Weber State Takes Care of Portland State, 41-9

Cole Cooper completed 25 of 30 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns to lead Weber State to a 41-9 victory over previously undefeated Portland State in a Big Sky Conference game Saturday at Ogden, Utah.

Weber State (5-3, 4-2 in Big Sky play) set the tempo against Portland State (6-1, 3-1), which is ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division I-AA.

On their first possession, the Wildcats drove 80 yards in 14 plays, capped by Cooper’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Jon Jefferson.

Weber State dominated after that, holding onto the ball for more than 40 minutes and gaining 504 yards to the Vikings’ 203.

Cooper also had a 63-yard touchdown pass to Jefferson, who had 156 yards receiving, and a 14-yarder to Damon Greenberry, both in the third quarter.

Johnnie Gray rushed for 106 yards and scored on runs of one and 15 yards for the Wildcats in the second quarter. Mike Minnoch added field goals of 34 and 27 yards.

Portland State scored on Dan Frantz’s 47-yard field goal in the first quarter and on Jimmy Blanchard’s 37-yard touchdown pass to Terry Charles in the third quarter.

Montana 17, Northern Arizona 7--John Edwards passed for 229 yards and two touchdowns in his first start for host Montana.

Montana (6-1, 4-1), ranked No. 5 in Division I-AA, assumed sole possession of first place.

Northern Arizona (2-5, 1-4) lost its fifth consecutive game and was penalized 19 times for 142 yards.

Tanner Hancock returned the opening kickoff 72 yards to the 26. Two plays later, Edwards hit Etu Molden on a 24-yard scoring pass to put Montana ahead, 7-0, 57 seconds into the game.

Montana extended its lead to 10-0 on a 24-yard field goal by Chris Snyder with 5:40 left in the first quarter.

Northern Arizona pulled within 10-7 with 10:48 left in the third quarter on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Preston Parsons to Clarence Moore.

But Montana answered with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Edwards to T.J. Oelkers on a drive extended by a late hit on Edwards.

Sacramento State 25, Eastern Washington 22--Jimmy Sanchez kicked a 23-yard field goal as time expired to lift Sacramento State (5-3, 3-3) at Eastern Washington (4-4, 3-2).

The field goal capped a seven-play, 63-yard drive that began with 3:09 to play.

Ricky Ray completed 17 of 24 passes for 236 yards for Sacramento State, but the Hornets’ three touchdowns were on the ground.

Southern Utah 62, Idaho State 24--Southern Utah quarterback Matt Cannon ran for 262 yards and three touchdowns at Idaho State.