Box Score
Box Score

Grand Forks, ND - Making his first career start, North Dakota quarterback Marcus Hendrickson threw six touchdowns passes on the way to a 45-37 win over Portland State at the Alerus Center.

PSU dropped to 1-1 on the season, while North Dakota improved to 2-0. Despite both being Big Sky Conference members, this game was played as a non-conference contest.

A game loaded with enough big plays for a Big Sky season, too many of them went the way of North Dakota. Wide receiver Greg Hardin caught touchdown passes of 66, 26, and 49 yards from Hendrickson in the first 24 minutes of the game. The lead changed hands six times during that span.

An opening trick play by the Vikings got them a 6-0 lead. Justin Monahan caught a 65-yard pass from Kieran McDonagh on a flea flicker. North Dakota answered with a 66-yard score on the next play from scrimmage. Hardin turned a bubble screen into a long run and UND was up 7-6.

PSU's Nick Fernandez added a 44-yard field goal late in the period for a 9-6 Viking advantage.

Hardin and Monahan traded touchdowns again. First, Hardin caught a 26-yard score with 2:35 left in the first period. Monahan followed with a 47-yard TD reception at the 14:15 mark of the second quarter. That put the Vikings back up 16-14.

DJ Adams added a 38-yard scoring run for the Vikings later in the quarter. It was sandwiched by two Hendrickson touchdown passes.

Special teams struggled early for the Vikings. PSU failed on its first extra point attempt, the Vikings also had a field goal blocked in the first period, then a blocked punt in the final minute of the second quarter. The latter was costly as North Dakota covered the ball on the seven-yard line and scored with 26 seconds left in the half to go up 34-24.

The offensive fireworks stopped, at least temporarily, in the third period. UND kicker Zeb Miller nailed a 50-yard field goal at the 3:21 mark. That made it 38-24 UND.

McDonagh was then picked off on the next Viking series. Hendrickson followed with another touchdown pass, finding Jameer Jackson on a 34-yard score.

Fernandez closed the deficit to 45-27 with a 32-yard field goal two plays into the fourth quarter. The Vikings added another touchdown at the 8:02 mark, closing it to 45-34. McDonagh hit Alex Toureen on a 25-yard strike in the right corner of the end zone.

A Fernandez field goal with 2:28 to play made it 45-37, but North Dakota was able to run out the clock.

The loss nullified some big offensive games by the Vikings. Adams rushed 16 times for 144 yards and a touchdown. Monahan had six receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns. He had 226 all-purpose yards.

McDonagh completed 21 of 42 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns. He had two interceptions.

"We did a lot of nice things offensively, we moved the ball well. We were able to run it when we wanted to run it, we made some big plays in the passing game," said Viking Coach Nigel Burton.

Khalil Bass led the Vikings with eight tackles. Ian Sluss had seven tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.

Hendrickson completed 16-25 passes for 294 yards and six scores for UND. He also rushed for 50 yards. Hardin caught six passes for 190 yards.

"We saw enough film to know when (Hendrickson) got in trouble he was going to tuck and run. He did a good job distributing and throwing the football. But we didn't exactly make it tough on him…" said Burton.

The Vikings outgained North Dakota, 515 to 401, in the game.

GAME NOTES: Although both schools are in the Big Sky Conference, this was not a counting conference game. They each play eight other Big Sky opponents in league games beginning on Sept. 22… it was Portland State's first meeting with North Dakota since 1981, also in Grand Forks and also a Potato Bowl game… Adams had his first 100-yard rushing game as a Viking, while Monahan had the third 100-yard receiving game os his career… North Dakota has won six straight games dating to last season… the Vikings play next Saturday against the University of Washington at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on FX. It also airs on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com with the pre-game show starting at noon.