Cat-Griz Report: Eagles clip Griz; Bobcats sink Vikings

BOZEMAN (AP) — Dakota Prukop and Gunnar Brekke each scored two touchdowns and Montana State ran for 329 yards to down Portland State 29-22.

The No. 15 Bobcats (7-3, 5-1 Big Sky) stayed in the conference title chase with the win. Brekke, who was filling in for injured All-American Shawn Johnson, opened the scoring with a 71-yard touchdown run and MSU led the rest of the way.

MSU will take on one of the other three one-loss Big Sky teams when Idaho State travels to Bozeman. ISU head coach Mike Kramer was fired at Montana State in 2007 and replaced by current MSU head coach Rob Ash.

"There's no history in that for the players," Ash said. "It won't be about the past since none of them were here then."

Eastern Washington and Northern Arizona are also sitting with one-loss in conference.

PSU scored when Anthony Jenkins blocked a punt for a safety in the third quarter to cut the lead to 22-15, but couldn't capitalize. MSU tacked on Prukop's second touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Prukop finished with 135 yards rushing, which is his fifth 100-yard game of the year and a single-season record for quarterbacks at MSU. The MSU passing game was stymied all day as PSU took away the pass.

"Teams are allowing us to run the ball, so we haven't passed as much," Prukop, who has seen MSU score just 85 points the last three games after scoring 136 in the two prior games against Sacramento State and UC Davis. "In California they were taking away the run, now taking away the pass."

Brekke, who finished with 92 rushing yards, added, "Teams have been giving us really weird looks after those two California games. They're just going to throw the sink at us. They're putting two spies on Dakota, but we just keep making adjustments."

Josh Kraght ran for 96 yards and a touchdown and passed for 218 yards and a last-gasp score for the Vikings (2-4, 3-7). His TD pass came with 45 seconds to play, but the Vikings were unable to recover the onside kick.

The Bobcats celebrate senior day Saturday when they host Idaho State

E. Washington 36, Montana 26

CHENEY, Wash. (AP) – Vernon Adams Jr. passed for 399 yards and four touchdowns after missing the previous four games with a broken foot and Eastern Washington held on to defeat Montana 36-26 Saturday in a Big Sky Conference game.

After Adams connected with Cooper Kupp for a 38-yard score and Kupp followed with a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown, the No. 5 Eagles (8-2, 5-1 Big Sky Conference) led 33-10 midway through the third quarter.

Jordan Johnson, who threw for 447 yards, brought the No. 11 Grizzlies (6-3, 4-2) back with a 61-yard touchdown pass to Travon Van and a 38-yarder to Jamaal Jones in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 10.

Dan Sullivan kicked a 40-yard field with 5:56 to play but Adams directed a final drive that led to Tyler McNannay's clinching 34-yard field goal with 28 seconds remaining.

"Vernon was gutsy," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin. "He definitely wasn't 100 percent in terms of being able to move and get out of things like he usually can, but he was still was able to buy time, see things, throw from the pocket and make a lot of plays. I guarantee his foot is hurting him, but it was a very impressive performance by Vernon."

Johnson competed 29-of-50 passes for 447 yards — all career-high totals — for 3 touchdowns. He was intercepted twice.

Jones had a career-high 9 catches for a game-high 139 yards and a TD, while Van had 6 grabs for 87 yards and a touchdown, and Saylor added 5 receptions for 66 yards, and Burke had 4 for 65 and a score.

Johnson now has 7,739 career passing yards to move up to fourth in school history, passing Cole Bergquist (7,505 yards, 2005-08).

Jones now has 899 receiving yards this year, which ranks him 14th on UM's single-season list. Jones' 1,601 career receiving yards move him up to 22nd on the all-time list.

“We just couldn’t contain the big play early and gave too many opportunities, down-the-field type of stuff, a punt return for a touchdown,” Montana coach Mick Delaney said. “Still, our guys, I’m so proud of them. They’re not going to quit.

“What we learned here is you can’t get down that far against a really good football team.”

Montana is at Southern Utah this Saturday. The Grizzlies then close the regular season Nov. 22 when Montana State visits Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula.