Big return gets N. Arizona past Cal Poly 17-13

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Marcus Alford returned a Cal Poly kickoff 96 yards in the fourth quarter to lift Northern Arizona to a 17-13 win over Cal Poly Saturday night. The Mustangs took the lead on a 22-yard field goal by Bobby Zalud to start the fourth quarter, 13-10. The Lumberjacks (6-2, 4-1 Big Sky) took a 10-7 lead in the second quarter on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Chase Cartwright to Patrick Baldenegro with 47 seconds left, only to watch Cal Poly drive from its own 37 to the NAU 22, where Zalud kicked a 39-yard field goal on the final play of the half. Cartwright was 16 of 31 for 177 yards to lead NAU and Zach Bauman carried 24 times for 81 yards. Chris Nichols raced 33 yards on a reverse to put Cal Poly (3-5, 2-2 Big Sky) on the board in the first half.