Northern Arizona Climbs Out of a 14-0 Hole to Beat Portland State
Northern Arizona was down 14-0 in the second quarter and finished with 497 total yards and a 38-25 win. Portland State then did not find the end zone again until 49 seconds were left, and by then it was a different game.
Tyrese Smith ran in from 11 yards in the first quarter and Delon Thompson added a 2-yard score early in the second. Francisco Orduno Jr. kicked a 23-yard field goal to get Northern Arizona on the board, and Ty Pennington found Myseth Currie from 13 yards with 2:49 left in the half to make it 14-10. Pennington hit Joey Stout from six yards early in the third for the first lead, 17-14. Joshua Hossmann Lees answered with a 42-yard field goal at 0:13 of the third, and it was 17-17 going to the fourth.
That was the last time it was close. Pennington scored from a yard out with 10:21 to go, Jon Wilson ran one in from a yard out with 5:07 left, and Wilson broke a 32-yarder with 1:51 left. That is 21 points in under nine minutes. Niall Raby's 3-yard run and a two-point conversion made the final look better for Portland State than the game was, at 38-25.
Northern Arizona threw for 292 and ran for 205 on just 29 carries, with three sacks. Portland State threw for 157 and ran for 182 and did not give the ball away once, and still did not get the win.
Northern Arizona is 6-1 now. Portland State is 2-3. Pennington's 34.8 Promethium points were fine, but Stout's 163 receiving yards (on nine catches, for a season-high 34.3) were the surprise.