Portland, Ore. – Tailback Joe Rubin rushed for a career-high 356 yards and five touchdowns to lead Portland State to a 41-17 victory over Northern Colorado on Saturday night.
The Vikings (3-1) dominated virtually every phase of the game, but they couldn’t put away the Bears until late in the fourth quarter. Portland State’s 4-of-13 conversion rate on third down helped keep the game close for 3 1/2 quarters.
Rubin had 91 yards rushing each of the first two quarters, but Portland State led only 14-10 at halftime.
The Vikings pushed their advantage to 21-10 early in the third quarter on an 8-yard scoring run by Rubin, whose performance placed him No. 2 on the school’s single-game rushing list.
The Bears (2-2) then fumbled away the ensuing kickoff and Portland State scored two plays later on a 2-yard run by fullback Allen Kennett, which made it 28-10.
The Bears cut it to 28-17 with 7:52 left in the third quarter with an 80-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard run by Kacie Wolfe.
Rubin scored his fourth touchdown with five minutes left in the game, then finished off the evening with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:48 left.
Rubin became the fourth Portland State player to rush for 300 yards in one game.
Ryan Fuqua holds the school record with a 393-yard effort against Eastern Washington in 2001.
