Box Score
Boxscore

Missoula, MT - What started as a great day for Viking football ended in disappointment like so many times before at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. After trailing by two touchdowns in the first half, Montana roared back with a solid second half to beat Portland State, 30-24.

PSU has lost every time it has played a Big Sky Conference game at Montana - a total of eight in all since 1996. This loss stung as everything was going the Vikings way in the first half. Then, star running back Cory McCaffrey went down with a left leg injury in the fourth quarter that will have him on the shelf indefinitely.

Portland State dropped to 3-3 on the season, 2-2 in Big Sky Conference play. 14th-ranked Montana improved to 5-2 overall, 4-1 in league.

Kicker Zach Brown hit a pair of first-period field goals to put the Vikings on top 6-0. His 53-yarder tied his own mark for second-longest in PSU history.

At the start of the second period, Nevin Lewis made a big play with his third punt block of the year. PSU took over at Montana's 11-yard line. Two plays later, Connor Kavanaugh ran it in from eight yards out and PSU led 13-0.

The Griz finally got on the board with a seven-play, 70-yard drive to close within 13-7 midway through the second.

On the Vikings' next possession, another big special teams play led to a touchdown. Faced with a fourth-and-one at their own 49, PSU ran a fake punt with Thomas Duyndam carrying for six yards. A personal foul penalty tacked on 15 more yards and the Vikings kept moving. Five plays later, McCaffrey scored on a three-yard run. A two-point conversion by Brown put the Vikings up 21-7.

Brody McKnight hit a 27-yard field goal just before halftime, but the Vikings went into the locker room with a 21-10 lead.

The Vikings held the ball for almost 21 minutes in the half, running 43 plays to just 24 for the Griz.

Montana closed the score to 21-16 on a five-yard reverse for touchdown by Jordan Canada midway through the third period. A failed two-point conversion kept the Viking lead at five. PSU answered with another eight-play scoring drive. It was a 31-yard field goal by Brown and PSU was back to a 24-16 advantage.

A 75-yard run - the biggest gainer of the day - set up Montana in a first and goal on their next possession. Dan Moore eventually scored on a one-yard run. A two-point conversion pass by Montana sent the game to the fourth quarter tied at 24-24.

Montana finally got the big break it needed when a Kavanaugh pass was tipped, then picked off by Houston Roots. The Griz eventually turned it into another McKnight field goal and Montana had it s first lead at 27-24 with 10:06 to play.

McKnight made a 42 yarded with 1:49 to play, giving Montana a 30-24 lead. The Griz defense made it hold up with another interception and Montana came away with the win.

The Vikings were held to 109 yards in the second half while the Griz racked up 254 yards after intermission.

"They made a few adjustments, but what it really came down to was us not executing (in the second half), "said Kavanaugh.

McCaffrey rushed 25 times for 103 yards. Kavanaugh had 97 yards on 23 carries. Each had a touchdown.

Linebacker Ryan Rau had a career-high 18 tackles in the game, including two sacks. His 18 stops ties for fifth most in a game in school history.

Aided by his 75-yard run, Jordan Canada was the leading gainer for UM with 159 yards on 14 carries.

PSU struggled with penalties again, commiting 13 for 88 yards.

"In the end, we felt like we made too mistakes to beat a good football team on the road," said Viking Coach Nigel Burton.

GAME NOTES: The Vikings last won in Missoula in 1987, a stretch of nine straight losses… Montana has beaten the Vikings the last seven years in a row… Brown made three field goals in the game, stretching his streak of consecutive FGs made to 16. He finally missed a 53-yarder in the fourth period, hooking it left… Portland State returns home for a non-conference game next Saturday at JELD-WEN Field. The Vikings face Willamette in a non-conference game at 5:05 p.m.