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Audio - Wade blocks Montana State field goal

Audio - McCaffrey touchdown run

Audio - Kavanaugh to Noa touchdown pass

PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland State gave third-ranked Montana State everything it could handle and more on Saturday at JELD-WEN Field, but in the end the Vikings came up just inches short from forcing overtime in a 38-36 loss.

Portland State trailed 38-22 with 6:52 left, yet scored a pair of late touchdowns to get back in the ballgame. After Connor Kavanaugh found Kalua Noa on a 15-yard slant pass to the left for a touchdown at the 2:52 mark, PSU trailed by just two. But Kavanaugh was stopped inches short of the goal line on a running play that would have tied the game up.

"It was a speed option and they did a good job of stringing it out. They took away my pitch man so I just dipped my shoulder and tried to get as much as I could," said Kavanaugh. "They made a nice play of coming up, taking my legs out and stopping me a yard short."

Montana State (4-1) ran out the clock to hold on for the victory and sole possession of first place in the Big Sky Conference at 3-0.

PSU dropped to 3-2, 2-1 Big Sky.

Midway through the fourth quarter it appeared that Montana State had the game wrapped up. The Bobcats led 21-19 just after the intermission, but quarterback DeNarius McGhee led Montana State on a pair of scoring drives in the third quarter. With 6:52 left in the game, Jason Cunningham booted a 26-yard field goal, giving MSU a 38-22 advantage.

The Vikings responded with a nine-play, 63-yard drive that was capped by a one-yard Cory McCaffrey touchdown run. Kavanaugh then threaded the needle to wide receiver Nevin Lewis for the two-point conversion in the back of the end zone and Portland State trailed 38-30 with 3:46 left.

On the ensuing kickoff, PSU lined up in an onside kick formation, but with no Bobcat player deep to receive the ball, Vikings kicker Zach Brown pooched the ball inside the MSU 20, where Justin Lilley came out with the rock after the officials took over a minute to unscramble the players.

Moments later, Kavanaugh hit Noa on 3rd-and-8 for a touchdown.

Portland State's defense set the tone early, forcing the Bobcats to go three-and-out on the game's first possession. Vikings linebacker Ian Sluss snuffed out a screen pass on the first play for a loss of five yards and on 3rd-and-11, PSU flushed McGhee out of the pocket and made him hurry a pass that fell incomplete.

Montana State's second trip down the field resulted in a blocked punt by Lewis, which was recovered by teammate Taylor Martinek at the Bobcat 28-yard line.

The Vikings wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, punching it in 59 seconds later.

On 1st-and-10, Kavanaugh dropped back to pass but ended up scrambling for 16 yards. Two plays later, Kavanaugh ran an option play to the left, eventually pitching it to McCaffrey, who dove from three yards out and hit the pylon for a touchdown.

The Bobcats marched down to the PSU 38 on their next drive, but the Vikings sacked McGhee on 3rd-and-12, forcing a punt. Again Portland State's special teams came up big after Dionte Brooks dove over a MSU blocker and got a hand on the kick.

PSU got the ball back on the Montana State 43-yard line and worked the ball down to the two. The drive stalled, though, and the Vikings settled for a 21-yard field goal by Brown.

Montana State answered back with two straight touchdowns for a 14-10 lead.

The Bobcats' first score was set up by a 52-yard pass from McGhee to Elvis Akpla. On the go-ahead touchdown, McGhee hit Tray Robinson all alone down the left hash for a 24-yard score.

A Brown 28-yard field goal brought the Viks within one, 14-13, before Montana State scored three plays later on a 69-yard pass from McGhee to John Ellis.

The score remained 21-13, in favor of Montana State, at the break.

McCaffrey broke off an electrifying 49-yard run for a touchdown just minutes into the third quarter. The senior running back appeared to be trapped along the right sideline, but found an opening at the 20 and broke back toward midfield for the score. PSU's two-point conversion attempt came up short, leaving them down 21-19.

Portland State finished the game with 340 yards of total offense, including 213 on the ground. McCaffrey led the way with 119 yards and three scores on 21 touches. He was also the Vikings leading receiver with seven catches for 41 yards.

Kavanaugh completed 15-of-26 passes for 127 yards, and also ran for 75 yards on 15 carries.

McGhee led the Bobcats to 428 yards, 255 of which came via his arm. The sophomore went 15-of-22 with four touchdown passes.

Portland State faces another tough test next Saturday, traveling to Missoula to face Montana. Kickoff is set for 12:05 p.m. PT. The game will air in the Portland area on Comcast SportsNet.

NOTES: McCaffrey has now topped the 100-yard barrier in 10-of-11 Big Sky games over the past two seasons. The only time he failed to reach that mark was at Northern Arizona last year when he left in the first quarter with an injury ... Brown kicked three field goals, including a 47-yarder. He has now made a school record 13 in a row. His career total of 43 is also a PSU record ... Ryan Rau led the Portland State defense with 11 tackles, including nine solo stops and two tackles for loss ... Noa's TD reception was the first of his career ... the Vikings didn't commit a turnover for the first time this season. Montana State didn't have a turnover either... penalties plagued the Vikings for the second consecutive week. They had 15 for 151 yards after committing 21 for 209 yards last Saturday at Idaho State.