Lewis, Nau Have Their Way With Eastern Top Nfl Prospect Shreds Ewu With 343 Yards And A Td Pass

Jeff Lewis of Northern Arizona will be the best quarterback available in next year’s National Football League draft.

That’s what Mel Kiper, the widely quoted NFL talent scout, told a national radio audience on Saturday. Lewis did little to diminish his standing with the experts over the next few hours, completing 30 of 41 passes for 343 yards and a touchdown as NAU beat Eastern Washington 30-16 on a muddy Woodward Stadium field.

The win moved NAU (3-1 Big Sky, 6-2 overall) into a first-place conference tie. EWU (0-4, 2-5) lost its fifth straight.

How good is Lewis?

“Lewis? He’s good in that he’s a good passer,” said EWU defensive lineman Chris Scott, scrambling to connect the name with the arm. “That’s the guy we played today, right? I’d have to say he’s a pretty good passer.”

And he would be right.

Lewis often took his time under center, reading the defense and making the appropriate adjustments.

One such adjustment helped NAU break open a close game. With the Lumberjacks leading 8-3 thanks to Archie Amerson’s 26-yard scoring run, Lewis faced fourth-and-2 from the EWU 28-yard line. Recognizing single coverage on receiver Rod Marshall, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Lewis changed the play at the line of scrimmage, momentarily abandoning the short-passing attack and finding Marshall for a touchdown.

That play - the first of the second quarter - stretched NAU’s lead to 14-3 and put the burden on EWU’s injury-riddled offense.

“It was one of those games where I need to come up to the line and recognize the blitz,” said Lewis. “They’re in man coverage when they blitz, so get the ball out quick and let the receiver do something with it.”

EWU trailed 23-9 at halftime after squandering several scoring chances.

After Amerson scored on the game’s opening drive, EWU quarterback Brian Sherick immediately went to the air, finding Rex Prescott and Tobin Phelps for gains of 23 and 35 yards, respectively. Despite enjoying first-and-goal from the 5-yard line, EWU failed to score on the drive as kicker Tom Zurfluh topped a 20-yarder low and to the left.

The EWU defense lessened the Eagles’ angst by limiting NAU to three plays on its ensuing possession. But EWU again stalled in NAU territory, this time at the 23”I decided to kick the field goal because I was afraid of getting a punt blocked,” Kramer deadpanned.

Zurfluh came through this time, nailing a 40-yarder and getting EWU within 8-3 late in the first quarter.

The Eagles would have three more possessions before halftime, but mustered just six points - those coming on a 4-yard David Lewis run. The PAT was blocked.

The short TD run made it 17-9, but not for long. Two plays later, Amerson broke free for a 45-yard TD and 23-9 cushion. The PAT was blocked, capping a first half that also included two missed field goals, one blocked field goal and a missed PAT.

Zurfluh missed two field goals.

Still, there would be more chances in the second half. And while the Eagles showed improvement, passing for 325 yards overall, they converted on just 4 of 13 third-down chances and struggled when it mattered most.

The Eagles went three-and-out on their first three second-half possessions, failing to reward an EWU defense that held the Lumberjacks scoreless in the quarter.

EWU managed to get it right on its fourth drive of the quarter. Sherick got it started, but came out with a bum knee. Harry Leons stepped in, quickly dumping a screen pass to Joe Sewell for 19 yards. Sewell capped the drive with a 7-yard run that trimmed NAU’s lead to 23-16 with 55 seconds left in the third quarter.

NAU marched 85 yards on its next drive, however, Claude Torrey making it 30-16 with a 2-yard run.

N. Arizona 8 15 0 7 - 30

E. Washington 3 6 7 0 - 16

NAUAmerson 26 run (Calderwood rush) EWUFG Zurfluh 40 NAUMarshall 28 pass from Lewis (kick failed) NAUFG O’Leary 20 EWULewis 4 run (kick failed) NAUAmerson 45 run (kick failed) EWUSewell 7 run (Zurfluh kick) NAUTorrey 2 run (O’Leary kick)

A-3,863.

NAU EWU First downs 28 20 Rushes-yards 41-261 26-82 Passing 343 325 Return Yards 110 96 Comp-Att-Int 30-41-0 22-40-1 Punts 3-37 4-41 Fumbles-Lost 2-2 3-1 Penalties-Yards 6-65 7-56 Time of Possession 36:04 23:56

RUSHINGN. Arizona, Amerson 25-168, Torrey 12-61, J.Lewis 4-32. E. Washington, Sewell 11-40, Prescott 2-21, D.Lewis 7-19, Sherick 5-7, Leons 1-(minus 5).

PASSINGN. Arizona, J.Lewis, 30-40-343-0, O’Leary 0-1-0-0. E. Washington, Sherick 11-24-159-0, Leons 11-16-166-1.

RECEIVINGN. Arizona, Marshall 9-113, Pearsall 7-79, Calderwood 6-57, Amerson 5-62, Torrey 2-18, Hess 1-14. E. Washington, Hardt 8-83, Phelps 4-110, Miller 4-65, Sewell 3-22, Hunsaker 2-22, Prescott 1-23.

, DataTimes