SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (AP) — Delon Thompson rushed for 169 yards and scored three touchdowns on Saturday, leading Portland State to a 40-28 victory over Cal Poly and snapping the Vikings’ eight-game losing streak.
Portland State (1-8, 1-4 Big Sky Conference) had entered the game tied with Saint Francis (PA) for the second-longest active losing streak in the FCS. The Red Flash have lost nine straight, while Murray State holds the longest active skid with 18 consecutive losses.
Thompson opened the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run with 39 seconds left in the first quarter, giving Portland State the lead for good. He extended the advantage early in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run, pushing the Vikings ahead 21-7.
Cal Poly’s opening possession of the second half stalled with a three-and-out, and on the very next play, Thompson burst through for a 77-yard touchdown run that increased Portland State’s lead to 17 points.
The Mustangs fought back as Misa Palau contributed two touchdowns — a 1-yard run about six minutes into the third quarter and a 1-yard touchdown reception with just under five minutes left in the fourth quarter — trimming Cal Poly’s deficit to 31-28.
Cal Poly’s Ty Dieffenbach threw for 207 yards and one touchdown, and also ran for two scores of his own, a 16-yard run and a 1-yard run that capped the scoring with 55 seconds remaining.
Defensively, Portland State’s Carsten Mamaril made a big impact with two interceptions that helped secure the Vikings’ win.
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