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Weber State running back Chauncey Sylvester (5) runs the football against Portland State on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Hillsboro, Ore.

Paul Grua, Weber State Athletics

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Weber State cornerback Ishaan Daniels (22) tackles a Portland State ball carrier on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Hillsboro, Ore.

Paul Grua, Weber State Athletics

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Weber State running back Zach Hrbacek trots into the end zone for a touchdown against Portland State on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Hillsboro, Ore.

Grant Sands, Weber State Athletics

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Weber State quarterback Kingston Tisdell (14) looks to pass as Portland State's Jayden Brannan (80) closes in on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Hillsboro, Ore.

Paul Grua, Weber State Athletics

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Weber State players celebrate with running back Zach Hrbacek (27) after his touchdown against Portland State on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Hillsboro, Ore.

Grant Sands, Weber State Athletics

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A low-scoring first half gave way to points when Weber State football pestered Portland State into repeated turnovers, building a 30-point lead late on the way to a 43-27 victory Saturday evening in Hillsboro, Oregon.

When Davis High product and walk-on running back Spencer Ferguson dashed for a 24-yard touchdown, Weber State led 43-13 with 5 minutes remaining.

Portland State finished by outgaining WSU 378-370 after PSU backup QB Tyrese Smith connected on a pair of 40-plus-yard passes and led two touchdown drives against WSU backups for the final score. PSU (0-7, 0-3 Big Sky) gained 163 of its yards in those final minutes.

“We show great flashes. It’s just, can we do it every week? Can we do it all the time?” WSU head coach Mickey Mental said in a postgame radio interview. “This was a step in the right direction.”

After nearly surrendering 400 rushing yards last week against Sacramento State, Weber State’s defense rebounded by racking up four interceptions, five total takeaways and 12 tackles for loss. Meanwhile, that defense and Boogie Sylvester helped the Wildcats (3-4, 1-2) outgain PSU 220-65 in rushing yards.

“Coach (Joe) Dale and the defensive staff, great job bouncing back after a tough week last week,” Mental said. “(The Vikings) do a lot of good stuff out of that spread look, so (the defense) handled themselves well.”

Sylvester finished with 135 yards on 19 carries, his second straight game leading WSU in rushing and a good outing in his first career start. Usual No. 1 runner Davion Godley was out with a concussion; defensive end Keahnist Thompson, safety Angel King and receiver Marcus Chretien were other starters also sidelined for this game.

Weber State opened the game with Dijon Jennings passing 47 yards to Marvin Session on the first play. But WSU settled for a Sloan Calder 48-yard field goal to lead 3-0.

Three plays later, Weber cornerback Ishaan Daniels stepped in front of a John-Keawe Sagapolutele pass for an interception with momentum, easily trotting 20 yards for a pick-six touchdown and a 9-0 lead.

That lead stood 9-6 with 6:52 left in the first half when freshman quarterback Kingston Tisdell got his first career action. He completed two passes and drove Weber State to the PSU 35 before ultimately turning the ball over on downs.

WSU’s offense spun its wheels and Jennings made his lone bad play late in the half. Bird Butler returned a punt to the PSU 32 but Jennings soon gave away the great field position, throwing off his back foot and floating a ball short of his receiver, intercepted by Vikings defender Bryson Ross.

It felt like the same movie for Weber State, which has struggled to use good field position all season. Four plays later, however, WSU cornerback Montae Pate took it back with a great break on a Sagapolutele pass and his own interception.

With one timeout, Sylvester rushed for 22 yards on two carries, sparking enough movement to get Calder a 34-yard field goal and give the Wildcats a 12-6 lead at halftime.

That set up Weber State for a big third quarter after receiving the half’s opening kickoff. Sylvester ripped a 43-yard rush on the first play and later powered in three rushes from the PSU 6-yard line, finishing with the game’s first offensive touchdown on a 1-yard run to give WSU a 19-6 lead.

“That’s a great way to change field position and establish yourself,” Mental said of Sylvester’s run and the opening drive of the half. “We did a really good job in the red zone scoring. First quarter, we’ve got to find a way to get seven rather than three all the time. Sloan’s been awesome throughout the year but we’ve got to do a better job not giving up four points.”

WSU would turn Portland State over twice in its next three plays. The first came when safety Kao Hansen picked off Sagapolutele going over the middle at the PSU 41. Weber got one first down but called on Calder again, who made a 44-yarder for a 22-6 lead.

Calder, the senior from Morgan High, is now 12 of 14 this season.

Josh Hardy sacked Sagapolutele on the next play and, after that, Chevy Robinson was credited with his own when WSU collapsed the pocket around Sagapolutele and he fumbled trying to escape. Robinson recovered.

Zach Hrbacek soon rushed in a 5-yard touchdown and Weber State led 29-6 with 4:15 left in the third quarter.

So Portland State went to Smith at QB and he got the Vikings in the end zone on an 11-play drive, finishing it himself on a 15-yard run to make it 29-13 with 14:00 left in the ballgame.

Hansen grabbed his second pick later at the PSU 15, intercepting Smith at the sidline after the QB escaped a sack near the end zone. Hansen returned it 14 yards but was knocked out of bounds at the PSU 1.

WSU center Will Way got the touchdown there; Hrbacek churned his legs in a pile but lost the football at the goal line, and Way was the only one to notice the ball on the turf. He fell on it for a 1-yard touchdown and a 36-13 lead at the 8:52 mark.

Weber forced a punt and PSU committed a facemask penalty on the return to give WSU a 36-yard field. Of note, Portland State was penalized six times for 69 yards and Weber State just once for 5 yards. One season after WSU was the most-penalized team in the Big Sky, the Wildcats are currently the least-penalized team in the league.

That’s when Ferguson entered at running back alongside Tisdell, who finished the game at QB but did not throw another pass. Ferguson took four straight carries, finishing with the 24-yard score and the 43-13 lead.

Ferguson was WSU’s second-leading rusher behind Sylvester with 41 yards on seven carries. Hrbacek had 39 yards on nine carries. Weber averaged 5.4 yards per carry.

Jennings finished 13 of 19 for 123 yards through the air, while Tisdell was 2 of 6 for 27 yards.

“I thought (Tisdell) handled himself well, a couple reads, for the majority he was calm, poised, collected, everything we always see. Love his future,” Mental said. “But credit to Dijon; not the greatest start but really bounced back in the second half and was a calming force, and managed the game really well.”

Session finished with 58 yards on three catches and Butler had three grabs for 31 yards.

Hardy led WSU’s tackles for loss with 3.5, including one sack. Robinson had 2.5 tackles for loss. Ashden Oberg recorded a sack. Mayson Hitchens totaled 11 tackles.

PSU rushed 33 times for 65 yards but got loose through the air. Sagapolutele was 11 of 22 for 138 yards and three interceptions while Smith finished 9 of 14 for 170 yards, one score and one pick.

With its first Big Sky win, Weber State next returns home Oct. 25 to host Eastern Washington and do-it-all quarterback Nate Bell.