Portland, Oregon - The No. 15/18 Thunderbirds fell in a tough contest on the road Saturday to the No. 16/15 Portland State Vikings 24–23 snapping SUU's seven-game winning streak.

With just minutes to play, SUU (7–3, 6–1 Big Sky)  scored a touchdown that had the potential to tie the contest, but the T-Birds elected to go for two instead of attempting the PAT and was not able to convert.

“I felt like we didn't have a lot of momentum with our field goal kicking unit and I didn't want to play for overtime,” SUU head coach Ed Lamb said about the decision to go for it. “I didn't think that we were a sure thing even to take the one point PAT and I felt our best shot to win it was to not get into a field goal kicking competition in the overtime period.”

Despite the loss SUU is still in the driver's seat in the race for the Big Sky Conference title and have at least a share of the title right now. The Thunderbirds will have a chance to clinch the Big Sky Conference title next weekend when Northern Arizona travels to Cedar City.

“At the beginning of the season our goals were to protect the trophy case and add to it,” Lamb said. “My understanding is that we already have a share of the Big Sky title locked up so we'll be looking to win that outright and be selfish about that title.”

With a sack in the second half SUU defensive end James Cowser is now the Big Sky Conference career leader in that category. He passed Jared Allen's record when he reached the 39.5 number.  

“It's fun, it's exciting,” Cowser said. “I guess after a loss it's not as sweet, but we were hoping to win this and win conference outright but we're still in the driver's seat and that's what the focus is as a team right now.”

The Vikings got on the board first as quarterback Alex Kuresa found tight end Cameron Thompson from eight yards out to put PSU up 7–0.

After a Thunderbird field goal that pulled them closer, QB Ammon Olsen found wide receiver Mike Sharp from 53 yards away to put SUU up 10–7.

After the Vikings responded with a field goal of their own early in the second quarter, the Vikings scored their second touchdown of the game as Kuresa found Thomas Carter from 73 yards away to complete a four-play, 92-yard drive to go up 17–10. That would remain the score going into the half.  

Late in the third quarter the Thunderbirds went on a 10-play, 86-yard drive that only lasted three and a half minutes to tie the contest up at 17–17.

The Vikings responded to start the fourth quarter with a jump pass by Kieran McDonagh, who had lined up at running back, to Thompson from seven yards away to put the Vikings back on top 24–17.

The Thunderbirds had a long drive near the end of the fourth quarter, but it ended with a missed field goal by Keita Calhoun.  

SUU got the ball with just about two minutes left in the game, and went on a quick four-play, 49-play drive that only lasted 45 seconds to pull the game within one with 1:18 to play. However, the Thunderbirds elected to go for two instead of attempt the PAT and weren't able to convert resulting in a 24–23 defeat.

Olsen threw for 384 yards and two touchdowns for the Thunderbirds, but did have a season high in interceptions throwing three. Sharp was Olsen's top target all night, catching 10 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Sharp said turning the ball over hurt the team all game.

“The thing that hurt us the most was those turnovers,” he said. “Usually our defense is the one getting those turnovers and today it was us turning over the ball. It was just miscommunications, not getting signals in, it's not all one player's fault but as a team we can clean that up like we have in the past games where we came out with victories that's our key right there.”

Kuresa had a big game for the Vikings, throwing for 196 yards and two touchdowns, as well as keeping it on the ground for 58 yards. Cowser said SUU had a difficult time slowing him down. Kuresa found Thompson in the endzone twice and found Thomas Carter four times for 88 yards and one touchdown.

“We knew he's a fierce competitor, a great runner,” he said. “He's a winner, it's what he is. He's done it all throughout high school, in junior college and now here. So we were just looking to stop the downhill runs, and all credit to him.”