Portland State University Athletics

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Portland State football team found its run game again Saturday at Montana. But the Grizzlies answered with six plays of 30+ yards, four of which went for touchdowns, as the big plays proved the difference in a 57-24 Montana victory at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
 
The Vikings (2-8, 2-5) came into the game knowing they'd need to keep the ball out of the hands of the Montana offense as much as possible. To the Vikings' credit, they moved the ball effectively to that end. After back-to-back games where they rushed for less than 60 yards, the Vikings went for 152 on the ground against the Grizzlies (7-3, 5-2). Quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele added over 200 yards passing while the Vikings won the time of possession battle 34:30-to-25:30.
 
But the Grizzlies did what they wanted when they had the ball. Montana averaged 10.7 yards per play on offense while finishing with 644 total yards between 281 through the air and 363 on the ground. They scored touchdowns on eight of their 10 drives in the game, with one of the other two coming as they ran out the clock in the fourth quarter.
 
Montana running back Eli Gillman – last season's Big Sky Offensive MVP – rushed for 196 yards and four touchdowns on only eight carries. His last touchdown, an 84-yarder in which he appeared stopped initially but then reversed field, put the Grizzlies up 43-10 less than six minutes into the third quarter.
 
The Vikings scored two more touchdowns from there on runs from Zui Shelton and Niall Raby, but the Grizzlies answered both times.
 
Sagapolutele finished 21-for-37 for 205 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown came on a third-and-10 from the 12-yard line with 2:15 remaining in the second quarter. Tanner Beaman faked his defender with a double move to get loose in the end zone for the catch that brought the Vikings within 12 at 22-10.
 
But the Grizzlies answered with a quick drive down the field, scoring with 17 seconds remaining before halftime to go up 29-10. They then opened the second half with two stops and two touchdowns to put the game out of reach.
 
Senior wide receiver Terence Loville caught 10 passes for 109 yards for his fourth 100-yard game of the season. Beaman added four catches for 52 yards and a touchdown.
 
Junior running back Delon Thompson led the Vikings with 55 rushing yards on 16 carries. Raby added 49 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown.
 
The Vikings will return home next week for a Friday night game against Southern Utah. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Nov. 13, with the Vikings set to honor their seniors before the game.
 
GAME NOTES:

• Saturday's game was the 50th all-time meeting between the Vikings and Grizzlies. Montana is 37-13 all-time against the Vikings after Saturday's game.
• Thompson passed Dante Chachere (2019-24) and Joel Sigel (1977-80) for 10th all-time in career rushing yards during the game. He now had 2,114 yards in his career.
• Loville has 776 receiving yards this season. That's the most in a season by a Viking in five years when Beau Kelly had 981 yards in 2021. The Vikings haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2013 when Kasey Closs went for 1,167 yards.
• Jaxton Helmstetler led the Viking defense with 13 tackles, his third game this season with 10+ tackles.

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