Oct. 7, 2002

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EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES (3-2, 0-1)
at
#14/#12 PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (3-2, 0-1)
Saturday, October 12 * 6:05 p.m. * PGE Park (20,000)
(Portland State is ranked 14th in the Sports Network poll, 12th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll)

TELEVISION: None

RADIO: KFXX 910 (AM), Portland; KSLM 1390 (AM), Salem; and www.GoViks.com
Play-by-Play: Tom Hewitt
Analyst: Matt James
Sideline Reporter: Jason Puckett
Tailgate Show Hosts: Gavin Dawson, Isaac Ropp
Tailgate Show: 4:00 p.m.
Pregame Show: 5:30 p.m.
Kickoff: 6:05 p.m.

Series Record
Portland State leads the all-time series 14-9-1. The Big Sky Conference series is tied 3-3.
PSU leads 7-5 in Portland, and 7-4-1 in Cheney.

1968: PSU 19-18 @ Cheney
1969: PSU 35-0 @ Portland
1970: PSU 34-0 @ Cheney
1971: PSU 13-6 @ Portland
1972: EWU 14-7 @ Portland
1973: EWU 3-0 @ Cheney
1974: PSU 56-18 @ Portland
1975: PSU 51-0 @ Cheney
1980: PSU 54-21 @ Portland
1982: EWU 36-0 @ Cheney
1983: EWU 6-0 @ Portland
1988: Tie 31-31 @ Spokane
1990: EWU 21-13 @ Portland
1991: PSU 35-23 @ Cheney
1992: PSU 24-21 @ Portland
1993: EWU 38-21 @ Cheney
1994: PSU 31-21 @ Portland
1995: PSU 14-6 @ Cheney
1996: EWU 24-7 @ Cheney
1997: EWU 31-14 @ Portland
1998: PSU 30-27 @ Cheney (OT)
1999: PSU 48-39 @ Portland
2000: EWU 27-24 @ Portland
2001: PSU 37-22 @ Cheney

Last Year
In one of the greatest performances in Portland State history, freshman tailback Ryan Fuqua rushed for 393 yards and three touchdowns in leading the Vikings to a 37-22 win. It was the third-best rushing day in 1-AA history and earned Fuqua National Player of the Week honors. For the complete game story, go to page 70 of your PSU football media guide.

Streaks
PSU is 3-0 at home this year, 17-3 at home since the beginning of 1999, and 13-1 at PGE Park. The Vikings have won eight straight home games.
PSU's Last Home Win: 10/5/02 vs. Southwest Texas, 16-0
PSU's Last Home Loss: 9/22/01 vs. Grambling State, 30-29

Eastern Washington is 1-1 on the road this year and was 3-2 last year.
EWU's Last Road Win: 9/21/02 @ Southern Utah, 49-14
EWU's Last Road Loss: 8/29/02 @ Arizona State, 38-2

VIKINGS AND EAGLES WILL BATTLE TO GET INTO BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

The Portland State Vikings are coming off perhaps their best defensive effort in five years and will need that type of performance once again as they take on the top offense in the Big Sky Conference this week. 14th-ranked Portland State hosts Eastern Washington in a key Big Sky game Saturday at PGE Park. Kickoff is 6:05 p.m.

A shutout of Southwest Texas State last week emphasized the improvement of PSU's defense once again. PSU beat the Southland-Conference Bobcats, 16-0, recording its first whitewash in 54 games. Now at 3-2 on the season, the Vikings need to better their 0-1 Big Sky record and get into the title chase. That can begin with a win over the Eagles on Saturday.

Portland State will take an eight-game PGE Park winning streak and the memory of a convincing 37-22 win at Eastern Washington last year into this week's game. The Vikings have won 13 of their last 14 in PGE Park and 17 of the last 20 at home overall.

The game is Portland State's fourth home game in six starts. The Vikings play three of their last five on the road.

Meanwhile, the Eagles have built one of the more formidable offenses in 1-AA this year. EWU is leading the Big Sky in yards per game (454.4) and ranks second in scoring (34.0).

Eastern Washington is also 3-2, 0-1 after a Big Sky opening loss to Idaho State, 21-14, at home last Saturday.

WALSH GOES FOR PORTLAND STATE VICTORY MARK

With the victory over Southwest Texas, Head Coach Tim Walsh earned the 63rd win of his PSU career, tying him with Pokey Allen for the all-time lead. Walsh can get number 64 at home this Saturday. Allen achieved the 63 wins in 91 Division II games. Walsh earned 63 wins in 107 games, but spent just three years at the D-II level. PSU moved up to Division I-AA in 1996. Walsh had to the build the program up at a higher level while being underscholarshipped (beginning with less than 40 in 1996) for four years until it reached the 60 scholarship mark in 2000.

VIKING OPPONENTS PROVE TO BE FORMIDABLE

The Portland State football team has played an impressive schedule so far. The combined record of previous opponents is 18-7, including Top 1-A Oregon (5-0) and Top 20 1-AA Northern Arizona (4-1). Not counting games against PSU, its five previous opponents are 16-4. The combined record of PSU's upcoming six opponents is 16-13, including number-one ranked 1-AA Montana (5-0).

GREEN, JACKSON HIGHLIGHT VIKINGS' SUPERIOR DEFENSIVE EFFORT

Senior linebacker Marcus Green represented a superior effort by the Portland State defense by being named Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

Green played a major role - but by no means was alone - in the Viking defense earning its first shutout in 54 games on Saturday in a 16-0 defeat of Southwest Texas State.

Green had 10 tackles, forced a fumble and knocked down a pass in earning the first Big Sky Player of the Week honor of his career. He was one of several Viking defenders to have a big game, including: SS David Goodloe (two interceptions, two tackles); LB Kevin Hastin (10 tackles, one tackle for loss); DE Josh Ratliff (eight tackles, one tackle for loss); DT Agatupu Sagapolutele (six tackles, three tackles for loss); and Stefon Kleinert (three tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups and a sack).

Green is the second Viking linebacker to earn Player of the Week honors this year. Tolo Tuitele won the award on Sept. 16.

The Portland State defense played its best game in recent memory, holding Southwest Texas to 256 yards and forcing three turnovers. The last PSU shutout was a 44-0 win over Montana State on Oct. 25, 1997 in Civic Stadium. Portland State never allowed Southwest Texas inside its 20-yard line. The closest the Bobcats came to scoring was a missed 38-yard field goal.

Not to be outdone was senior wide receiver Antonio Jackson, who was named Special Teams Player of the Week. Also a fourth-year member of the Vikings, Jackson earns his first Player of the Week honor as well.

As a wideout, Jackson had not gotten into the endzone all season until last Saturday. And he did so in an unusual fashion. On a SWT punt attempt in the fourth quarter, the deep snap sailed over the punters' head. Jackson chased it down in the endzone and covered it for six points. That put PSU up 16-0 and put the game out of reach.

A talented special teams player throughout his four seasons, the starting wide receiver partially blocked a punt earlier in the game that led to a PSU field goal, and he made one special teams' tackle. In addition, Jackson caught three passes for 28 yards.

OFFENSE SEEKS BREAKOUT GAME

The Portland State offense was improved against Southwest Texas State, gaining 329 yards. The Vikings got into the red zone four times, but were unable to punch it across the goal line. That resulted in three Mike Cajal-Willis field goals and a lost fumble on the SWT three-yard line. Juston Wood completed 24 of 42 passes for 216 yards without an interception. Wood hit eight different receivers with passes. He also broke a 40-yard run in the third quarter.

Currently, the Vikings lead the Big Sky in rushing offense at 146.2 yards per game.

The Vikings have played some of the tougher defenses in the nation, though. Stephen F. Austin is 24th at the 1-AA level on defense, allowing 283 yards per game. Oregon is 5th in rushing defense and 8th in scoring defense and allows 300 yards per game at the 1-A level. Northern Arizona is 9th in the nation against the run, while North Carolina A&T is second in the nation in turnover margin (+2.0 per game) and Southwest Texas is 17th in turnover margin (+1.2 per game).

SCOUTING THE EAGLES

Eastern Washington has built a 3-2 record with a strong offense that has averaged 454.4 yards per game to lead the Big Sky Conference.

Quarterback Josh Blankenship is throwing for more than 270 yards per game to lead the Big Sky. His main targets have been Kyler Randall (27-360-4) and Joe Pierce (18-238-4). Running back Jovan Griffith has 472 yards and four touchdowns this year. Griffith ranks second behind PSU's Ryan Fuqua in Big Sky rushing.

Defensively, the Eagles are allowing just 324 yards per game. Defensive end Brandon Moore has a team-high 34 tackles, including nine for loss and three sacks. Luke Vincent has 32 tackles from his linebacker position.

COACH WALSH SAYS

ON THE SOUTHWEST TEXAS GAME: "It was rewarding for the defense to get the ultimate end result. They have played that well the past two weeks. It was well-deserved as the coaches and the players prepared well and played well."

"We had some signs of being better on offense. We are still only running at about 50% efficiency and that puts a lot of pressure on the defense."

"Between our punt return team and our offense, the number of times we put the ball on the ground was totally unacceptable."

ON THE EASTERN WASHINGTON GAME: "They played a real good defensive game last week. They are playing much better on defense than a year ago. They have a lot of pride in how physical they play. They will come to the game with that mindset."

"(Josh) Blankenship is a big, strong quarterback, and Jovan Griffith gives them one of the shiftiest runners in the league."

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GAME: "For Big Sky reasons, its a huge game for both teams since we are both 0-1. Its a great advantage for us to be at home."

GAME WEEK ACTIVITIES

* On Thursday night, the Tim Walsh Coach's Show takes place on KFXX 910 AM from 7-8 p.m. Tom Hewitt hosts the live event from the Cheerful Tortoise on SW 6th and College adjacent to the Portland State campus.
* The Portland State Football Pregame Tailgate begins at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Tailgate is located on SW Morrison between 20th and 21st avenues. KFXX will host its live pregame radio show on location.

FUQUA ADDED TO THE "PAYTON WATCH" LIST

Portland State's sophomore running back Ryan Fuqua has been added to The Sports Network's official "Payton Watch" list. The Sports Network's website (www.sportsnetwork.com) will keep track of the quest for the 16th Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the top player in I-AA football, and the 8th Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the top defensive player in I-AA. The honors will be presented at the 16th annual I-AA College Football Awards on Thursday, December 19th in Chattanooga, TN, on the eve of the 2002 I-AA National Championship. The Eddie Robinson Award, honoring I-AA's top coach, and the Sports Network Cup, bestowed upon the nation's best I-AA mid-major program, will also be presented on Dec. 19th.

While Fuqua was added to the list for his running exploits, Viking quarterback Juston Wood was taken off the list after a slow start to the season. However, the official "Payton Watch" and "Buchanan Battle" lists will undergo two additional revisions prior to the mailing of ballots on November 25th. The next revisions will be announced October 30th, and the third and final just prior to the mailing of ballots. The ballots will be mailed to the media and I-AA sports information directors selected for the voting process on November 25th.

"Payton Watch" Candidates (Oct. 2)
*Muhammad Abdulqaadir, RB, Southern Illinois
*Ari Confesor, WR/RS, Holy Cross
David Corley, QB, William & Mary
John Edwards, QB, Montana
*Ryan Fuqua, RB, Portland State
Chas Gessner, WR, Brown
*Brett Gordon, QB, Villanova
C.J. Hudson, RB, Eastern Kentucky
Ryan Johnson, RB, Montana State
Robert Kent, QB, Jackson State
Stephan Lewis, RB, New Hampshire
P.J. Mays, RB, Youngstown State
Carl Morris, WR, Harvard
*Willie Ponder, WR, Southeast Missouri
Tony Romo, QB, Eastern Illinois
Allen Suber, QB, Bethune-Cookman

*new to list

QUICK SNAPS

*STREAKY: Portland State extended its home winning streak to eight games with the win over SWT. PSU's last Big Sky loss at home was to Eastern Washington (this week's opponent) in 2000 - a streak of five straight wins... Portland State also avenges last year's 23-20 loss to SWT at San Marcos.
* TURF'S UP: This Saturday PSU will play its sixth straight game on turf (one of the many artificial varieties) this season and eighth straight dating to last season.
* BOBCATS GET BAGELED: The Portland State defense got its first shutout in 54 games, playing its best game in recent memory. PSU held Southwest Texas to 256 yards and forced three turnovers. The last PSU shutout was a 44-0 win over Montana State on Oct. 25, 1997 in Civic Stadium. Portland State never allowed Southwest Texas inside its 20-yard line. In fact, the SWT offense did not drive past midfield until the third period. The closest the Bobcats came to scoring was a missed 38-yard field goal.
* CAKES, PIES AND...: Portland State has 16 turnovers in five games, the same number it had all of last season. PSU has a -3 turnover margin.
* BIG PLAY FUQUA: Although he did not reach 100 yards rushing (he had 89), Ryan Fuqua caught six passes for a new career high. Fuqua caught five passes at Northern Arizona. Fuqua now ranks seventh all-time at PSU with 2,181 rushing yards in just 13 games as the Vikings' feature back. He needs 23 yards to move into fifth all-time.
* KICKING IT UP A NOTCH: K Mike Cajal-Willis tied his career best with three field goals in one game. He is now 6-10 on the season and ranks sixth all-time at PSU with 19 career field goals.
* SIX THE HARD WAY: SR WR Antonio Jackson had not gotten into the endzone all season until last Saturday. And he did so in an unusual fashion. On a SWT punt attempt in the fourth quarter, the deep snap sailed over the punters' head. Jackson chased it down in the endzone and covered it for six points. A talented special teams player throughout his four seasons, the starting wide receiver partially blocked a punt earlier in the game and also made a tackle. In addition, Jackson caught three passes for 28 yards.
* STARTS AND STOPS: SR TE Tim Hester bounced back from what was thought to be a season (and career) ending knee injury at Northern Arizona. Hester was believed to have a torn left ACL, but an MRI early last week showed it was just a sprain. Hester got braced up on Wednesday, practiced, then continued his team-best string of starting assignments with his 21st against Southwest Texas. Hester caught a season-high four passes for 37 yards in the game.
* SAFETY ZONE: SR SS David Goodloe, playing as a backup against Southwest Texas, intercepted two passes for the second game in a row. Now with four interceptions on the year, Goodloe leads the Big Sky Conference and ranks eighth in the nation.