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Flagstaff, AZ – A 38-yard field goal by Luis Aguilar with four seconds remaining wiped out a monumental comeback by Portland State, as Northern Arizona eked out a 31-29 Big Sky Conference win at JL Walkup Skydome.
 
The Vikings, trailing 28-9 in the third quarter, could have folded, but turned it on both offensively and defensively in the second half. The Vikings scored 20 straight points, getting touchdowns from Sirgeo Hoffman and Malik Walker on the ground, and a pair of field goals from Cody Williams. The second was a 21-yarder with 1:26 left on the clock and gave PSU a 29-28 lead.
 
On the other side of the field though, the Lumberjacks had the Big Sky's top passer and the nation's best passing offense with quarterback Case Cookus. PSU had limited the 'Jacks to just 36 yards and four punts on their previous four series. This time, however, Cookus was on the mark. He completed four straight passes, totaling 47 yards. Then a Joe Logan run of seven yards set up Aguilar for the 38-yard attempt. He split the uprights and effectively ended PSU's three-game winning streak.
 
"That's Case Cookus," said Viking Coach Bruce Barnum. "He is a helluva quarterback. Those situations, he thrives on. We were trying to manage the clock (in the late going) and not have to put the defense out there at all (in the end)."
 
The Vikings fell to 5-4 on the season with the win, 3-2 in the Big Sky Conference. NAU improved to 4-4, 2-2. NAU is 4-0 at home.
 
Northern Arizona got off to the best start possible in this game. The 'Jacks stopped PSU on each of its first two offensive series. They followed with scoring drives of 86 and 68 yards. NAU led 14-0 just 10 minutes into the contest.
 
The Vikings finally got on the board with a 48-yard field goal on the second play of the second quarter. A moment later cornerback Deon Crayon intercepted his second pass of the season and set up the Viking offense. PSU couldn't move the ball and settled for another boot from Williams, this time from 45 yards. That made it 14-6.
 
Williams hit another field goal, from 33 yards, with 5:57 left in the second quarter trimming the NAU margin to 14-9.
 
The Lumberjacks tacked on a 60-yard scoring drive late in the half to go into the locker room with a 21-9 lead.
 
For PSU, it was a half of almost. The Vikings drove four times into NAU territory, but got only three field goals. On a fourth series Davis Alexander was intercepted in the end zone after driving to the NAU 11 yard line.
 
"The first half we played behind the sticks. Second and third downs were long. We can't do that, especially on the road," Barnum said. "I was proud of how we came back though. The adjustments we made and how the kids handled it. They played well."
 
The teams traded touchdowns early in the third quarter. The Vikings got a 61-yard catch-and-run from Charlie Taumoepeau, his biggest play of the season. It set up a one-yard scoring plunge by Hoffman, who then added on a two-point conversion.
 
When Williams added his fourth field goal of the day with 4:52 left in the third quarter - this time from 40 yards - PSU was within 28-20.
 
The Vikings mounted another drive late in the third quarter but had to settle for another field goal attempt. This time Williams missed wide right from 42 yards. The Vikings went to the fourth quarter down by eight points.
 
Portland State finally put together the drive they needed to open the fourth quarter. A 64-yard punt by NAU's DJ Arnson pinned the Vikings back on their own 10. But Alexander led a 90-yard scoring march. A 39-yard completion to Taumoepeau was key to the series. Walker later scored from one yard out. But a failed two-point conversion attempt left PSU behind 28-26.
 
After another defensive stop, PSU took possession with 7:48 left in the game. The Vikings ran 14 plays and drove 76 yards. On fourth down, at the NAU 4, Williams hit the go-ahead field goal from 21 yards. It was 29-28 Vikings, but 1:26 still remained on clock.
 
The Vikings totaled 512 yards of offense. Alexander completed 22-39 passes for 307 yards and one interception. Hoffman led the ground game with 23 carries for 140 yards and one touchdown. Taumoepeau caught five passes for 127 yards.
 
Cookus led the NAU offense with 26-41 passing for 363 yards two touchdowns and one pick. NAU totaled 463 yards.
 
GAME NOTES: Cody Williams made five field goals in a game to tie a Portland State record set by Dan Frantz in 1999. Williams has made 13-19 field goals in 2019… Anthony Adams had 10 tackles and three pass breakups to lead the Vikings… Portland State returns home for the next two weeks. The Vikings host top-10 ranked Montana on Nov. 2, followed by Top-25 UC Davis on Nov. 9.