San Luis Obispo, CA – Backup quarterback Nathan West led a fourth-quarter rally for Portland State, tying the game on a 36-yard run with under three minutes to play in the game. But Cal Poly drove for a winning score inside the final minute and came away with a 49-42 win.
 
PSU scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, two by West, and wiped away a 14-point deficit. But Cal Poly answered on its final offensive series of the game with a game-winning, seven-play, 60-yard drive.
 
In the end, it was a disastrous second quarter that cost Portland State a chance for a .500 record in Big Sky Conference play.
 
The Vikings led 14-0 after one quarter, but gave up 28 points in a second quarter that included a pair of interceptions and an injury to quarterback Dante Chachere. Cal Poly scored touchdowns off both picks and the Vikings trailed 28-21 at intermission. 
 
PSU ended the season with a 4-7 record, 3-5 in Big Sky Conference play. Cal Poly finished at 2-9, 1-7 in the Big Sky.
 
Portland State figured to keep the ball on the ground for the most part against Cal Poly, a team that has struggled to defend the run. 
 
Quincy Craig opened the scoring for Portland State, going in untouched on a 12-yard dash up the middle. The Vikings led 7-0 with 3:34 to go in the first quarter.
 
Linebacker Isaiah Henry picked up a quarterback sack to stop Cal Poly's next series. Then three plays later the Viking offense struck again. Chachere threw a 65-yard bomb to Beau Kelly down the right sideline. Kelly scored the 18th touchdown of his PSU career on the longest play of his career.
 
Cal Poly came back to tie the game with a pair of Spencer Brasch touchdown passes. The first was a 30-yarder to Chris Coleman and the second was a 33-yarder to Giancarlo Woods.
 
Chachere then had another highlight play, going around the right end on a read option for 76 yards and a touchdown. It was the Vikings' longest play of the season and gave them a 21-14 lead. 
 
Later in the second quarter a big turnaround in the space of two plays tied up the game again. Chachere hit Kelly on an 83-yard touchdown pass, but the play was called back for a PSU block out of bounds. That moved the Vikings back to their own eight-yard line. On the next play, Chachere was intercepted by Brain Dukes who returned it 33 yards for a score. That tied the game 21-21 with 3:26 left in the half.
 
On PSU's next series, Chachere went out with an injury. Freshman quarterback Logan Gonzalez came in for his first action of the season. He completed his first pass for a first down, but two plays later was intercepted on a tipped pass by Zach Hernandez who returned the ball to the PSU 17. A personal foul penalty moved the ball to the PSU 7. Two plays later Zedakiah Centers caught a five-yard TD pass from Spencer Brasch. That gave Cal Poly a 28-21 halftime lead.
 
PSU out-gained the Mustangs, 310-272 in the half, but two turnovers led to 14 Mustang points. 
 
The third quarter began with four straight scoreless possessions before Cal Poly came up with a big play. Centers caught a 64-yard TD pass from Brasch. The Mustangs led 35-21 with 3:25 left in the third.
 
Portland State came back with a 14-play, 75-yard drive. West led the Vikings down the field and scored on a four-yard run. PSU was back within one score early in the fourth quarter. 
 
The Mustangs kept rolling though, driving downfield in three minutes and taking back a two-score lead, 42-28, with 11:55 to play.
 
Portland State wasn't done though. The Vikings mustered a 13-play, 55-yard drive that saw Jobi Malary score on a three-yard run. A big 4th-and-20 completion from West to Maclaine Griffin kept the Vikings going in the middle of the series. That made it 42-35 with 4:04 remaining in the game.
 
The Viking defense got a quick three-and-out and a short punt set PSU up at the Cal Poly 43. In two plays the Vikings scored, the second being a crazy 36-yard scramble by West. 
 
The Mustangs came back for the game-winning drive with 2:53 to play. They were set up at their own 40-yard line after the kickoff and penalty on the Vikings. Cal Poly drove 60 yards on seven plays. Troy Fletcher scored the game-winning touchdown on a 14-yard run with 47 seconds to play.
 
After two completions, a late interception by Cal Poly ended the Vikings hopes.
 
PSU finished with 574 yards of offense while Cal Poly had 482. The turnover differential, three-to-none, was too much to overcome though. 
 
The Vikings rushed for 382 yards while the Mustangs passed for 415 yards.
 

GAME NOTES

• Beau Kelly moved up to fifth all-time in career receiving at Portland State with 2,288 yards. Kelly is fourth all-time in receptions with 156 and seventh with 18 touchdowns.
• Mataio Talalemotu became the 11th player in Portland State history to reach 2,000 receiving yards in a career with 2,010.
• Despite coming out of the game in the second quarter, Dante Chachere rushed seven times for 137 yards and a touchdown. It was the third 100-yard rushing game of the season…. Quincy Craig rushed 18 times for 107 yards… West had 12 carries for 94 yards.