Through five games and three losses, the Northern Arizona football team has realized the games they've lost are not because their opponents have beaten them, but because they have beaten themselves.

Heading into today's game against the Montana State Bobcats -- which are a plus-8 in the turnovers column -- the Lumberjacks know that the mistakes they've made against teams like Portland State and Eastern Washington need to disappear in a big way.

"It's the second year in a row we feel like we beat ourselves and let teams off the hook, and they were tough losses for us," sophomore tailback Zach Bauman said. "We know we could have won, and it's tough to stomach."

The Jacks turned the ball over four times -- not including missing a fourth and short -- against Eastern Washington, but the team isn't hanging their heads as if their season is over. Today's game against the Bobcats is a big game and is pivotal to the Lumberjacks' future, and NAU is going to play to win the game.

"There's still a lot of potential in our season," junior quarterback Cary Grossart said. "We still have a chance and we still want to get wins. We've been right there with a few teams, and we're looking forward to the challenge in Bozeman. The guys know it'll be a challenge and we're going to come out with some intensity."

NAU head coach Jerome Souers said a big part of winning today -- outside of keeping the ball and not committing dumb penalties -- will be what the defense can do to stop Montana State's offense.

"We didn't make as many big defensive plays last week as we needed," Souers said. "(Eastern Washington) didn't make any mistakes and we didn't create any. We need our defense to make more plays, and we need our offense to be more consistent in the red zone."

Grossart added a big portion of practice leading into today's game was centered around the mental aspect of what the Jacks need to do.

"We have a mindset that we can't turn the ball over and we can't make stupid penalties," Grossart said. "We need to make the most of when we get in the red zone and get some points when we're down there. It's going to be crucial, and we're starting to learn we have to take advantage of those."

Offensively, the Lumberjacks, who average almost 450 yards per game, will continue to take advantage of the balance between running and passing the ball.

"We're going to keep doing the same thing, and our balance is what allows us to do so much with the run and pass," Grossart said. "It's great having Zach (Bauman) and handing the ball off to him will open up things in the pass game. We're going to attack them with that balance."

Bauman is No. 2 in the Big Sky Conference with 120 carries for 597 yards, and last week against the defending national champion Eagles, he surpassed the 2,000-yard career rushing mark. Bauman said he knows just how big today's game really is.

"For me, and for the team, too, we feel like it is a pivotal game," he said. "In order to make the playoffs we've gotta win the rest of these games, and it all starts with (today). That's what you play for."

NAU leads the conference in total offense, while Montana State's defense is at the top of the list.

"We have a great offense so it'll be a great game," Bauman said.

Souers noted a few similarities between the two teams.

"They're a great team and they're a lot like us: They run the ball very effectively and throw the ball very effectively, and they have a mobile quarterback who knows how to win games," Souers said.

Not seeing today's game as a make-or-break matchup, Souers said the team is taking things one week at a time.

"You have to look at each week as one game and one opportunity to go play," he said. "That's what's important, and our only focus is playing Montana State. "We know how good they are and how tough they are and that's what excites us," Souers added.

As excited as the team is, playing in Bozeman will have its challenges.

"They're a challenging defense," Souers said. "They give you a lot of looks and a lot of things about them can be confusing. Then you have 18,000 people jamming your signals and making it tough to communicate, so it'll be a challenge for us to overcome.

"They're going to have a lot of things going for them -- a lot of energy and enthusiasm -- that we're going to have to survive," Souers added.

Bauman said that nothing the Bobcats can do will be the most challenging thing of the day.

"The biggest challenge will be ourselves," Bauman said. "Overcoming ourselves will be a big part of winning (today)."

Grossart added that the team has built a lot of confidence during this week of practice.

"There are some things we're going to try to exploit and we're going to get after these guys. We're looking forward to it," he said.

The game kicks off at 12:05 p.m. and can be seen at Flagstaff's Porky's Pub during NAU's game party.

Bill Harris can be reached at bharris@azdailysun.com or 556-2251.