Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Northern Arizona
11/10/2026 2:41:00 PM | Football
Weber State and Northern Arizona meet in Flagstaff for the Red Rock Rivalry.
• After a week off, it's another nationally ranked showdown and a rivalry game as the Weber State football team heads to Northern Arizona Saturday afternoon.
• Weber State is 6-4 overall and 5-2 in Big Sky play with two games remaining in the regular season. The Wildcats beat No. 20 UC Davis 38-14 on October 31, and had last week off.
• Weber State is ranked 18th in the nation in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll.
• Northern Arizona sits at 8-2 overall and 6-1 in Big Sky play. The Lumberjacks are ranked fifth in the nation in this week's poll and have won five straight games.
• WSU is in the first season with Eric Kjar as the new head coach of the Wildcat football team.
• The Wildcats have 80 new players on this year's squad.
• Weber State's Noah Kjar is approaching a WSU single-season touchdown record.
• Saturday's game is the Red Rock Rivalry trophy game. This will be the 59th all-time meeting between the two schools and the all-time series is tied 29-29.
Media coverage
Saturday's game will kick off at 2:00 p.m. from the Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff.
The game will be televised on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with James Malamas and Kevin Stephens calling the action.
The Weber State radio broadcast will be on 103.1 FM with Carl Arky and former Wildcat quarterback Dave Stireman on the call.
Live stats will be available at WeberStateSports.com and the Weber State Wildcats app.
Wildcats ranked 18th in FCS poll
For the fourth straight week, Weber State is ranked in the FCS Top 25. The Wildcats are 18th in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and ranked 20th in the AFCA Coaches poll.
Weber State is playing its fourth straight game against a nationally ranked team. The Wildcats beat Idaho State and UC Davis, with a loss at then-No. 3 Montana State.
'Cats beat UC Davis on Halloween
In their last game, the Wildcats beat #20 UC Davis 38-14 on Halloween at Stewart Stadium. Weber State totaled 500 yards of offense in the win with 309 yards passing and 191 yards rushing. The 'Cats also recorded four sacks and had an interception.
WSU never trailed and jumped out to a 21-7 lead at halftime.
Red Rock Rivalry trophy game
In addition to the nationally ranked matchup, a trophy will also be on the line Saturday as the Wildcats and Lumberjacks will be playing for the Red Rock Rivalry Trophy.
The Red Rock Rivalry trophy was introduced in 2022 between Weber State and Northern Arizona as the two teams will play each other each season. Weber State won the first game when the trophy was introduced in 2022, NAU won the last two, then Weber State won last season.
David Dellenbach earns Big Sky Player of the Week honors
After his performance in the win over UC Davis on October 31, WSU kicker David Dellenbach was honored as the Big Sky Conference Co-Special Teams Player of the Week.
In that win, Dellenbach made all three of his field goal attempts and all three extra-point attempts in the victory, finishing with 12 points. He connected on field goals of 21, 31, and 42 yards.
On the season, Dellenbach is 11-for-15 on field goal attempts and has made his last five field goals. He is currently sixth in the Big Sky in field goals per game.
Dellenbach is a native of Park City, Utah. He transferred to WSU after playing at UCLA and Ohio.
Noah Kjar approaching TD record
Wildcat team captain Noah Kjar is having a record-setting season. He currently ranks second in the nation in receiving touchdowns with 11, which is just one off the Weber State single-season record. Former Wildcat standout Al Pupunu had 12 touchdown receptions in 1991.
Kjar is also eighth in the country in total receiving yards and ninth in yards per game. Through 10 games he has 62 receptions for 902 yards with the 11 touchdowns. He has had over 100 receiving yards in five games this season and has five or more catches in eight games.
Kjar has 81 receptions for 1,150 yards in 24 games over the last three seasons at Weber State.
Offense
The Wildcats are third in the Big Sky and 13th in the country in scoring offense, averaging 36.1 points per game. WSU has 30 or more points eight times and reached 40 or more four times. The 'Cats are also 15th in the country in total offense and 12th in yards per completion.
WSU freshman quarterback Nate Dahle is seventh in the Big Sky in total offense and eighth in passing offense. He has thrown for 2,140 yards and 21 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 467 yards and two touchdowns. Dahle threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns in the win over UC Davis.
Defense
Defensively, WSU leads the Big Sky and is seventh in the country in red zone defense. The 'Cats are allowing opponents to score at 68.2 percent inside the red zone. Weber State is also second in the conference in sacks with 23 and recorded four sacks in the win over UC Davis.
Individually, Teni Worthen leads the 'Cats in tackles and has 5.5 tackles for loss with two sacks. He also had an interception which he returned 60 yards against UC Davis. Da'Veon Ross is second in tackles.
Porter Small leads the 'Cats and is fourth in the Big Sky in tackles for loss with 10, including five sacks.
Special teams
The Wildcats rank third in the country in kickoff returns, averaging 30 yards per return. WSU is also third in the nation in blocked kicks this season with six, which is the most blocked kicks in a year by a Wildcat team since 2011.
Around the Big Sky
The Big Sky has six teams ranked in the top 25 this week, including two in the top five. Five teams have either one or two losses in Big Sky play, heading into the final two weeks of conference action.
Montana State and Northern Arizona are tied for first at 6-1 and both are ranked in the top five in the country.
Welcome to the Eric Kjar era
The Eric Kjar era is underway. Weber State named Kjar as the 13th head coach in its Division I history on December 16, 2025. He joined the Wildcat program after unprecedented success as a Utah high school coach.
Kjar (pronounced: Care) posted a 112-10 record with six state championships over the last nine seasons as the head coach at Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah. He guided the Chargers to three consecutive state titles in 2018, 2019, and 2020, followed by three more championships in 2023, 2024, and 2025, along with two state runner-up finishes. His teams were nationally ranked multiple times, including as high as No. 8 in the nation. Corner Canyon also set a Utah state record with 48 consecutive wins from 2018 to 2021 and advanced to the national championship game in 2025.
Kjar coached multiple state MVPs and All-Americans, along with numerous Division I college players and NFL Draft picks, including quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Zach Wilson.
Before Corner Canyon, Kjar spent eight seasons as the head coach at Jordan High School, where he posted a 69-29 record that included a state championship in 2012. He also served as an assistant coach for five years at Jordan before becoming head coach.
In 17 years as a high school head coach, Kjar compiled a career record of 181-39.
In addition to his head coaching responsibilities, Kjar is also the offensive coordinator for the Wildcats.
New coaching staff
Kjar has also added several new members to the Wildcat coaching staff. Tanner Jacobson was named the Associate Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator. Gavin Fowler is the new Defensive Coordinator.
Other new coaches are Isaac Asiata (offensive line), BJ Cavender (tight ends), former WSU player Kam Garrett (cornerbacks), former WSU player Isiah Jackson (wide receivers), Dustin Long, Ono Tafisi (defensive tackles), and Tana Vea (running backs).
Returning assistant coaches are Jace Campbell (outside linebackers), James Cowser (defensive ends), and Zach Larson (quarterbacks).
Season trends
WSU is 4-0 when leading its opponent in rushing yards and 2-4 when trailing. The Wildcats are also 4-1 when scoring first in a game and 2-3 when the opponent scores first. The 'Cats are 5-0 when holding their opponents under 30 points and just 1-4 when the opponent scores 30 or more points in a game.
Quick hits
The Wildcats have 80 new players on this year's squad, including 35 transfers, with 11 Division I transfers...This year's roster is comprised of 53 players from the state of Utah, followed by 23 from California, and 13 from Texas...Weber State is -9 in turnover margin this season. The Wildcats have not led in the turnover margin in any game this season.
About No. 5 Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona enters Saturday's game at 8-2 overall and 6-1 in Big Sky play and has a five-game winning streak. The Lumberjacks are ranked fifth in the nation in this week's national polls.
NAU's only loss in the Big Sky was at then-No. 1 Montana State on September 26. Since then, the Lumberjacks have won five straight, including ranked wins over Idaho State and Montana.
This season, NAU leads the country with 21 turnovers gained and is third in the nation in turnover margin at +12. The 'Jacks are also fifth in the nation in punt returns, punt return defense, and kickoff returns. Lindsey Graves is third in the nation in kickoff returns and has two kickoff return touchdowns.
The Lumberjacks are coached by Brian Wright, who is in his third season at NAU and has an overall record of 23-12.
Series history
This will be the 59th all-time meeting with the all-time series tied 29-29. The 29 wins are the second-most for Weber State against any team in its history. After NAU won two straight games, the Wildcats beat the Lumberjacks 48-28 in the season finale last November at Stewart Stadium.
In games in Flagstaff, NAU holds a 20-9 series lead. The Lumberjacks have won three of the last four at the Walkup Skydome, including a 27-6 win two seasons ago.
Looking ahead
The Wildcats will close out the regular season with a home game next Saturday, November 21 against new Big Sky member Utah Tech. Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. and Weber State will honor its fifth-year seniors prior to the game.
Game 1?1? It's a nationally ranked showdown for the Red Rock Rivalry trophy Saturday in Flagstaff. ??: #5 Northern Arizona ??: Flagstaff, AZ ??: Saturday, Nov. 14 - 2:00 p.m. https://t.co/DF2VbE2DRw
— Weber State Football (@weberstatefb) November 10, 2026
Coach @KjarEric on the bye week and looking ahead to Saturday's showdown at NAU! https://t.co/xPOYEz9xmw
— Weber State Football (@weberstatefb) November 9, 2026
