HILLSBORO, Ore. – The Idaho State defense made the key stops when it needed too. The Bengal defense made three key fourth quarter stops that allowed the Idaho State football team to earn a 48-45 victory over Portland State on Saturday night at Hillsboro Stadium.
The win ups the Bengal record to 6-3 and 5-1 in Big Sky play. Portland State dropped to 4-5 and 3-3 in league.
Both teams' offenses stole the show for the majority of the night. Portland State tallied 597 yards of total offense while the Bengals finished with 518.
Idaho State rushed for 174 yards, led by quarterback
Tanner Gueller's 78 and one touchdown on 13 carries.
Gueller threw for 344 yards and four touchdowns as he was 15 for 30 with no interceptions.
Mitch Gueller caught six balls for 144 yards and two touchdowns and
Michael Dean caught five passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns.
Kevin Ryan's three punts went for an average of 45 yards with a long of 54. He pinned the Vikings once inside the 20.
Christian Holland had another double digit game in tackles with 10. He had one sack and one fumble recovery. Kainia Fuiava had six tackles, one sack and one forced fumble.
For a majority of the game both teams exchanged scores. The Bengals led 31-24 at half after a Bengal touchdown with 40 seconds left in the first half.
Portland State took the opening kickoff of the third quarter and marched 60 yards in 5:04 to tie the game at 31. ISU then took its opening possession of the third quarter and marched 67 yards in 10 plays to take a 38-31 lead after a
Tanner Gueller five-yard touchdown run. The scoring drive was sparked by
Ty Flanagan taking a 21-yard completion on a fourth and eight.
The Vikings would tie the game at 38 with 4:54 left in the third. ISU then took a 41-38 after
Campbell Sheidow hit his second field goal of the game, this one from 27 yards with 1:27 left in the third quarter.
The Bengal defense then gained momentum when Viking kicker Cody Williams missed a 48 yard field goal.
The ISU offense then went 70 yards on six plays to extend its lead to 48-38 after a Flanagan eight yard touchdown run. The scoring drive was sparked by a
Mitch Gueller 45-yard reception on the first play.
The ISU defense then forced Portland State to punt on its next possession but the Bengal offense was also forced to punt.
The Vikings then cut the ISU lead to three at 48-45 with a touchdown with 3:06 to play. PSU would get the ball back with a chance to tie or win the game. The drive would stall as Holland and Fuiava came up with their sacks and Holland recovered a fumble on the final play to preserve the ISU win.
In the first half both teams combined for 638 yards. ISU finished with 333 yards as Gueller was 10-16 for 249 yards and four touchdowns. Dean caught five passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the first half while
Mitch Gueller caught four passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
Portland State had 305 total yards in the first 30 minutes of play.
The Bengals jumped out to a 14-3 after the first quarter.
Mitch Gueller gave the Bengals a 7-0 lead with 9:36 left in the first quarter on a 23-yard touchdown reception on the teams opening drive. The Vikings followed with a field goal on its opening possession.
With 20 seconds left in the first quarter, Dean caught a career-long 63-yard strike from
Tanner Gueller to up the Bengal lead to 14-3.
Both teams exchanged points in the second quarter to keep the game close. After Portland State cut the ISU lead to 14-10 with 14:02 left in the first half, Sheidow connected on a 32-yard field goal to give ISU a 17-10 lead with 12:01 to play in second quarter.
Portland State tied the game at 17 three minutes later but the Bengal quick strike offense found Dean open for a 28-yard touchdown reception 1:32 later to give ISU a 24-17 lead.
The Vikings tied the game at 24 with 1:35 to play in the first half but a four play 65 yard drive that resulted in a
Mitch Gueller 12-yard touchdown reception gave ISU the 31-24 halftime lead.
Mitch Gueller caught a 46-yard reception to set up the score.
Idaho State plays its final road game of the 2018 regular season on Saturday, Nov. 10 at Cal Poly. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. mountain time.
Notes
- The win guarantees the Bengals there second winning record since 2014 and only the fourth since the 2002 season. ISU is also guaranteed a winning record in conference play for only the fourth time since 2002.
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Tanner Gueller's four touchdown passes moves him into a tie for third place for most touchdown passes in a season with 24. Justin Arias holds the record with 38 in 2014 an Mike Machurek threw 29 in 1981.
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Michael Dean and
Mitch Gueller's two touchdown receptions gives them 19 for their career and tied for seventh with Madison Mangum in career touchdown receptions.
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Mitch Gueller is one of only six players in Idaho State history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a single-season. He has 1,091 receiving yards, ranking him fourth on the ISU single-season list for most receiving yards.
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Ty Flanagan's rushing touchdown moves him into eighth place in the ISU record book for career rushing touchdowns with 18.
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Mitch Gueller moved into fourth place on the all-time receiving yards as he now has 2,471 yards.
Rodrick Rumble holds the school record for most receiving yards in a career with 2,863.
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Mitch Gueller's 46 yards reception tied for his 10
th longest reception of his career.
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Christian Holland has had 10 tackles or more in five of his last six games.
