Moscow, ID – The Idaho Kibbie Dome has been a house of horrors for Portland State over the years and Saturday was no different. The 17th-ranked Vandals broke away from a halftime tie with the Vikings to pick up a 56-21 Big Sky Conference win.
 
PSU has never won in the Kibbie Dome (0-10 all-time, 0-3 in Big Sky games) but looked like it had a chance in the first half. The Vikings scored first and never trailed in the first half, rolling up 273 yards of offense. 
 
The second half was a different story. Idaho's defense, which was only allowing 304 yards per game must have read the stat sheet at halftime. The Vikings managed only three yards of offense in the third quarter and 60 for the entire half.
 
"We didn't play in front of the chains like we did in the first half and the run game disappeared a little bit in the second half," said Viking Coach Bruce Barnum. "Instead of getting five to six we were only getting two to three. They got after our quarterback and took us out of our game. They put us in third-and-long in the second half by playing hard and slowing down the run."
 
Meanwhile, Idaho quarterback Gevani McCoy and running back Anthony Woods took over. Idaho scored four second half TDs. McCoy passed for four touchdowns in the game (and caught one), while Woods rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown. 
 
Idaho won its fifth straight game and is likely to continue moving up the Top 25 poll. The Vandals are 5-2 overall, 4-0 and in contention for a Big Sky title.
 
Portland State lost its second in a row, dropping to 2-5 on the season, 1-3 in the Big Sky.
 
The offensive fireworks started early. Portland State drove 78 yards on the opening series of the game with JoJo Siofele scoring on a two-yard run. Idaho came back quickly with a 63-yard touchdown pass from Gevani McCoy to Jermaine Jackson. PSU answered with a 63-yard TD pass of its own. Dante Chachere found a streaking Beau Kelly down the middle for a score and it was 14-7 Vikings. Then, an eight-play, 75-yard drive by Idaho tied it back up at 14-14 with 2:10 left in the first quarter.
 
There were 312 combined yards of total offense by the end of the first quarter.
 
PSU's defense rose up in the second quarter. On Idaho's first three series' the Vikings produced a fumble and two three-and-outs from the Vandals. 
 
The Vikings finally grabbed the lead back on a 10-play, 81-yard drive. Four different Vikings carried the ball in the series - Siofele, Jalynnee McGee and Emmanuel Daigbe all had positive yards - with Chachere diving in from six yards out for the score. PSU led 21-14 with 4:25 left in the half.
 
Idaho was able to make a big 4th-and-10 conversion in its final series of the half. McCoy scrambled out of pressure for a first down. On the next play he found Jackson for another touchdown from 32 yards out. The halftime score was tied at 21. PSU had 273 yards to 249 for the Vandals.
 
Idaho took its first lead on a trick play after taking the second-half kickoff. The Vandals proceeded on a seven-play, 75-yard drive. At the PSU 14-yard line, McCoy handed off to Elisha Cummings running to his right. The running back then turned and tossed the ball back left over the line to McCoy. The quarterback dashed into the endzone and Idaho led 28-21.
 
The Vikings were unable to muster any offense in the third quarter. The Vandals held them to three three-and-outs and just three total yards in the quarter. Then, another TD pass for McCoy with 22 seconds remaining in the period pushed Idaho's lead to 35-21.
 
Idaho added three rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter while the Vikings were trying to play catch up.
 
The Vandals ended up out-gaining the Vikings 571-333 and made three interceptions in the game. PSU forced one fumble.
 
Chachere was 12-25 passing for 205 yards, one touchdown and had three picks. Kelly had a big day with six receptions for 119 yards and a score. On the ground, six Vikings combined for 128 rushing yards. Siofele had 11 carries for 42 yards and a score. McGee rushed eight  times for 41 yards.
 
Defensively, the Vikings got a career-high eight tackles and a pass breakup from Michael Jackson. PSU had 10 tackles for loss, five quarterback sacks and four pass breakups but gave up a handful of big plays in the second half.
 

GAME NOTES

• Beau Kelly had the seventh 100-yard game of his career and second this season. He is now seventh all-time with 2,116 receiving yards, sixth all-time in receptions with 147 and 10th all-time in touchdowns with 16 at Portland State.
• Portland State is on the road again next Saturday, playing at Eastern Washington. Kickoff is 1 p.m. and the game airs on ESPN+.