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Greeley, CO – A career day by Sirgeo Hoffman led Portland State to its third straight victory as the Vikings downed Northern Colorado on the Bears' Homecoming day, 38-30, at Nottingham Field.
 
Hoffman rushed for 221 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries to lead a ground game of 344 overall. PSU had 514 yards of total offense.  Hoffman's rushing total was the most by a Viking running back in four seasons.
 
PSU led by 17 points twice in the first half, but Northern Colorado came back to close within three. However, the Viking running attack was able to put the game away.
 
"Run to win is what we say," said Viking Coach Bruce Barnum. "We had to get our composure back. We had a streak through the middle of the game where nothing was going right. Everybody was getting emotional and we had to settle back down. The guys cleaned it up and we were able to run the ball to get out of here. Our offensive line and tight ends were magnificent in getting that done."
 
And although PSU's defense gave up 497 yards, a pair of key interceptions were vital to the win.
 
Portland State accomplished a lot with the victory. The Vikings won their third straight and their first on the road this season. At 5-3 overall, 3-1 in the Big Sky Conference, PSU will be no worse than a tie for third by the end of the day, pending the outcome of other games.
 
Northern Colorado gambled early, faking a punt on their own side of the field on the first possession. The Vikings sniffed it out and stopped the play. PSU took over at the UNC 42. The Vikings ran the ball seven straight times and got into the end zone on a five-yard run by Malik Walker.
 
Cody Williams added to the Vikings' lead at the 4:04 mark of the first quarter. He booted a 56-yard field goal establishing a new school record at Portland State. The previous record was 55 yards, set by Pat Moore in 1975. That made it 10-0 Vikings.
 
Portland State's defense got a third straight stop and that led to another Viking scoring drive. PSU went 69 yards, finishing with a 14-yard Hoffman touchdown run. That had PSU with a 17-0 lead.
 
But the last seven minutes of the half had multiple momentum shifts with two turnovers and three touchdowns scored. Northern Colorado scored twice before halftime, both times cutting a 17-point lead to 10. In between, the Vikings produced their longest play of the season. Davis Alexander hit Emmanuel Daigbe on a 76-yard touchdown pass.
 
By halftime there was nearly 600 yards of total offense between the teams. PSU went to halftime with a 24-14 lead.
 
An early third quarter touchdown by Northern Colorado closed the gap to 24-21. The Bears got the ball back and drove for a tying 48-yard field goal attempt. But Collin Root's kick went wide right.
 
From there, PSU turned on the lawn mower, going 69 yards on seven straight running plays. On a third-down and three from the UNC 31, Hoffman broke free over the left side and rambled in from 31 yards out. The 31-21 advantage with 5:22 to go in the third once again gave the Vikings some breathing room.
 
Root converted a 42-yard field goal on the final play of the third quarter, giving the Vikings just a touchdown advantage with 15 minutes to play.
 
Portland State had the answer to open the fourth quarter. PSU drove 75 yards on seven plays. Alexander scored on a four-yard run and the Vikings felt comfortable again, leading 38-24.
 
Still, the Bears would not go quietly. They went 88 yards on their next drive, and took advantage of a fourth-down penalty by the Vikings. Milo Hall scored on a two-yard run. PSU's Kenton Bartlett blocked the extra point and PSU was up 38-30.
 
PSU then drove into Northern Colorado but missed a field goal with 4:11 to play.
 
The Bears tried to mount a final drive, but safety Anthony Adams intercepted a deep pass at the PSU 25 to essentially end Northern Colorado's hopes.
 
Hoffman's big day didn't come without challenges. On a drive late in the second quarter, he fumbled near the goal line. But he bounced back with a huge second half.
 
"To see him come back after the fumble near the goal line, I think was the coolest part of the day. He faced adversity and came back from it," said Barnum.
 
Alexander passed for 170 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 60 yards and a score for the Vikings.
 
Dylan Hanley led the defense with eight tackles. Freshman Greg Oliver, getting his first start of the season, made his second interception of the season. It was a key play in the second quarter, stopping a UNC drive at the Viking 10. Adams pick was his Big Sky-leading fourth on the season.
 
Knipp passed for 300 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 127 yards to lead the Bears.
 
GAME NOTES: "It doesn't get any easier as we go through this late season schedule. But we go into it with some momentum," Barnum said after the game… PSU is 4-1 all-time in Greeley… Emmanuel Daigbe caught four passes for a career-high 114 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 31 yards on three plays... the Vikings have beaten the Bears two seasons in a row… PSU is two games over .500 for the first time since 2015… Portland State is on the road again next week, playing at Northern Arizona.