Tempe, Arizona - Sun Devil Football opens the 2016 season at home this weekend, taking on in-state foe Northern Arizona on Saturday, Sept. 3 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. The game, scheduled for an 8 p.m. PT kickoff, will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Networks with Guy Haberman, Evan Moore and Drea Avant providing the talent.
It is the first time the Sun Devils have faced NAU since head coach Todd Graham's opening season in 2012. The game will give fans their first chance to witness the continued reinvention of Sun Devil Stadium, which will have completed the second of three phases by opening night.
The Lumberjacks were picked to finish first in the Big Sky Conference this year in the 19th season under head coach Jerome Souers. The Lumberjacks are led by the passing combination of sophomore quarterback Case Cookus and junior wide receiver Emmanuel Butler, both of whom have earned preseason All-America acclaim. Cookus ranked second in the FCS in passing efficiency, seventh in passing yards per game, eighth in total offense and broke the FCS freshman record by throwing 37 touchdown passes. Butler broke an NAU record last season with 1,208 receiving yards and tied the school record with 15 touchdown receptions.
ASU is 21-14-4 all-time against the Lumberjacks and winners of nine straight dating back to 1947. ASU is 5-0 since 2003 with an average margin of victory of nearly four touchdowns.
ASU is 37-14-4 all-time against the Big Sky Conference and has not lost a game since its last loss to NAU back in 1938.