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Portland, OR - Not even the most inspired of Portland State efforts could make a nightmare season end on a dream Friday night.

The Vikings, who have been out of the playoff picture for awhile, threw everything it had at third-ranked Eastern Washington — and for awhile were in command against the high-potency Eagles. But two fourth-quarter touchdowns and a critical sack on Portland State's final drive let EWU escape with a 35-28 victory Friday night at Providence Park.

The Viking season thus ended on senior night with a 3-8 record and a 2-6 mark in the Big Sky Conference.

But it took everything Eastern, 10-1 and 8-0 co-conference champions, had in its playbook to make it happen.

Portland State stayed with Eastern for most of the game and wound up holding the Eagles under their season averages in both passing and total offense.

The Vikings outgunned EWU 471 yards to 442 because of senior quarterback Alex Kuresa, who had 345 yards in total offense.

Portland State had an early 14-0 lead and let the Eagles tie it up, then traded touchdowns with Eastern and entered the fourth quarter with a 28-21 lead. The dream was very much alive.

But the Eagles scored on their first drive of the fourth quarter to tie the game, then went 61 yards in eight plays to take the 35-28 lead. There was still 8:19 left in the game, and Portland State was moving the ball.

The Vikings took the ensuing drive from their own 19 down to the EWU 23 as Kuresa nibbled away with possession passes and timely scrambles.

On third down with seven yards to go, though, Eagle defensive lineman Samson Ebukam stunted in and sacked Kuresa for an eight-yard loss. Kuresa scrambled with PSU's last chance on fourth and 15, but came up two yards short with just two minutes left. Eastern got a first down, then kneeled out the win.

Portland State mounted an inspired defensive effort in the first half and went to the locker room with a surprising 14-7 lead.

PSU held the potent Eagles to 164 total yards and just 108 passing yards and stopped them on five of six EWU possessions in the first 30 minutes. The Viking defensive line kept the pressure on Gubrud, snagged one interception and kept All-America receiver Cooper Kupp in check.

The Vikings, in the meantime, rolled up 265 offensive yards, including 183 through the air. They scored on long drives on their first two possessions.

Kuresa mixed the fly offense runs about evenly between the pass and the run and scrambled just enough that EWU didn't couldn't read him.

PSU went 84 yards on 10 clock-killing pays, and scored with 9:27 left in first quarter when Kuresa rolled out of a scramble and hit Justin Calo on a curl in the end zone for the score.

The Vikings held Eastern to one first down on their first stop, then moved 82 yards in 12 plays to take a 14-0 lead. Kuresa pecked at the Eagle secondary with short possession passes, then transfer tight end Maximo Espitia ran the second of two straight wildcat blasts into the end zone with 2:14 left in the quarter.

Eastern got its only score of the half on the ensuing drive when Gubrud escaped on a scramble and heaved a deep ball into the end zone 46 yards away to Nic Sblendorio with 15 seconds left in the  quarter.

Portland State had the only scoring opportunity of the second quarter when a 52-yard pass from Kuresa to Charlie Taumoepeau put the Vikings in business on the Eastern 17. Two sacks moved the Vikings back to the 23, and Eastern's Albert Havili got a hand up to deflect Jonathan Gonzales' 40-yard field goal attempt.

The Eagles woke up for 28 second-half points, though, and it was enough to escape with the win.

Kuresa completed 22-33 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown. He also ran 13 times for 93 yards. 

Gubrud had 304 passing yards and three TDs for the Eagles. Shaq Hill caught seven passes for 124 yards and an 84-yard touchdown.

The Viking defense got a career-high 12 tackles from Artuz Manning. Xavier Coleman made his second interception of the season.