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Portland, OR - It was all treats and no tricks for Portland State fans as quarterback Alex Kuresa and running back David Jones ground down a Montana defense on the soaking wet Providence Park turf on Halloween. The Vikings rushed for 339 yards as Portland State beat the Grizzlies 35-16.
Jones rushed for 165 yards and one touchdown, while Kuresa rushed for 119 yards and two scores. PSU took the lead early and never trailed, leading by at least two scores from the second quarter on.
A decade of frustration came to an end on this soggy day. PSU hadn't beaten Montana since 2004, losing eight straight in the series. However, the win put the 12th-ranked Vikings at 7-1 on the season, 4-1 and in the hunt for a title in the Big Sky Conference. PSU trails Southern Utah and Eastern Washington (both 5-0), but also plays them both over the last two weeks of the season.
PSU is also 7-1 for the first time in its history. The Vikings were 7-1-1 in 1987 as a Division II program, but otherwise have never been better than 6-2 after eight games.
"That was a big win for us against a good football team," said first-year Head Coach Bruce Barnum. "I am excited for this group.
"Jokingly, I looked up in the second quarter and I asked (God) to turn it up (the rain) a little harder. David Jones, our running backs, up front - this game was going to be won up front. You hear that all the time, but that was the strength of the Montana football team. They couldn't catch David."
In the Vikings opening offensive series Kuresa hit Thomas Carter III for a 41-yard touchdown pass on a third-and-19 play. But it was the early defense that stood out for PSU. Safety Patrick Onwuasor intercepted passes on three straight Montana possessions in the quarter, setting the tone for a defense that held the Griz well below their offensive average.
"We didn't do a lot with (the turnovers) as far as points," said Barnum. "But the turnovers helped the emotion part of it swing our way."
Portland State pushed its lead to 14-0 in the second quarter on a flea flicker from Kuresa to Darnell Adams. That play covered 46 yards. Kuresa later added a 35-yard touchdown run as the Vikings held a 21-10 halftime lead.
It was Kuresa again to open the second half, racing 49 yards for a score to wrap up a 76-yard drive. Jonathan Gonzales' extra point had the Vikings ahead 28-10 with 12:30 left in the third quarter. The Griz never got closer.
Jones closed out the scoring for PSU on another breakaway in the fourth quarter. His 37-yard touchdown run was the deathblow for the Griz. PSU led 35-10 with 8:08 remaining to play.
For the day, the Vikings totaled 460 yards of offense. Kuresa passed for two touchdowns and ran for two for the second straight week. Jones had his fourth 100-yard rushing effort of the season and now has 803 yards on the season.
Onwuasor made eight tackles to go with his three picks. Linebacker Kawika Stant made a team-high nine tackles with a sack. The Vikings made five sacks in all, including 2.5 by Michael Doman. Doman, a defensive end, had five tackles and broke up two passes.
Montana was held to 294 yards, well below its season average of 441 yards. Makena Simis was only 15-36 passing for 132 yards with the three interceptions. He rushed 22 times for 62 yards.
The 17th-ranked Griz dropped to 4-4 on the season, 3-2 in the Big Sky Conference.
GAME NOTES: Onwuasor's three interceptions ties a PSU record for most in a game, set by three others. Onwuasor has a Big Sky-best seven interceptions on the season… PSU is 3-1 at home this year…. the Vikings have won four straight games… the crowd, likely held down by the heavy rain, was 11,075. That is the largest for PSU since a crowd of 12,071 in 2008 against Montana… Portland State is on the road next Saturday. The Vikings play at Northern Colorado in an 11 a.m. PT game.
