Nov. 20, 2004

PORTLAND, Ore. - Ryan Fuqua rushed for 149 yards and Portland State scored 28 first-quarter points, capitalizing on four Aggies turnovers, as the Vikings posted a 38-21 season-ending victory over UC Davis in front of 4,026 at PGE Park.

With the loss UC Davis ends its campaign with a 6-4 record, having already secured its 35th consecutive winning season three weeks ago against Cal Poly. Portland State ends its season at 7-4, having won its final four games.

After trailing 31-7 at halftime, the Aggies started the third quarter with a renewed spirit. On Portland State's first possession, senior cornerback Angelo Caffese intercepted a Joe Wiser pass at the Viking 46-yard line and ran it back for the touchdown. Following a Viking punt on its next drive, the Aggies marched 54 yards for a touchdown, capped by a Jon Grant nine-yard run, cutting the lead to 31-21, with 9:26 remaining in the third.

UC Davis drew no closer as on the Aggies next possession, Dominic Dixon blocked a 34-yard field goal attempt by Emmanuel Benjamin, turning the momentum back to Portland State. The Vikings drove 69 yards over the next two minutes, 42 seconds before Allen Kennett went over the right side from one yard out, extending the lead to 38-21, two minutes into the fourth period.

"The team never quit, even after getting down by 28 points," said Aggie head coach Bob Biggs. "They showed tremendous character in the second half and that might have been the highlight of the year. They played their hearts out and made a game of it. I give full credit to the players."

Turnovers hurt the Aggies all day and the final one ended any chance for a victory. Following Kennett's score, UC Davis mounted a 15-play, 69-yard drive that lasted 6:33. Facing a third and three from the Viking nine yard line, Grant scrambled to the Portland State one before fumbling. Chuck Jones recovered for the Vikings, ending the Aggie threat midway through the fourth period.

Early on it was turnovers that put UC Davis in a big hole as the teams exchanged interceptions on each of their first drives On the Aggies second possession, Nelson Doris fumbled a screen pass on his own 22-yard line that was recovered by Viking safety Jamal Abdullah. Four plays later , Kennett scored on a one-yard run, only the second rushing touchdown allowed by the Aggie defense all season.

After an Aggie punt, the Vikings marched down the field behind the rushing of Fuqua. The senior running back ran four times for 31 yards before quarterback Joe Wiser hit Ryan Brown for a nine-yard touchdown pass. Grant's second interception of the first quarter led to Fuqua's only touchdown of the game, a 17-yard run on the first snap, making it 21-0 with just under nine minutes elapsed in the game.

Following an Aggie first down on the next possession, Abdullah intercepted a Grant pass on his own 34, taking it all the way to the end zone for a 28-0 lead before the first quarter had come to an end.

The Aggies finally got on the board in the second quarter when quarterback Matthew Engle scored on a two-yard run. Engle came in at the start of the drive in place of Grant and took the Aggies 64 yards in nine plays, capped by his second touchdown of the season.

"We put them in great field position all day," said Biggs. "To turn the ball over four times in the first quarter, you can't do that against a good football team. In the second half we were able to get our running game going. Our offensive line and tight ends did a great job up front and the backs ran hard.

For the game the Aggies had their best rushing effort of the season, finishing with 187 yards. Doris led the way with a career-best 114 yards, followed by John Quinn's 65-yard effort. Grant finished his day with 7-of-19 for 43 yards with four interceptions. Engle ended his afternoon 9-for-15 for 84 yards through nthe air.

Linebacker Dan Elbanna finished the game with 12 tackles, giving him 84 for the season, the 10th-best single-season effort in school history.