Portland State made a statement on Saturday, dominating Idaho State (1-5 overall, 1-3 Big Sky) from the opening kick in a 31-10 rout at Hillsboro Stadium.
The Vikings (3-4, 2-2) forced turnovers on the first three possessions of the game, finishing with five total in their most dominant performance of the season. The takeaways consisted of three fumble recoveries — including two strip sacks — and a pair of interceptions.
The offense took advantage, shooting out to a 17-0 lead, expanding the advantage to 31-7 after opening the second half with an interception on the first play from scrimmage.
“They were on point all day,” Vikings coach Bruce Barnum said of the defense.
“All three phases improved a hell of a lot that game.”
The Vikings put up more than 300 yards of offense, building up enough of a lead to give the backups some reps in the fourth quarter.
Davis Alexander threw for three touchdowns, including two to Beau Kelly, who increased his Big Sky lead in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Alexander also connected on a 44-yard bomb to Nate Bennett on an end-around flea flicker to open the scoring in the game.
Malik Walker posted one of his best rushing performances of the season, breaking free for a handful of long runs, including a season-best 30-yard jaunt in the first half.
Portland State is idle next week, returning on Oct. 30 to host Cal Poly (1-5, 0-3) with a chance to build momentum for a daunting final three-game stretch.
“Winning is fun,” Barnum said. “Bottom line, winning is fun.
“These kids deserve it.”
AROUND THE BIG SKY
No. 2 Eastern Washington (7-0 overall, 4-0 Big Sky) scored a season-high 10 touchdowns on Saturday in a 71-21 rout of Idaho. (The Spokesman-Review)
Eagles quarterback Eric Barriere continues to torch everything this season, throwing for a school-record 600 yards and seven touchdowns against the Vandals. He also ran in a score to bolster his case for the Walter Payton Award.
And it’s not just the Payton that Barriere is getting buzz about. With the top of the FBS in scrambles, some in the conference are pushing for Heisman consideration.
While Barriere and Eastern Washington continue to roll, so too does Sacramento State.
The Hornets (4-2, 3-0) flew past No. 5 Montana (4-2, 1-2) on Saturday, never trailing in a 28-21 victory, Sac State’s first-ever win in Missoula. (Missoulian)
No. 13 UC Davis (6-1, 3-1) rebounded from its shock loss in Pocatello to coast to a 32-3 victory over Northern Colorado (2-5, 1-3). (Davis Enterprise)
Northern Arizona (3-3, 2-1) claimed the last Grand Canyon Trophy in the Big Sky portion of their cross-state rivalry with Southern Utah (1-6, 0-4), storming past the Thunderbirds, 59-35. (Arizona Daily Sun)
On Friday, No. 9 Montana State (6-1, 4-0) picked up its first ranked win of the season, edging No. 19 Weber State (2-4, 1-2) in a 13-7 victory that likely ended the Wildcats’ four-year conference title run. (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)
Thanks for reading Big Sky Valhalla. Subscribe to the free newsletter for new content every Sunday and Wednesday. This week we preview the college basketball season and take a look at the white-hot Portland State volleyball team, winners of seven-straight matches.