VALLEY CITY – The Paint Bucket is back in Valley City.
 
Valley City State scored 20 points in just seven minutes of game play during the second and third quarters Thursday night, turning an 8-0 deficit into a 23-15 victory over rival University of Jamestown.
 
Under the lights of Lokken Stadium, the first college football game in the nation and the 124^th meeting between the Vikings and Jimmies did not disappoint. With a standing-room only crowd of close to 3,000 fans ringing the field, the teams wrote another intense chapter for the rivalry's history as Valley City State's mid-game offensive outburst and a late defensive stop secured the Viking win.
 
"This was an unbelievable, great college atmosphere tonight," said VCSU head coach Dennis McCulloch. "To celebrate in that end zone, there's nothing like it. What a great victory."
 
Leading 23-15 after VCSU freshman Andrew Nielsen nailed a 31-yard field goal with 8:05 remaining, VCSU's defense was called on to hold the lead. The Jimmies moved to the Vikings 37-yard line with under 5 minutes to go, but linebacker Ashton Raquino blasted through the line to make a tackle for loss in the backfield, and then Taquez Chatman and Riley Gerhardt completed the defensive stop with a pair of sacks.
 
The last sack by Gerhardt turned the ball over on downs and the Vikings gained two first downs as they ran out the clock and celebrated by claiming the Paint Bucket trophy.
 
Gerhardt – a returning All-American on the defense line – finished with a game-high 14 tackles, a forced fumbles and 2.5 sacks, including the clincher late in the game.
 
"We're so happy he came back for another year," said McCulloch. "Putting the exclamation point on that last drive with the huge play on fourth down, what an awesome game by him."
 
Chatman had 1.5 sacks for VCSU, and both Raquino and Jahidi West finished with 10 tackles. West recorded a huge interception and 25-yard return in the third quarter, setting up a 20-yard touchdown pass from Avery Thorsgard to Trent Finney for a 20-8 lead. West also tipped a first-quarter pass that led to the first career interception for teammate Emanuel Spiyee.
 
Jamestown struck first on the scoreboard, finding the endzone on a 53-yard touchdown pass from Nicholas Martinez to Isaiah Roebuck. The Jimmies faked the extra point and successfully ran in the 2-point conversion for an early 8-0 lead. That came after Viking punter Masila Siua had pinned the Jimmies inside their own 1-yard line. Jamestown covered the 99 yards in just five plays, taking the 8-0 lead with 5:40 left in the first quarter.
 
The Vikings came alive just before halftime. Another good punt by Siua had the Jimmies starting at their own 8-yard line and VCSU's defense forced a three-and-out possession, giving the Vikings the ball at the Jamestown 40-yard line. Five plays later Thorsgard connected with Austin Young for a 14-yard touchdown as VCSU trimmed the deficit to 8-7 at the half.
 
VCSU received the second-half kickoff and went 65 yards in six plays, capping the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run by Justice Bice. On Jamestown's next possession, West intercepted a pass at the UJ 45-yard line and took it all the way back to the 20. On the very next play, Thorsgard hit Finney running down the middle and the Vikings had a 20-8 lead.
 
Jamestown trimmed the Vikings lead to 20-15 as Jimmie running back Carlos Julian scored on a 21-yard carry with 10:36 remaining. Viking freshman Exavian Westbrook returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to give the offense great field position, and then Nielsen converted a 31-yard field goal for the final advantage of 23-15.
 
The teams were nearly even in total offense as Valley City State gained 332 yards – including 190 through the air – and Jamestown picked up 335 total yards (209 on the ground).
 
Thorsgard completed 20 out of 29 passes for 190 yards and two scores. He also rushed for 73 yards. Justice Bice picked up 63 yards and a touchdown on the ground and had three catches for 33 yards. Marty Gohn, Austin Young and Faaris Amegankpoe all had three catches and both Young and Finney caught touchdowns.
 
Martinez was just 8-for-24 passing for 126 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He made a huge impact in the rushing game through, picking up a team-high 91 yards on 18 carries.
 
Valley City State now leads the all-time series 65-54-5 dating back to 1909. The teams started playing for the Paint Bucket traveling trophy in 1961. Valley City State now leads the Paint Bucket series 44-32.
 
The Vikings now shift focus to another non-conference game next week at South Dakota School of Mines – an NCAA Division II school. That game will be played Friday night at 7 p.m. CT in Rapid City, S.D.
 
"Tonight was just one of many that we have to prepare for this season, so our guys have to now respond," said McCulloch. "We'll go celebrate a bit tonight, be happy about a win, but then go back to work tomorrow."