Complete notes and statistics in pdf

GAME 8
#8 EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES (6-2, 5-1) vs. PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (2-5, 1-3)
Saturday, October 30, 2010, 5:05 p.m., Hillsboro Stadium (7,825), Hillsboro, OR

TELEVISION: None
RADIO: Freedom 970 AM, www.970.am • Pregame Show: 4 p.m. • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Analyst: Mike Lund
INTERNET: Live video stream with radio broadcast at www.b2tv.com. Live stats are available at www.GoViks.com.
 
THE SERIES RECORD
All-Time Series: PSU leads 18-13-1 • PSU leads in Portland 10-6 • PSU leads in Cheney 8-6-1 • EWU leads in Seattle 1-0
Big Sky Series: The series is tied 7-7 • PSU leads in Portland 4-3 • The series is tied 3-3 in Cheney • EWU leads in Seattle 1-0

Big Sky Conference games
Sept. 28, 1996: EWU 24-7 @ Cheney
Sept. 20, 1997: EWU 31-14 @ Portland
Sept. 12, 1998: PSU 30-27 @ Cheney (ot)
Sept. 16, 1999: PSU 48-39 @ Portland
Nov. 11, 2000: EWU 27-24 @ Portland
Nov. 10, 2001: PSU 37-22 @ Cheney
Oct. 12, 2002: PSU 34-31 @ Portland
Oct. 11, 2003: EWU 42-16 @ Cheney
Oct. 2, 2004: EWU 41-21 @ Portland
Oct. 1, 2005: EWU 42-24 @ Cheney
Oct. 21, 2006: PSU 34-0 @ Portland
Sept. 29, 2007: PSU 28-21 @ Cheney
Oct. 4, 2008: PSU 47-36 @ Portland
Oct. 31, 2009: EWU 47-10 @ Seattle

STREAKS
• Portland State has won two straight home games against the Eagles.
• The Vikings have lost three straight games overall.
• Eastern Washington has won four in a row and two straight on the road.
• RB Cory McCaffrey has five straight 100-yard rushing games against FCS teams.
• DT Travis Beckley and CB DeShawn Shead have made 29 straight starts. Beckley and TE Rory Richards have played in 40 straight games.

LAST YEAR
Eastern Washington scored the most points and had the largest margin of victory in the 32-game series in a 47-10 win over the Vikings last year in a game at Seattle's Qwest Field. The Eagles' win ended a three-game PSU winning streak in the series.
   
Matt Nichols threw for 413 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Eagles. Meanwhile, the Vikings threw five interceptions in the game. EWU's Matt Johnson intercepted four of those passes.

STORYLINES
• Eastern Washington is the closest - in proximity - Big Sky Conference opponent, and the Eagles also maintain the longest continuous series with the Vikings. This year the teams will meet for the 21st consecutive season.
• Eastern Washington won in its previous appearance at Hillsboro Stadium in 2000 - a 27-24 victory over the Vikings.
• Saturday's game is part of the Dam Cup Rivalry Series between Portland State and Eastern Washington. The Vikings have already won volleyball and soccer matches this fall and hold a 3-0 lead in the competition (SEE BELOW).

HARD-LUCK VIKINGS COME HOME TO HOST 8TH-RANKED EAGLES
For the second straight week, Portland State comes off a heart-breaking final seconds' loss as it prepares for a Big Sky Conference game. The Vikings come home on Saturday to host the eighth-ranked Eastern Washington Eagles at Hillsboro Stadium. Kickoff is 5:05 p.m. The game can be heard on Freedom 970 AM and www.970.am, with live streaming video at www.b2tv.com.
   
PSU is just 2-5 on the season, 1-3 in the Big Sky Conference, and likely deserves a better fate. After losing to Montana two weeks ago on a final-play field goal, 23-21, the Vikings lost to Weber State last Saturday on a touchdown by the Wildcats with 21seconds to play, 44-41.
   
It gets no easier as the high-flying Eagles come to town with a four-game winning streak and a share of first place in the Big Sky Conference. EWU is 6-2 on the year, 5-1 in the Big Sky and tied with Montana.
   
Portland State has lost three straight games, and is 1-1 at home this year. The Vikings will try to avenge a 47-10 loss to Eastern Washington last year at Qwest Field in Seattle.
   
PSU stands in seventh place in the Big Sky standings. Road games at Sacramento State (Nov. 6) and Northern Arizona (Nov. 20) and another home game with Northern Colorado (Nov. 13) lie ahead.

SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON
Eastern Washington comes to Portland State this week with a share of the Big Sky Conference lead and a number eight national ranking. The Eagles have won four straight games, including two in a row on the road and are 6-2 overall this season.
   
Running back Taiwan Jones stars for what is traditionally a high-powered offense. Jones leads the Big Sky Conference with 879 yards on 120 carries. He has a league-best 7.3 yard average per carry and is tied with Cory McCaffrey with seven rushing touchdowns.
   
Quarterback Bo Mitchell, a transfer from SMU, has completed 150 of 263 passes for 1,885 yards, 10 interceptions and 17 touchdowns. Brandon Kaufman is his main target with 38 receptions for 675 yards and seven touchdowns.
   
Linebacker JC Sherritt ranks second in the Big Sky Conference with 91 tackles. Linebacker Zach Johnson has 67 tackles. Safety Matt Johnson has a league-high 11 passes defended with seven breakups and four interceptions.
   
The Eagles have a league-high 15 interceptions, but also allow a league-high 43.5% conversions to opponents on third down.
   
Eastern Washington is averaging 393 yards per game on offense, while allowed 409 yards per game on defense.
   
PORTLAND STATE VS. NATIONALLY-RANKED TEAMS
Portland State is 14-29 all-time against NCAA I nationally-ranked teams (since joining the Big Sky in 1996). That total includes 14-24 against FCS schools and 0-5 against FBS schools. The Vikings are 10-8 at home, 4-21 on the road.
   
This week's game marks the third time in four weeks that the Vikings have faced a team ranked among the top 11 in the nation.
   
PSU can look back on a pair of wins over Eastern Washington in recent years while the Eagles were ranked. The Vikings beat the 21st-ranked Eagles, 28-21, in Cheney in 2007. Then, in 2008, PSU beat the 11th-ranked Eagles, 47-36, at PGE Park. Since that game, PSU has lost eight straight against nationally-ranked teams.

THE DAM CUP
The Portland State Vikings and Eastern Washington Eagles have begun a five-sport rivalry cup called The Dam Cup in 2010-11. The Dam Cup celebrates the friendly rivalry between the states of Oregon and Washington within the Big Sky Conference.  Saturday's football game will be worth four points in the Dam Cup series. Portland State currently leads the competition, 3-0.
   
The so-named rivalry refers to the four dams linking Oregon and Washington that one passes on the 339-mile drive from the Portland State campus to the Eastern Washington campus. Located along the Columbia River, they are Bonneville Dam, The Dalles Dam, The John Day Dam and the McNary Dam. 
   
The five sports competing for the cup are football, women's soccer, women's volleyball, women's basketball and men's basketball.  The purpose of the Dam Cup is to create a rivalry between Portland State University and Eastern Washington University and provide a sense of pride between alumni in the Portland and Spokane areas. Other goals include increasing attendance at events between both schools and building school spirit among each institutions' student body.
   
The winner of the Dam Cup will possess The Dam Trophy acknowledging the achievement for the following year.
   
The Dam Cup is based on a point system.  Each game played in the five sports between the two schools has a point value. Points are only rewarded for regular season contests. The annual football game is worth four points, the women's soccer match is worth one point, each women's volleyball match is worth two points for a total of four points possible, and each men's and women's basketball game is worth two points for a total of four points possible in each sport, The total points possible are 17 which means that to win the cup a school would need to win at least 9 points.

The 2010-11 Dam Cup Series
Soccer - Oct. 8 @ PSU 3, Eastern Washington 0 - PSU leads 1-0
Volleyball - Oct. 9 @ PSU 3, Eastern Washington - PSU leads 3-0
Football - Oct. 30 @ PSU
Volleyball - Nov. 6 @ EWU
Men's Basketball - Jan. 8 @ PSU; Jan. 27 @ EWU
Women's Basketball - Jan. 8 @ EWU; Jan. 27 @ PSU

GAME WEEK ACTIVITIES
VIKING MEDIA: All Portland State football games can be heard on Freedom 970 AM and www.970.am. The Viking Pregame Show begins one hour prior to kickoff each week... Live streaming video of all Portland State home and Big Sky Conference games can be seen free at www.b2tv.com... Live stats for Portland State home games are at www.GoViks.com.
NIGEL BURTON WEEKLY ON 95.5 THE GAME: Viking football Coach Nigel Burton can be heard every Monday at 2 p.m. on the John Lund Show on 95.5 FM The Game. Burton will review and preview Viking football games.
VIKING COACHES LUNCHEONS: Upcoming Viking Coaches Luncheons are scheduled for Monday, Oct. 25; and Monday, Nov. 8 from noon to 1 p.m. Coach Nigel Burton, Viking players, and coaches representing other sports will be on hand to speak and take questions. Luncheons take place at The Old Spaghetti Factory at 0715 S.W. Bancroft in Portland. The cost is $10.00 per person and includes lunch and a non-alcoholic beverage.
TICKETS: Tickets for all home games can be purchased in prices ranging from $12 to $35, with youth prices as low as $6. Groups of 15 or more get special admission prices. 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.
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR OCT. 30: Saturday's game is part of the Dam Cup Rivalry Series between Portland State and Eastern Washington. The Vikings have already won volleyball and soccer matches this fall and hold a 2-0 lead in the competition... the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive Dam Cup, Roll-a-banners.

FACTS, FIGURES AND CURIOSITIES
WINS AND LOSSES: The Vikings are now 2-5 on the year, 1-3 in the Big Sky Conference… the Vikings have now lost four in a row to Weber State… the Vikings are 1-1 at home, 1-4 on the road... PSU is 51-27 in home games since moving to the NCAA I level, 25-59 on the road.

WEBER STATE REWIND: Heartbreak was the Viking football team's destiny for the second week in a row as Weber State scored a touchdown with 21 seconds remaining to defeat PSU, 44-41, at Stewart Stadium on Oct. 23... the Vikings had scored to take the lead on a 29-yard run by Connor Kavanaugh with 1:02 left in the game. The touchdown put PSU up 41-37 in a shootout of a contest... a 42-yard pass play to Joe Collins on WSU's ensuing drive set up the Wildcats deep in Viking territory. A few plays later Vai Tafuna rushed in from two yards out to give WSU the lead... still, the Vikings had a chance. After a pass play and run totaled 18 yards, PSU set up for a 65-yard field goal to tie with four seconds left. Zach Brown's kick was long and true but came up just a couple of yards short... the loss was similar to the Vikings' 23-21 defeat to Montana on the final play of the game a week ago. PSU had scored a touchdown with 2:34 left in that one to take the lead. But, Montana made a winning field goal on the final play... it was a disappointing way to go as Portland State totaled 600 yards of offense, but couldn't come up with a win. Weber State had little trouble moving the ball, totaling 548 in the game.

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN: The Vikings' last-second loss to Weber State may have reminded them of their loss to Montana a week prior, but it was also a reminder of a loss to the Wildcats a season ago. Last Saturday, PSU fell 44-41 on a WSU touchdown with 21 seconds left in the game. In 2009, the Wildcats scored with 17 seconds left at PGE Park, turning a 29-28 deficit to the Vikings into a 36-29 win.

ESTABLISH THE RUN: The Vikings continue to do well running the ball as they average 220.0 yards per game on the ground. Against FCS opponents that number skyrockets to over 280 yards per game. PSU rushed for 322 yards last week against Weber State. In Big Sky Conference only games, PSU leads the league in rushing (290.5) and total offense (482.3).

MORE ABOUT THE RUN: With 1,540 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns through seven games, the Vikings have easily rushed for more yards and scored more rushing touchdowns than they did during the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons... McCaffrey ranks third in the Big Sky in rushing (108.9 pg), while Kavanaugh ranks sixth (71.3 pg).

STRANGE BUT TRUE: The 322 rushing yards on 48 carries by the Vikings against Weber State last Saturday is exactly the total rushing yards the Vikings had during the entire 2008 season (on 186 carries).

STOP THE RUN... MORE OFTEN: The Vikings have had both good and poor defensive games, but the run defense has been most inconsistent. PSU is giving up over 230 yards rushing per game, but a breakdown shows that there have been three solid run-stopping performances against five FCS opponents. Nearly half of the rushing yards allowed have come against Pac-10 opponents Arizona State and Oregon.

RUSHING ALLOWED
Arizona State, 242
UC Davis, 70
Oregon, 528
Idaho State, 3
Montana State, 326
Montana, 123
Weber State , 337

CENTURY CLUB: JR RB Cory McCaffrey had his fifth straight 100-yard rushing game against an FCS opponent, going for 178 yards on 24 carries with two touchdowns against Weber State. With 762 rushing yards in seven games this season (108.9 pg), McCaffrey has the most by a Viking since Joe Rubin had 1,702 yards in 2005... even more impressive, McCaffrey has 107 carries for 722 yards and seven touchdowns against the five FCS opponents (144.4).... McCaffrey and JR QB Connor Kavanuagh had their third 100/100 rushing game this year against Weber State (also Montana and Idaho State). McCaffrey had a career-high 178 yards, while Kavanaugh rushed 12 times for 114 yards and a score.

MORE KAV: JR QB Connor Kavanaugh had 392 yards of total offense at Weber State. He completed 14 of 20 passes for a career-high 278 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed 12 times for 114 yards and a touchdown...  Kav has 1,207 yards of total offense and nine total touchdowns in the past four games (301.8). He has run for 440 yards and four scores, and passed for 767 yards and five scores... Kavanaugh has also gone more than four games without throwing an interception (88 total passes).

YOUNG BUT READY: Portland State's offensive line should get a lion's share of the credit for the improved running game. PSU has totaled 1,172 rushing yards the past four weeks. A truly impressive aspect of the line is its relative youth. JR LT Dustin Waldron and JR C Adam Kleffner are the veterans. Also starting are SO RT Kyle Ritt and SO RG Manuel Rojas. FR LG Mitch Gaulke now starts after FR LG Alex Cosenza was knocked out with a knee injury. SO Nick Gale also has a start this year, while SO Dalton Jasso and FR Mitchell Van Dyk have seen action as well.

PLAYING WITH A LEAD: Portland State lost for the third week in a row after leading early and often in a game. In fact, the Vikings have taken a lead in every game this year - except the loss to Oregon. PSU led Arizona State 3-0 early, led UC Davis for the entire final three periods, led Idaho State the entire game, led Montana State the entire first half until a late second-period field goal, led Montana for much of the third period and briefly in the fourth, and led Weber State virtually the entire game until midway through the fourth period.

TURNOVER TROUBLE: Portland State has been undone by turnovers at times this season, particularly with  four against Montana in a 23-21 loss on Oct. 16. But, the Vikings took care of the ball at Weber State, commiting no turnovers on a rainy day for their second turnover-less game of the year (Idaho State)... the Vikings had one takeaway on defense (an interception and return of 50 yards by SO SS Nathan Snow). The Vikings have commited 14 turnovers in five losses, and just two turnovers in two wins. PSU has forced just seven turnovers in five losses, but six turnovers in two wins. That makes a -7 TO ratio in losses and +4 TO ratio in wins... PSU has a -3 ratio for the season to rank eighth in the Big Sky Conference, ahead of only Weber State.

INCONSISTENT DEFENSE: The Viking defense had two strong defensive performances in its previous three games, but gave up 548 yards in the loss to Weber State. After forcing eight three-and-outs against Montana two weeks ago the Vikings managed just two against Weber State. PSU had only three tackles for loss and no sacks in the game as WSU rushed for 337 yards... JR FS Manoa Latu had a team-high 11 tackles... SO SS Nathan Snow had an interception and six tackles.

THE GOOD HANDS MAN: SR TE Julius Thomas showed his great skills with a basketball over four seasons for the Vikings. Now, he is showing he has football skills as well. Thomas' good hands have been good for a team highs of 22 receptions for 384 yards and two touchdowns. He had career highs of seven catches for 143 yards and a touchdown at Montana State (10/9). Thomas also caught a two-point conversion pass... against Weber State he had another 100-yard game with four catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.

WHAT BROWN CAN DO FOR YOU: SO K Zach Brown attempted a 65-yard tieing field goal on the final play of the game at Weber State and nearly made it, coming up just a couple of yards short. It would have been a heroic boot, but one that Brown has the potential to pull off. He made two field goals earlier in the game and now has 11 this season, which ties for seventh-best in a season at PSU... Brown is 11-17on field goals this season with three of those misses from over 52 yards... Brown scored 17 points against UC Davis (9/11), making four field goals, three extra points and a two-point conversion on an option play... he was Big Sky Conference Player of the Week (9/4) after making three field goals against Arizona State (43, 53, 47), and earned the honor again after the win over UC Davis (9/11) with 4-5 field goals, 3 XPs and a two-point conversion... Brown has won BSC honors four times in his two-season career... Brown's 53-yarder against ASU tied for the second-longest in Portland State history. With three 50+ yard field goals in his career, he has the most 50-yard field goals by a Viking... with 29 field goals in his career, Brown already ranks fifth in PSU history. The record is 32 held by Mike Erickson... heading into the season, Brown was named to the Big Sky Conference preseason All-Conference team and named second team preseason All-America by The Sports Network. Brown comes off a freshman year (2009) in which he earned second team All-Big Sky honors... from Keizer's McNary High School, Brown made a school-record 18 of 25 field goals in 2009, ranking sixth in the nation with 1.64 field goals made per game. He is a perfect 39-39 on extra points in his career.

PSU CAREER FIELD GOALS MADE
    32    Mike Erickson, 1985-88
    31    J.J. Brumfield, 1988-91
    30    Eric Azorr, 2003-06
    30    Dan Frantz, 1997-00
    29    Zach Brown, 2009-10
    27    Mike Cajal-Willis    , 2001-02
    23    Danny Urrego, 2007-08