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Portland, OR - Portland State built a precarious lead and hung on for a half against visiting North Dakota at Providence Park Saturday, but collapsed in the second half and fell to the Hawks 48-21.
 
The Vikings went up 14-0 on their first two drives, but lost the battle at the line of scrimmage after that.
 
North Dakota came back from a one-point deficit at the half with three third-quarter touchdowns to take control of the game. The Hawks scored each of three ways in the last 5:55 of the period: Offense, defense and special teams.
 
They finished the game off with a 50-yard run off a Viking fumble to account for the final score.
 
The winless Vikings dropped to 0-8. The Hawks rose to 3-6, 2-4 in the Big Sky Conference standings.
 
The Vikings made two early scoring drives, two defensive stands and two interceptions hold up for a 14-13 lead in the first half.
 
PSU scored on both of its first two possessions, striking quickly both times.
 
The Vikings got their first opportunity on the first play of the game when UND quarterback Keaton Studsrud and center Patric Rooney missed the connection on the under-center snap and PSU defensive end Larry Ross covered it at the Fighting Hawks 26.
 
It took the Vikings just four plays and a five-yard penalty to go the distance.
 
Quarterback Jalani Eason isolated junior running back Carlos Martin in the left corner of the end zone and lobbed a perfect 13-yard pass to him for the score just 1:49 into the game.
 
The  Hawks responded with a long, efficient drive that took them from their own 15 to the PSU 5. Studsrud picked at the Vikings' defense with little chip passes to the sideline the whole time.
 
He tried one too many, though. Facing a second-and-goal situation, Studsrud lobbed a pass into the middle of the end zone for Travis Toivonen, who went up and got a hand on it for the tip. But PSU defensive back Maxwell Howell was underneath him to catch the ball and end the drive.
 
The Vikings then went lightning with an 80-yard drive that took only five plays.
Eason owned the drive. On the first play the true freshman from Los Angeles avoided a rush and threw a perfect pass deep on the right sideline that just cleared two Hawks defenders and settled into the hands of wide receiver Josh Kraght at the UND 20.
 
Andre Petties-Wilson got nine on a run down to the 11, then Eason scrambled on a keeper to the one-yard line. Big Jason Talley went in on the next play and the Vikings had a two-touchdown lead.
 
PSU spent the rest of the half fending off the Hawks, and just barely made it to the locker room with the lead.
 
Studsrud passed six times on the ensuing 60-yard drive, but the Vikings held firm at their own five and the Hawks settled for a 22-yard field goal by Reid Taubenheim with 13:42 left in the half.
 
The Hawks got the ball back on their own 42 when the Vikings missed on a fourth-down rushing attempt by Martin, then drove into threatening territory again. A sack of Studsrud by PSU defensive tackle Anthony Del Toro gave the Viking defense another stand at the PSU 8, and UND had to settle for a 25-yard Taubenheim field goal.
 
Hawk defensive back Torrey Hunt intercepted a long Eason pass at the PSU 45 on the next drive to set up a drive that got UND its first touchdown. Studsrud found De'mun Mercer wide open over the middle for 43 yards to get the ball to the two yard line, and big fullback James Johanneson moosed it over from there to get the Hawks to within one at the break.
 
Portland State forced a punt on UND's first drive of the second half, but went to pieces after that. The Hawks drove 38 yards after a short punt to take the lead on John Santiago's 13-yard run with 5:55 to go in the period.
 
The Vikings went three and out on their next drive, then compounded the problem on the punt. Santiago took the ball at his own 36 and wriggled out of seven tackles on his way to a 64-yard touchdown.
 
PSU got the ball on their own eight after UND's last punt, but then Eason dropped back to pass and had his pass batted in the air by defensive back Jaxson Turner.
 
Defensive lineman Austin Cieslak picked it out of the air and went five yards with the interception, and the Vikings were finished.
 
Redshirt freshman quarterback Davis Alexander got his chance for the Vikings, and drove them 58 yards for their last touchdown. He ran it in himself from the eight-yard line with 8:23 left.
 
Alexander was hit from behind on the last offensive play of the game, and UND's Carter Wilson cruised 50 yards for the touchdown to account for the final score.
 
North Dakota had 380 yards of total offense to 290 for the Vikings. PSU turned it over four times while the Fighting Hawks' had three turnovers.
 
GAME NOTES: Trent Riley led the Vikings with six receptions for 86 yards. Malik Cyphers had a team-high 11 tackles… Braxton Winterton also had an interception for the Vikings… Portland State will play at Cal Poly next Saturday in a 6:05 p.m. game. It will air on Rip City Radio 620 AM.