Hillsboro, OR – 15^th-ranked Northern Arizona put together five long scoring drives, then got two key fourth-down stops of the Portland State offense in the fourth quarter to beat the Vikings, 31-17, at Hillsboro Stadium.
 
The Lumberjacks brought a talented offense to the game allowing them to put together drives of 70, 87, 85, 83 and 90 yards. That allowed them to score four touchdowns and a field goal. NAU only scored once in the second half as the Vikings tried to rally. But a pair of defensive stops as PSU drove deep into NAU territory made the difference.
 
The Vikings lost their Big Sky opener and dropped to 0-5 on the season. NAU is now 4-1, 1-0.
 
"We did a great job of flipping the field and backing them up when we had to punt. But they were able to sustain drives and still get points on the board. Kudos to them," said Vikings Coach Bruce Barnum. "They are so multiple, they are hard to defend.
 
"The first half wasn't the defense I saw two weeks ago. But we came out in the second half and got stops."
 
The Viking defense got three three-and-outs and stopped another series on fourth down. But the five scoring drives were too much.
 
Portland State's offense showed resolve at the start of the game. After having trouble finishing drives in earlier contests, the Vikings went 65 yards in seven plays with the help of one NAU penalty. Quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele hit wide receiver Eddy Schultz on a 10-yard slant pattern for a touchdown and 7-0 lead.
 
The Lumberjacks answered back four minutes later on a 70-yard drive and the score was tied 7-7 midway through the first quarter. The 'Jacks took the lead on their second series. Quarterback Ty Pennington broke out on a 45-yard run, then tossed a 15-yard score to Kolby Katsis on the next play. NAU led 14-7 after the first quarter.
 
Each team added a field goal in the second quarter. Mathias Uribe hit a 31-yarder for the Vikings to make it 17-10 just before halftime. But NAU was able to put together a 10-play, 83-yard march over the final three minutes of the half. A three-yard scoring run by Quran Gossett made it 24-10 at intermission.
 
PSU's defense stepped up in the third quarter, forcing two NAU punts and getting a fourth-down stop. The big play of the quarter was a 57-yard punt return for touchdown by the Vikings' Jordan Herron. That closed the gap to 24-17 heading into the fourth.
 
The Lumberjacks finally scored in the second half with a 29-yard run by Gossett, his second TD of the day. It came with 12:54 remaining and the Vikings trailed 31-17.
 
Down two scores the Vikings needed to go for touchdowns. After moving the ball 56 yards, they were stopped on a fourth-down play at the NAU 26 with 9:20 left in the game. They got a three-and-out on defense and took the ball back. The Vikings moved it 43 yards but again were stopped on downs at the NAU 21 with 4:26 to play.
 
From there, the Lumberjacks were able to run out the clock.
 
"We are not there right now, but I'm proud of how everybody is playing. Last game we knocked on the door, this game we pounded on the door. Now we need to knock the SOB down," said Barnum.
 
Sagapolutele completed 19-36 passes for 202 yards and one score. Schultz had six catches for 48 yards. Tight end Kristian Ingman added three receptions for 73 yards.
 
Delon Thompson led the running game with 17 carries for a season-high 88 yards.
 
On defense, safety Isaiah Green made 14 tackles, followed by a career-high 12 stops from safety Pierce Walker. Each had a tackle for loss.
 
Pennington completed 15-24 passes for 262 yards and a score. Quran Gossett rushed 16 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns.
 
The 'Jacks out-gained the Vikings 515-325. Neither team had a turnover.
 

GAME NOTES

• Jordan Herron's 57-yard punt return for touchdown was the first by a Viking in two seasons.
• This was only the sixth meeting between the conference foes in the last 13 years.
• Northern Arizona was the fourth nationally-ranked opponent for the Vikings in five games… among PSU's last eight home opponents, seven were nationally-ranked with five in the top 10.
• Portland State goes on the road next week to face Eastern Washington in a Dam Cup Rivalry Game.