Moscow, ID – The return of quarterback Joshua Wood was a good thing for the Idaho Vandals. On the other hand, not so good for the Portland State Vikings. Wood, who had missed the past two games with injury, threw four first-half touchdowns against the Vikings in leading Idaho to a 45-6 victory at P1FCU Kibbie Dome.
 
After an initial PSU field goal to open the scoring, Wood went to work, leading four first-half scoring drives for Idaho. The Vikings couldn't turn back the Vandals momentum and had to settle for their eighth loss of the season.
 
Portland State scored first with a methodical 15-play, 60-yard drive that included a fourth-down conversion. Mathias Uribe kicked a 27-yard field goal and PSU led 3-0 late in the first quarter.
 
A pair of big-play passes from Wood gave the Vandals a 14-3 advantage early in the second quarter. First, a screen pass turned into a 64-yard ramble for score by running back Elisha Cummings. Then a double-reverse flea flicker resulted in a Wood to Noah West-Baranco 48-yard touchdown pass.
 
Following another field goal by Uribe – this time from 40 yards – Idaho went to the air again. A 69-yard drive culminated in a 24-yard touchdown pass from Wood to Marquawn McCraney. When the Vandals tacked on another score just before halftime it was Idaho, 28-6, at the break.
 
At that point Wood had 231 passing yards and four scores. He finished with 259 yards in three quarters of play.
 
"That was the big question for us going into the game," said Vikings Coach Bruce Barnum. "Is (Wood) back. Without him in previous games their production on offense went down for whatever reason."
 
Idaho scored on the first possession of the second half and, leading 35-6, had the game well in hand.
 
The Vandal defense, which ranked second in the Big Sky Conference, allowing only 364.3 yards per game was stout against the Vikings. Portland State's best drives of the second half of 67 and 49 yards were both stopped deep in Idaho territory on fourth-down plays. PSU managed 317 total yards of offense.
 
"We were alright (playing offense) between the 20s again. We were scrapping, but it comes back to the run game. We can't run the football consistently right now," said Barnum.

The Vikings rushed for 135 yards and passed for 182 yards, split between starting quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele and backup Tyrese Smith. Smith threw for 141 yards and led the Vikings with 42 rushing yards on nine carries.
 
Linebacker Jerome Roberts led the defense with six tackles while safety Isaiah Green made five stops.
 
Idaho had 464 total yards, which was right on the Vikings' defensive average. Cummings totaled a team-high 65 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards and had two touchdowns. The Vandals are now 3-5 on the season.
 

GAME NOTES

• Delon Thompson rushed for 36 yards in the game, passing 1,000 for his career in 19 games. He now has 297 on the season and 1,012 for his career. (976)
• Portland State has never won a game at Idaho. Dating back to 1970, PSU is 0-11 on the road in the series.
• The Vikings travel to Cal Poly next week for another Big Sky Conference game.