Northern Arizona Nips Portland State, 44-43

PSU QB Brian White passed for a career-high 442 yards, completing 35-of-52 with four TDs, but was also intercepted three times.

Tremayne Kirkland had career-highs of 14 receptions for 225 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings. Photo courtesy: Portland State Athletics

PORTLAND, Ore. - Senior quarterback Brian White’s two-point conversion pass with six seconds left failed, allowing Northern Arizona to hold on for a 44-43 win over Portland State in a Big Sky Conference game, in front of 9,291 at PGE Park Saturday afternoon.

The loss snapped Portland State’s six-game Big Sky Conference win streak dating back to last season.

Trailing 44-37, the Vikings (2-4, 2-1 BSC) took over possession at their own 22-yard line with 3:38 remaining in the game.

White then moved Portland State 78 yards in 12 plays, capped by a one-yard TD pass to senior fullback Olaniyi Sobomehin to make it 44-43.

On the two-point conversion attempt, White rolled to his right, but his pass sailed behind a Portland State receiver.

Northern Arizona (3-3, 2-1 BSC) then recovered the ensuing onside kick, and junior quarterback Lance Kriesien went to a knee once to kill the clock.

The two teams combined for 55 first downs and 1,011 yards of offense. The Vikings had 29 first downs and 516 yards of offense, while the Lumberjacks registered 26 first downs and 495 yards of offense.

White passed for a career-high 442 yards, completing 35-of-52 with four TDs, but was also intercepted three times.

One of his interceptions came in the end zone to kill a scoring drive with the game tied at 28-28 midway through the third quarter.

Senior wide receiver Tremayne Kirkland set career highs with 14 receptions for 225 yards, and Sobomehin had 10 catches out of the backfield for 89 yards and two scores.

Sobomehin scored on a 27-yard shovel pass in the first quarter to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead, and he also had a third TD, a one-yard run with 37 seconds left in the first half to give Portland State a 28-21 lead at the break.

The Lumberjacks rolled up 296 yards on the ground. Sophomore running back Lionel Scott rushed for 172 yards on 20 carries with two TDs.

Scott scored on a 14-yard run to tie the game at 28-28 with 9:59 left in the third quarter, and later added a 64-yard burst to put NAU up 42-31 with 14:06 left in the game.

Sophomore running back Alex Henderson had 86 yards rushing on 12 carries with a pair of TDs.

Henderson scored on runs of 26 and 10 yards in back-to-back scoring drives by the Lumberjacks to tie the game at 14-14. Portland State had jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

After Scott’s 64-yard TD run put NAU up 42-31, the Lumberjacks attempted an onside kick. The Vikings recovered and took possession at the NAU 38.

White immediately went to the air and connected with Kirkland for a 38-yard scoring pass to make it 42-37 with 13:56 to play.

However, on the following PAT attempt, the Lumberjacks’ Kasheem Osheroff recovered a bad snap and returned it for a defensive two-point conversion to put NAU’s lead back to seven, at 44-37.

The Vikings will now have an off-week before traveling to Pocatello, Idaho for a game at Idaho State on Oct. 20. Kickoff is set for 2:05 p.m., at Holt Arena.

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