With the absence of fall sports in 2020, GoViks.com is going to look back at some great moments in the history of Viking fall sports (volleyball, soccer, football, cross country, golf) on specific dates. This is not an exhaustive list, and not every date is covered, however as the fall progresses, the rich history of Viking Athletics will be remembered.

Portland, OR (Oct. 15, 2005): Junior Eric Azorr made a 40-yard field goal as time expired to lift Portland State to a 44-41 upset of ninth-ranked Montana State at PGE Park.

With the game tied at 41-41, Azorr missed a 43-yard field goal that would have given the Vikings the lead with 1:28 remaining. The Portland State defense, however, would give Azorr a chance to redeem himself.

After Montana State moved to the Viking 42-yard line, senior linebacker Joey King sacked Bobcat quarterback Travis Lulay and junior linebacker DJ Robinson recovered the resulting fumble at the Portland State 49.

Following two straight incompletions, junior quarterback Sawyer Smith hit senior fullback Allen Kennett on a screen pass for 12 yards to the Bobcat 39. Smith then connected with Shaun Bodiford for 16 yards to the 23, setting up Azorr's game-winning kick.

It was a wild night as the lead changed hands six times, and the two teams combined for 975 yards. 

Smith led a balanced Viking attack, completing 17 of 25 passes for 252 yards with two touchdowns. Bodiford had nine receptions for 124 yards and a score, and finished the night with 323 all-purpose yards. The senior wide receiver had 163 kick return yards and 36 rushing yards on three carries.

Senior running back Joe Rubin, a Walter Payton Award candidate, recorded his fifth straight 100-yard rushing game, netting 137 yards on 34 carries with two scores. 

Kennett added 126 yards from scrimmage with three TDs. He rushed four times for 47 yards with two TDs, including a 22-yard scoring run that tied the game at 41-41 with 6:47 left (Azorr's ensuing PAT was blocked). He also had three receptions for 79 yards, with a four-yard TD catch on the Vikings' opening possession of the game.

Lulay connected on 38 of 55 passes for 384 yards and four touchdowns. Rick Gatewood hauled in 19 catches for 196 yards and two scores for Montana State.

Senior strong safety Steve Shinen recorded a game-high 12 tackles for Portland State. King had nine hits and a sack, forcing a fumble.

Azorr's field goal marked the last time PSU has won a football game on the final play of the game. He finished his four-year career (2003-06) with 30 field goals, ranking fifth on PSU's career list. His 202 career points scored ranks 10th at Portland State.

Boxscore Game

Score By Quarters

Scoring Summary

• PSU - Kennett 4 Pass from Smith (Azorr kick), 13:06, 1st
• MSU - Hastings 40 FG, 10:49, 1st
• PSU - Rubin 3 run (Azorr kick), 7:37, 1st
• MSU - Gatewood 31 Pass from Lulay (Hastings kick), 3:21, 1st
• MSU - Guinn 26 pass from Lulay (Hastings kick), 14:36, 2nd
• PSU - Kennett 1 run (Azorr kick), 6:55, 2nd
• PSU - Bodiford 31 pass from Smith (Azorr kick), 2:18, 2nd
• MSU - Gatewood 1 pass from Lulay (Hastings kick), 0:00, 2nd
• MSU - Groves 11 run (Hastings kick), 11:27, 3rd
• PSU - Rubin 1 run (Azorr kick), 7:18, 3rd
• MSU - Hastings 27 FG, 3:33, 3rd
• MSU - Murray 16 pass from Lulay (Hastings kick), 11:39, 4th
• PSU - Kennett 22 run (kick blocked), 6:47, 4th
• PSU - Azorr 40 FG, 0:00, 4th

Team Statistics

Individual Leaders

• Rushing
  • PSU
    • Rubin: 34-137-2
    • Kennett: 4-47-2
    • Bodiford: 3-36-0
  • MSU
    • Groves: 11-59-1
    • Lulay: 12-50-0
• Passing
  • PSU
    • Smith: 25-17-0-252-2
  • MSU
    • Lulay: 55-38-0-384-4
• Receiving
  • PSU
    • Bodiford: 9-124-1
    • Kennett: 3-79-1
    • Rubin: 3-23-0
  • MSU
    • Gatewood: 19-196-2
    • Murray: 7-90-1
    • Groves: 5-31-0
    • Barnhart: 4-25-0
• Punting/Kicking
  • PSU
    • Levers: 2-39.5/Azorr: 1-3 FG (33NG, 43 NG, 40G)
  • MSU
    • Lulay 3-37.3/Hastings 2-2 FG (40G, 27G)
• Defense
  • PSU
    • Shinen 12T
    • King 9T (SK, FF, PBU)
    • Senn 8T
    • O. Jackson 7T (PBU)
  • MSU
    • Force 11T
    • King 8T
    • Grenfell 7T (TFL)