Freshman rallies Idaho State to 42-41 win over E. Washington

POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) — Hunter Hays scored untouched on a 1-yard quarterback draw with 52 seconds left and Idaho State, led by a career day from freshman quarterback Jordan Cooke, ended a 12-game losing streak to Eastern Washington with a 42-41 win on Saturday night.

Cooke threw his second TD pass, a 25-yarder to Aaron Blanca, with 3:28 to play, making it 41-35 after trailing 41-14 with 1:48 left in the third quarter.

Eastern Washington was penalized while returning an onside kick to Idaho State's 30. Re-kicking from the 50, the Bengals recovered the ball on the EWU 36. On a 4th-and-9 on from the 17, Cooke threaded a pass to Christian Fredrickson at the 1.

After Hunter's touchdown on the next play, Kekoa Visperas drove the Eagles to the Idaho State 21 before Soren McKee missed a 38-yard field goal wide right. He had made the kick moments earlier, but the Bengals had called a timeout.

Cook and Hays combined to throw for 523 yards, both accounting for two touchdowns. Cooke was 25 of 39 for a career-high 389 yards. Sophomore Chedon James also had a career day with 15 receptions for 206 yards and a touchdown for the Bengals (2-4, 2-1 Big Sky Conference). Fredrickson had seven catches for 119 yards, also a career high.

Kekoa Visperas threw for a career-high 403 yards and three touchdowns, two to Efton Chism III, who had a career day with 13 catches for 161 yards for the Eagles (2-4, 1-2).

James' touchdown four seconds before the half pulled the Bengals within 35-14. McKee kicked field goals of 32 and 30 yards in the third quarter for the 27-point lead, but he also missed a 50-yard attempt with 5:51 to play, in the midst of ISU's four-straight touchdowns. The Eagles led 41-28 at the time.

Idaho State had 572 total yards, 342 in the second half. Eastern Washington had 553 yards, 359 in the first half. The teams combined for 61 first downs.

Portland State 45, Northern Arizona 21

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Dante Chachere accounted for six touchdowns, five passing and one running, and Portland beat Northern Arizona 45-21 on Saturday.

Chachere was 14-of-19 passing for a mere 59 yards and ran for 83. Quincy Craig ran for 103 yards on five carries for the Vikings (3-3, 2-1 Big Sky Conference) which had 366 yards rushing and 525 yards in total offense.

Jermaine Braddock had a pair of scoring receptions in the second quarter for a 21-7 lead before Craig reached the end zone early in the third quarter.

Craig's second touchdown started a string of five-straight touchdowns by the teams before NAU gave up the ball on downs and then threw an interception.

Adam Damante threw for 250 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions for the Lumberjacks (2-5, 2-2) and Angel Flores threw a 3-yard TD pass on his only attempt.

Sacramento State 21, Northern Colorado 13

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — Kaiden Bennett threw for three touchdowns and Sacramento State beat feisty Northern Colorado on Saturday.

Bennett threw a 15-yard score to Devin Gandy for a 7-3 lead in the first quarter and then made it 14-3 with an 8-yard pass to Ezra Moleni with 34 seconds left in the first.

Northern Colorado drew within 14-10 when Jacob Sirmon threw a 41-yard score to Brayden Munroe to end a five-play, 92-yard drive with 7:47 before intermission.

The Hornets (5-1, 2-1), ranked No. 5 in the FCS, took control near the end of the third with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that used 4:41 and concluded when Bennett threw a 20-yard touchdown to Carlos Hill as the quarter expired.

Leading 21-13, the Hornets' defense held David Afari to a 1-yard run with the Bears facing fourth-and-2 at Sac State's 24-yard line with 1:29 left to seal it.

Sirmon threw for 257 yards and a touchdown for Northern Colorado (0-6, 0-3).