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Sport: FootballCategory: Breaking News

Northern Arizona defeats Eastern Washington 34-27 in season opener

2 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Sep 4, 2026, 2:03 AM

Last updated Sep 4, 2026

Summary

The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat the Eastern Washington Eagles 34-27 at Cheney on September 1. Eastern Washington established an early 24-3 lead in the second quarter behind Nate Bell, who finished the game with 307 passing yards and two touchdowns. The momentum shifted after a 100-yard kickoff return by the Lumberjacks triggered a stretch of 24 unanswered points. Although Eastern Washington tied the score at 27-27 in the fourth quarter, Northern Arizona secured the lead with a touchdown pass on fourth down with 3:54 remaining. Northern Arizona quarterback Ty Pennington led the second-half comeback, while Jeter Purdy contributed 105 receiving yards. The result marks the first loss of the season for Eastern Washington.

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Status Watch
  • •Northern Arizona defeated Eastern Washington 34-27 in Cheney.
  • •Eastern Washington led 24-3 during the second quarter.
  • •Nate Bell completed 30 of 47 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns.
  • •Jeter Purdy recorded seven receptions for 105 yards for the Lumberjacks.
  • •The game featured a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Latest Updates
  • 2:03 AMYahoo Sports — EWU taking positives from season-opening loss: 'A lot to be encouraged about'
  • 7:52 PMYahoo Sports — Eagles suffer close loss in season opener
What they're saying
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Sep. 3—When Aaron Best looked at the film of Eastern Washington's 34-27 loss Saturday at Northern Arizona, the Eagles' head coach saw a lot of good. He saw it not just in the first half, either, when the Eagles built a 21-point lead. "We did some good things in the second half, too," Best said to the media on Tuesday. "There were a ton of really good things, and we had a chance to win inside ...

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Sep. 1—CHENEY — The Eastern Washington Eagles (0-1) suffered their first loss of the season and in conference play after a comeback by the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 34-27, according to a statement by EWU Athletics. The Eagles scored first and built a sizable lead in the first half. After leading 7-3, the Eagles scored 17 unanswered points to go up 24-3 in the second quarter. Momentum then ...

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