MISSOULA — Northern Arizona is in its third year under head coach Brian Wright, and the Lumberjacks are seeking a third straight winning season, and a second playoff berth, under his guidance.
At the center of that pursuit is quarterback Ty Pennington, who followed Wright from Division II Pittsburg State to Flagstaff, Ariz. Lightly recruited out of high school in Oklahoma, Pennington quickly forged a connection with Wright that has defined both of their careers.
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"Coach Wright was really the first coach that I had established a good relationship with," Pennington told Scripps Sports at the Big Sky Kickoff media event in Spokane, Wash. "And that just continued to evolve over time."
When the Northern Arizona job popped up for Wright, Pennington's decision to follow was an easy one.
"I knew that I was best developed under him, so that's ultimately why I came to NAU with him," Pennington said.
Pennington has flourished since arriving at NAU. Heading into Saturday's game versus Montana, he sits sixth all-time in passing yards, total offense and touchdown passes in the Lumberjacks' record book. He's passed for 6,703 yards and 41 touchdowns. His career 65.1% completion percentage is second all-time in program history.
Through six games this season, Pennington has completed 63.5% of his passes for 1,299 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. He was sharp — 21-of-27 passing for 252 yards and two touchdowns — in last week's crucial 38-31 win at Idaho State, the second of three consecutive Big Sky games versus ranked opponents for the Jacks.
NAU lost to then-No. 1 Montana State 28-14 on Sept. 26, handed then-No. 12 Idaho State its first loss last week and hosts No. 2 Montana on Saturday.
"Once I took over the reins, me and coach just really getting together what we like, what we don't like, and getting on the same page," Pennington said. "And I think that's the No. 1 thing you need between the coordinator and the quarterback, is that shared mindset to see the offense moving forward,"
Pennington was the Big Sky's newcomer of the year in 2024 and earned honorable mention All-Big Sky last year. He was also on nearly every watch list this preseason.
The school is even shooting a docuseries to capture Pennington's senior season.
"It's so crucial to have not only somebody that's familiar with your program, but of the caliber of human being and player that Ty Pennington is," said Wright, who is 19-12 in his two-plus seasons at NAU. "And to have that at the quarterback position, as well, is something that we're certainly blessed to have in our program."
No. 13 Northern Arizona (4-2 overall, 2-1 Big Sky) and No. 2 Montana (5-1, 3-0) kickoff at 3 p.m. MDT Saturday. The game will be broadcast by Scripps Sports and air on The Spot.
