*Greeley, COL 6–33
October 28at Montana State
W 43–22
November 11Boise State
  • Walkup Skydome
  • Flagstaff, AZ
W 31–3014,783[7]
November 18Weber State
  • Walkup Skydome
  • Flagstaff, AZ
W 10–011,491
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming

References

  1. ^ "2013 Northern Arizona Football Media Guide" (PDF). Northern Arizona University. 2013. p. 78. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  2. ^ 2013 Media Guide, pp. 30, 53, 63.
  3. ^ 2013 Media Guide, p. 63.
  4. ^ "Bison run over NAU's Loggers for 23–7 victory". The Arizona Republic. September 3, 1978. Retrieved October 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Final 1978 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  6. ^ "Cal Lutheran Rips Oxy, 37–0". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. October 8, 1978. p. III-18. Retrieved March 31, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  7. ^ "NAU tops Boise for title". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 12, 1978. p. 3B.
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