Montana beats Portland State 34-10 for sixth straight win and chance for outright Big Sky title

Updated Nov. 12, 2023 12:24 a.m. ET

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Quarterback Clifton McDowell ran for three touchdowns, Eli Gillman added 97 yards rushing and Montana won its sixth straight game with a 34-10 victory over Portland State on Saturday night.

Montana (9-1, 6-1), ranked third in the FCS coaches poll, will host rival and fifth-ranked Montana State (8-2, 6-1) next Saturday for the outright Big Sky Conference title. A win next week would give Montana its first conference title since 2009.

McDowell scored on a 1-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, and his 20-yarder stretched the Grizzlies' lead to 21-3 midway through the second. McDowell added an 8-yard TD run to cap a 75-yard drive with 8:29 left in the third. He finished with eight carries for 72 yards and was 9-of-14 passing for 127 yards.

Dante Chachere threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Braddock in the third quarter for Portland State (4-6, 3-4).

Montana put up 489 total yards and held the Vikings to 93 yards rushing and 255 yards overall.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football