PORTLAND, Ore. (December 5, 2015)- It was a game of firsts in Portland Saturday.
The first playoff game for Portland State since 2000; the first home playoff game for the Vikings in the Division I era.
With all of the firsts in mind, Northern Iowa, a veteran team with playoff experience, entered Providence Park with the knowledge of what it would take to be successful in a postseason atmosphere on the road.
The Panthers’ playoff formula worked, as they used 401 rushing yards to pick up a wire-to-wire 29-17 win over Portland State, advancing to a quarterfinal meeting with conference foe North Dakota State.
Northern Iowa quarterback Aaron Bailey rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Tyvis Smith rushed for 207 yards and two scores.
Northern Iowa started their second game of the 2015 postseason fast, with Bailey leading the Panthers to a 16-3 halftime lead. Bailey had a 61-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter that put the Panthers ahead by double-digits.
Slowly, in the beginning of the second half, Portland State began to get some momentum, and got rewarded as Vikings quarterback Alex Kuresa found Chase Loftin for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 16-10. This started a cat-and-mouse game between the teams, as Bailey rushed for a 69-yard score, giving the Panthers a 23-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Portland State responded with a nine-yard touchdown run, as David Jones high-kicked his way into the end zone for a score, to cut the deficit to 23-17. However, Northern Iowa’s Tyvis Smith came back at the Vikings with a 59-yard run that sealed the game.
Northern Iowa also had success defensively, forcing three turnovers. Two of the turnovers were interceptions of Kuresa. Overall, the Panthers held Portland State to 285 offensive yards, and a 9-of-19 conversion rate on third-down.
The Vikings finish the season at 9-3, with two FBS wins and a record of 5-1 against ranked teams.