The important part of the season begins this Saturday for the Portland State Vikings as they host Southern Utah University in the opening game of the 2012 Big Sky Conference season. The Vikings (1-2) and Thunderbirds (1-2) meet in a 5:07 p.m. game that will be televised on Comcast SportsNet Northwest. The game airs on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. The pregame radio show begins at 4 p.m.
    
PSU and Southern Utah meet in a Big Sky game for the first time as the T-Birds are first-year members in the league. Back in the day, the teams met regularly as Division II members of the old Western Football Conference (1986-92). Portland State leads the all-time series, 8-1, but the schools have not met since 1994.
    
In the Big Sky Conference preseason polls, the Vikings were picked to place fourth in the expanded 13-team league. PSU was 5-3 last year and tied for third place in the league. Southern Utah was 1-3 in the now-defunct Great West Football Conference and placed fourth. The Thunderbirds were picked eighth in the Big Sky preseason polls.
    
A Big Sky Conference title is a guaranteed way to the 20-team NCAA I FCS playoffs and that is what every league team will vie for beginning this Saturday. The Big Sky traditionally gets a second at-large bid to the playoffs, and with an expanded league has a chance for more bids in 2012.

BIG SKY HOME OPENERS: Portland State is 10-6 in Big Sky Conference home opening games. PSU has won the last two Big Sky home openers and six of the last seven Big Sky home openers.

FIRST TIME, LONG TIME…: The last time Portland State played a new Big Sky Conference team for the first time was Northern Colorado on September 9, 2006. The Bears were also playing their first-ever Big Sky Conference game. The Vikings won that game, 45-3, in Portland.

THE VIKING BLOG: Getting Ready For What Really Matters

VIKING VIDEO: Big Sky Play Begins

This week's Portland Tribune story

SCOUTING THE THUNDERBIRDS
Southern Utah comes to Portland State for the first time since a 1994 game at then Civic Stadium. The Cedar City, UT school will be making its debut as a Big Sky Conference member.
    
SUU was 6-5 in 2011, 1-3 in the Great West Football Conference. Among Big Sky opponents last year, Southern Utah went 3-0, beating Sacramento State, Weber State and Northern Arizona with the latter two games coming on the road.

This season, Southern Utah has started 1-2, losing at FBS opponents Utah State (34-3) and Cal (50-31), then winning at home over NCAA Division II New Mexico Highlands, 45-23, last Saturday.
    
Senior quarterback Brad Sorenson was picked as preseason All-Big Sky Conference player. Sorensen threw for 3,143 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.
    
Sorensen has thrown for 657 yards and seven touchdowns with four interceptions through the first three games. His main target is wide receiver Fatu Moala with 22 receptions for 227 yards and four TDs.
    
Southern Utah has given up a lot of yards and points, but has also proven to be a big-play defense. SUU is last in the Big Sky in pass defense, allowing 299.7 yards per game, but first in sacks, averaging 3.0 per game. Preseason All-Big Sky defensive tackle Cody Larsen has three sacks and six tackles for loss to lead the conference in both categories.
    
So far, the T-Birds are giving up 477 yards of total offense per game. But, SUU has forced 13 fumbles and recovered six. The Thunderbirds have made nine sacks and forced nine turnovers.
    
Linebacker Namari Flentroy is tied for the Big Sky Conference lead with 29 tackles and has forced two fumbles. Zak Browning, also a linebacker, has 20 tackles and forced three fumbles.

GAME WEEK ACTIVITIES
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THIS WEEK: The Vik Walk begins on the Park Blocks with the team two and a half hours before every game. The team will walk to JELD-WEN Field and fans are welcome to join. They will pass the Viking Tailgate area on SW 18th and Salmon and the Cheerful Bullpen... at every game, fans can check in at JELD-WEN Field on facebook or tweet with the hashtag #goviks to win a GoViks wristband, located at the marketing table by Gate 1... all youth football participants get in free if they are wearing a jersey and accompanied by a paid adult ticket... this week will be Freshman Frenzy, welcoming all new students to Portland State. There will be a student tailgate party with free food located outside the Cheerful Bullpen.
VIKINGS ON THE RADIO: All Portland State football games can be heard on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. The Viking Pregame Show begins one hour prior to kickoff each week... Tom Hewitt (play-by-play) and Mike Lund (analyst) call the action.
VIKINGS ON TELEVISION: Portland State will appear on television a record nine times in 2012. PSU and Comcast SportsNet have teamed up to present six Viking games, including four self-produced home games and two that will be picked up from opponent feeds. The home games will feature veteran broadcaster Bob Akamian and Portland State coaching legend Mouse Davis in the booth. Trysta Krick will be on the sidelines.
REMAINING TELEVISED GAMES IN THE PORTLAND AREA
Sept. 22, Portland State vs. Southern Utah, 5 p.m., CSNNW
Sept. 29, Portland State at Northern Arizona, 2 p.m. Fox Arizona Plus (satellite TV)
Oct. 6, Portland State vs. Idaho State, 5 p.m., CSNNW
Oct. 20, Portland State at Cal Poly, 6 p.m., CSNNW (opponent feed)
Nov. 10, Portland State at Montana State, 12:30 p.m. PT, Root
Nov. 17, Portland State vs. Eastern Washington, 1 p.m., CSNNW
Comcast SportsNet is available in the Portland area on Comcast cable systems, channel 37/HD 737. Other metro-area affiliates aside from Comcast are: Beavercreek Cooperative Telephone SD 38/HD 638; Canby Telcom SD 33/HD 733; Oregon Cable Group SD 53/HD 753; Frontier Communications SD 77/HD 577; Wave Broadband SD 37or 45(depending upon location)/HD 737.
VIKINGS ON THE INTERNET: Live streaming video of all Portland State home and Big Sky Conference games can be seen free at www.bigskytv.org... Live stats for Portland State home games are at vikslive.statb.us with an available mobile phone feature.
TICKETS: Tickets for all home games can be purchased in prices ranging from $14 to $50, with youth prices as low as $7. Groups of 15 or more get special admission prices. Tickets are subject to service charge. To purchase tickets by phone, call 1.888.VIK.TIKS or 503.725.3307. Tickets are on sale at the PSU Ticket Office, located in Smith Memorial Student Union, 1825 SW Broadway. You can also purchase tickets on-line at www.GoViks.com or at all TicketMaster outlets.
NIGEL BURTON WEEKLY ON 750 AM THE GAME: Viking football Coach Nigel Burton can be heard every Monday at 1:30 p.m. on the John Canzano Show on 750 AM The Game. Burton will review and preview Viking football games.
VIKING COACHES' LUNCHEONS: Viking Coaches Luncheons are scheduled for Sept. 17, 24, Oct. 8, 29, Nov. 12 at noon at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Coach Nigel Burton, Viking players, and coaches representing other sports will be on hand to speak and take questions. Luncheons take place at The OSF at 0715 S.W. Bancroft in Portland. The cost is $10.00 per person and includes lunch and a non-alcoholic beverage.