Box Score
Portland, OR - It wasn't always pretty, but Portland State's 29-20 win over Sacramento State was effective. It guaranteed the Vikings their first winning season since 2006. With the win, PSU improved to 6-3 on the season with two games to play.

Now 4-2 in the Big Sky Conference, the Vikings are alone in third place behind Montana State (7-0) and Montana (6-1). PSU has won three in a row for the first time since a stretch spanning the end of the 2005 season and start of the 2006 season.

The Vikings led the entire way in this one, but had to overcome some mistakes to secure the win. A Viking defensive unit that shut down Sacramento State's passing game was a big part of that.

PSU was on the board first when Willie Griffin burst through the center of the line for a 30-yard touchdown run just four minutes into the game. The Vikings failed on a two-point conversion but led 6-0.

Zach Brown tacked on a 46-yard field goal later in the quarter and the Vikings led 9-0 after one. It was the first of three field goals for Brown, who also missed two, on the day.

The first half would have been a huge success, but Portland State all but gave two touchdowns to the Hornets. That kept Sacramento State in the game all the way to the fourth quarter. First, Kyle Monson picked off a Connor Kavanaugh pass early in the second quarter and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown. That closed it to 9-6.

Kavanaugh brought the Vikings back on a five-play, 63-yard drive, hitting Keitrell Anderson on a 16-yard touchdown pass midway through the period.

PSU led 16-6 and was driving again near midfield late in the quarter. But a pair of fumbles on successive plays - recovered by the Vikings - a penalty, then a center snap over Kavanaugh's head, ended up giving Sacramento State the ball all the way down at the Viking one. On the next play, Hornets' quarterback Jeff Fleming pushed it in for a score. After a two-point conversion, Sacramento State was down only 16-14.

PSU outgained Sacramento State 222-87 in the half but the two turnovers kept the game virtually even.

Brown added a 45-yard field goal in the third quarter to push the Vikings' lead to 19-14. After another defensive stop, Kavanaugh ran two big plays for a quick score. First, he hit Keitrell Anderson on a 26-yard pass over the middle. Then, followed with a 28-yard keeper for a touchdown. That made it 26-14 late in the third quarter.

Fleming scored on an eight-yard run early in the fourth quarter and the Hornets were just six points down at 26-20. After a defensive stop, Sacramento State got the ball back and was driving for a go-ahead score. But the Viking defense stopped them on a fourth-and-eight play from the PSU 20.

Brown tacked on a late 22-yard field goal, and safety DeShawn Shead intercepted a Fleming pass to seal the win.

Sacramento State did a good job holding down the Viking running game. PSU rushed for a total of 150 yards, but lost 48 on a quarterback sack and the fumbles. Kavanaugh rushed 15 times for 89 yards and a score. But with the running game more than 100 yards below its' season average, Kavanaugh accomplished a lot through the air. He completed 12-25 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown. It was the second-best passing yardage day of his career. PSU averaged nearly 23 yards per reception.

Justin Monahan was a big beneficiary, with a career-high 154 receiving yards on six catches.

"They were loading up the box and playing man coverage on the outside. Everyone on this team has confidence in our receivers to make plays. They did. They made me look good," said Kavanaugh.

Shead led a solid Viking defense with eight tackles, a sack, an interception and a pass breakup. Cornerback Mike Williams made seven tackles, two for losses, a sack and a pass breakup.

PSU outgained Sacramento State, 421-307, on the day.

GAME NOTES: Willie Griffin rushed for a career-high 92 yards and a touchdown... Kavanaugh is 26 yards short of the Big Sky Conference record for career rushing yards by a quarterback. Kavanaugh has 1,800 career yards. His 896 yards this season is also a record… Shead made his first interception of the season, but tenth of his career. He also has seven pass breakups this season, 28 in his career… PSU ended a three-game losing streak to Sacramento State… the game marked the 18th straight year the Vikings and Hornets have met, and 28th time in the last 29 years… Portland State travels to Northern Colorado for a Big Sky Conference game next Saturday. Kickoff is 11 a.m. PT. The game can be heard on Freedom 970 AM.

Audio Highlights

Griffin 30-yard TD run

Anderson 16-yard TD reception

Kavanaugh 28-yard TD run