Complete season wrapup release in pdf

With a great sense of hope and optimism, the Portland State football program began the 2010 season under first year Head Coach Nigel Burton. And while the season ended at 2-9, the same record as the previous year, the groundwork has been laid for improvement from a young Viking team.
   
But for a few last minute heartbreaks, the Viking season might have been much different. Portland State, which played just four home games and seven on the road, got Burton his first win as a Head Coach with a convincing 41-33 decision at UC Davis. Two weeks later, the Vikings opened Big Sky Conference play with a 38-3 rout of Idaho State.
   
At 2-2, 1-0 in the Big Sky, PSU appeared poised for a competitive conference season. And for the most part it was, but the Vikings couldn't find a way to come out on the positive end of the scoreboard, paritcularly during a three-week stretch in October. To wit:
   
• Portland State led 10th-ranked and eventual Big Sky champion Montana State, 18-3, late in the first quarter of a game at Bozeman. However, MSU roared back and eventually won, 44-31.
• The Vikings scored a go-ahead touchdown against 11th-ranked Montana with 2:34 left in the game. But the Grizzlies were able to mount a final drive that resulted in a game-winning field as time expired, 23-21.
• The very next week, PSU scored a go-ahead touchdown at Weber State with 1:02 left in the game and led 41-37. Again the opponent prevailed, as the Wildcats scrambled down the field, running six plays in 41 seconds, and scored the winning touchdown with 21 seconds left, 44-41.
• Even a 27-9 lead late in the first half against Northern Colorado on Nov. 13 melted away. The Bears completed a Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half for a touchdown, then rallied in the second half for a 35-30 victory.
   
Despite those difficult endings, Portland State saw progress on the field and off with a team that had just 10 seniors competing in 2010. The Vikings had 67 letterwinners, 57 of which are scheduled to return, as well as redshirt quarterback Drew Hubel.  As a result, Portland State has 27 seniors and 30 juniors, as well as 23 redshirts on a season-ending roster of 88 remaining after the departing seniors.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
• Portland State hired Nigel Burton as the 13th Head Coach in the history of Viking football on Dec. 8, 2009. Burton was a Portland State assistant coach in 2001-02. He moved on to coach five seasons at Oregon State, then two as the defensive coordinator at the University of Nevada.
• The Viking program took a liking to the new Pistol offense that Burton brought to the Park Blocks. PSU rushed for a Big Sky-best 203.3 yards per game during the season, ranking 18th in the nation. The 2,236 total rushing yards are third-best in school history, just 19 yards short of the record. PSU averaged 396.5 yards total offense per game, an improvement of 41 yards per game over 2009.
• JR RB Cory McCaffrey had a banner season in the new offense, rushing for 1,287 yards on 231 carries with 10 touchdowns. McCaffrey, who was playing his first season at running back, ranked second in the Big Sky Conference and 12th in the nation in rushing. In Big Sky-only games, McCaffrey led the BSC with 1,131 yards and nine touchdowns in eight games (141.4 ypg). McCaffrey's season total ranks eighth in school history, and his eight 100-yard games ties for third-best in school history.
• Portland State SO K Zach Brown tied his own school record with 18 field goals made on the season. Brown broke the school career record for field goals with 36... Brown tied for third in the nation in field goals made (1.67 pg)... he made two field goals from 50+ yards and now has four such kicks in his career... Brown was Big Sky Conference Player of the Week after making three field goals against Arizona State (43, 53, 47) on Sept. 4. He earned the honor again after the win over UC Davis on Sept. 11 with 4-5 field goals, 3 XPs and a two-point conversion for 17 total points... Brown is also 44-44 on extra points in his two-year career. His 44 consecutive made XPs ties the school record set by Pat Moore (1972-75).
• Portland State had a pair of first team All-Big Sky Conference selections. JR RB Cory McCaffrey and SR TE Julius Thomas both earned honors from the league in a vote of coaches. JR CB DeShawn Shead was named second team All-Big Sky Conference. Earning honorable mention honors were: JR QB Connor Kavanaugh, JR C Adam Kleffner, JR OT Dustin Waldron, JR OT Kyle Ritt, SO K Zach Brown, JR DE Carl Sommer, FR DT Julious Moore and SO P Thomas Duyndam.

McCAFFREY, THOMAS EARN FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG SKY
Two position changes made a big difference for two Portland State Viking players as running back Cory McCaffrey and tight end Julius Thomas were both selected to the Big Sky Conference first team in football. Named to the second team was DeShawn Shead, while eight Vikings were given honorable mention All-Conference. Voting was done by Big Sky coaches.
   
First-year Viking Head Coach Nigel Burton was thrilled to hear of McCaffrey's and Thomas' first team selections on Tuesday. “It's huge for the kids and the program and it shows the dedication they had to making our program successful,” he said. “The jobs their position coaches did getting them prepared even though they didn't have a ton of experience was outstanding.”
   
McCaffrey, who came to PSU in 2008 as a star high school running back, spent his first two seasons as a slot receiver for the Vikings. When Burton came to Portland State last December, he moved McCaffrey back to his familiar role as running back. The move more than paid off for the junior from Sisters, OR, as McCaffrey rushed 231 times for 1,287 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2010. McCaffrey ranked second in the Big Sky Conference and 12th in the nation despite missing most of the season finale with a quad injury and facing two Pac-10 teams early in the season.
   
McCaffrey's 1,287 yards ranks eighth-best in Portland State history. He had a career-high 226 yards against Northern Colorado on Nov. 13. The 5-9, 185-pounder also had eight 100-yard rushing games to rank third in PSU history. In Big Sky Conference games, McCaffrey was the only player to rush for more than 1,000 yards, totaling 1,131 in eight games.
   
“We knew he could be good. Did I expect to get 1,300 yards out of him? No.” said Burton “I am so impressed with his ability, but mainly his toughness - being able to carry the ball 33 times in a game, play through a separated shoulder, play through all the bumps and bruises that he had.”
   
Thomas made a position change from forward on the Viking basketball team to tight end on the Viking football team. Despite being a top PSU basketball player the past four seasons, playing in more winning games than any Viking in history (78), more total games (121), setting school records for field goal percentage in a season (.671) and a career (.663), and playing in two NCAA Tournaments, Thomas accomplished something in football that he never did in basketball - earn first team All-Big Sky Conference honors.
   
Thomas joined the football team last spring and played for the first time since he was a freshman in high school. He immediately impressed, and has gathered a lot of attention from NFL scouts. The 6-5, 240-pounder from Stockton, CA had 29 receptions for 453 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
   
“It's a tribute to his dedication,” said Burton, referring to his senior tight end. “At 11 o'clock every day he was here watching film. And it didn't matter if it was a day off. I was proud of the work that he put in and the belief in his abilities. I am looking forward to watching him play, hopefully, for a couple more years.”
   
Shead was named to the Big Sky's All-Conference second team after earning honorable mention in 2008 and 2009. The junior from Palmdale, CA, had 51 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack and two fumble recoveries. After making nine interceptions in his first two seasons as a Viking, opposing offenses tried to stay away from Shead in 2010, preventing him from making any picks. The 6-2, 210-pounder from Palmdale, CA did, however, lead the Vikings with seven pass breakups. In three years, Shead has 147 tackles, 13 takeaways (9 INT, 4 FR) and 21 pass breakups.
   
“Personally, I think he is a first-team All-Conference guy. He is one of the most talented and hard working guys I have ever been around. When you get down to it, he is at a position that when you do your job, you don't get a lot of opportunities to make plays because teams stay away from you. He didn't see the ball that much. When you are truly a great shut-down corner, you don't even see the ball. We are working on a role for him to make even more plays for our team (next year),” said Burton.
   
Portland State had eight players earn honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference. They included: JR QB Connor Kavanaugh, JR C Adam Kleffner, JR OT Dustin Waldron, JR OT Kyle Ritt, SO K Zach Brown, JR DE Carl Sommer, FR DT Julious Moore and SO P Thomas Duyndam.
   
All of Portland State's Big Sky Conference honorees, with the exception of Thomas - a senior, will return for the Vikings in 2011. Of the 11 players recognized, seven are from the state of Oregon.
   
Kavanaugh, from Portland's Lincoln High School, completed 93 of 154 passes for 1,109 yards, six touchdowns and only three interceptions. He also rushed for 506 yards - believed to be the most ever by a Viking quarterback - and four touchdowns. He provided a one-two rushing punch with McCaffrey that led the Vikings to the top rushing offense in the Big Sky (203.3 yards per game/232.2 yard per game vs. BSC opponents). Kavanaugh's season ended early when he broke a bone in his left throwing hand in the eighth game of the season. Prior to that, he had thrown 90 passes without an interception.
   
Three offensive linemen, all local players, were recognized after leading the Viking running game to 2,236 yards this season. Tackles Dustin Waldron (Pleasant Hill-Marist HS) and Kyle Ritt (Aloha HS), as well as first-year center Adam Kleffner (Jesuit HS) all earned honorable mention.
   
Zach Brown kicked 18 field goals for the second year in a row to tie his own school record. He established a new Portland State career record with 36 field goals. Brown, from Keizer's McNary High School, was twice named Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. He has also matched a Portland State record by making 44 consecutive extra points and will have a chance to break it with his first kick of 2011.
   
Another local product, Carl Sommer, was named honorable mention All-Conference at defensive end. Sommer, from Wilsonville HS, fought through late season injuries to lead the Vikings in tackles for loss (11) and sacks (4), while making 46 tackles - the most by a Viking lineman.
   
True freshman Julious Moore had a big impact and has a great future with the Viking program. He had 12 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery for the Vikings. The 6-0, 290-pounder hails from Bellevue (WA) HS.
   
Australia native Thomas Duyndam had a solid season for Portland State, finishing with the third-best punting average in school history at 42.6 per punt. Duyndam, from Melbourne, Australia, had 13 punts inside the 20-yard line, 10 fair caught and only one touchback on 51 punts.

WHO IS LOST, WHO RETURNS
Portland State has 11 seniors on its roster that will not return. One senior, QB Drew Hubel, was a redshirt in 2010 and will return in 2011. The Vikings lose just four starters to graduation - two on offense and two on defense. Of the 21 total returning starters (9 O/9 D/3 ST), 10 will be seniors in 2011.
   
Portland State has 67 letterwinners in 2010, of that group 57 will return, add in Hubel and the Vikings could have 58 returning letterwinners in 2011.
   
The Viking team will be much more mature in 2011 as there will be 27 seniors and 30 juniors on the roster. PSU also has 23 redshirts on the season-ending roster. Add in scout team players and there are 88 total players in the program that could return in 2011.

STARTERS RETURNING - OFFENSE (9): WR Justin Monahan, WR Anderson/Cookman/Noa (11 starts combined), OT Dustin Waldron, OT Kyle Ritt, OG Manny Rojas, OG Mitch Gaulke/Alex Cosenza/Nick Gale (12 starts combined), C Adam Kleffer, QB Connor Kavanaugh, RB Cory McCaffrey

STARTERS RETURNING - DEFENSE (9): DE Carl Sommer, DE Jack Forbes, DT Julious Moore/Alika Vaiese (combined 12 starts), OLB Joel Sisler, MLB Ryan Rau, CB DeShawn Shead, CB David Ross, FS Manoa Latu, SS Nathan Snow.

STARTERS RETURNING - SPECIAL TEAMS (3): K Zach Brown, P Thomas Duyndam, LS Braedyn Eagle

STARTERS LOST (4): TE Rory Richards, WR Nick Hutter, DT Travis Beckley, OLB DJ Macarthy
OTHER SENIORS LOST (7): QB Tygue Howland, TE Julius Thomas, OL Zach Dias, WR Ray Fry, DE Brian Walters, LB Kevin Takeno, RB Kevin Watts

TEAM LEADERS
Passing: Connor Kavanaugh, 93-154-3-1,109-6TD; Tygue Howland 85-175-7-1,107-3TD
Rushing: Cory McCaffrey, 231-1,287-10TD; Connor Kavanaugh 85-506-4
Receiving: Nick Hutter, 38-521-3
Total Touchdowns: Cory McCaffrey, 11
Total Offense: Connor Kavanaugh, 1,615, 201.9 pg, 506 rushing, 1,109 passing
All-Purpose Yards: Cory McCaffrey, 1,423, 129.4 pg, 1,287 rushing, 136 receiving
Kicking: Zach Brown, 18-26 FGs, 23-23 XPs
Punting: Thomas Duyndam, 51-2,171, 42.6
Punt Returns: AJ Powell, 16-75-0, 4.7
Kick Returns: Nevin Lewis, 17-431-1, 25.4
Tackles: Ryan Rau, 83
Tackles for Loss: Carl Sommer, 11
Sacks: Carl Sommer, 4
Interceptions: Manoa Latu, 3-44-1
Pass Breakups: DeShawn Shead, 7; Manoa Latu, 6
Forced Fumbles: Jaycob Shoemaker, 2
Fumbles Recovered: DeShawn Shead, 2
Team Captains: Drew Hubel, Travis Beckley, Connor Kavanaugh, Ryan Rau, DeShawn Shead, Adam Kleffner

FACTS, FIGURES AND CURIOSITIES
WINS AND LOSSES: The Vikings finished the year at 2-9, 1-7 in the Big Sky Conference, matching last year's marks… the Vikings lost their last seven games in a row, which is PSU's longest-ever Big Sky losing streak. The longest overall losing streak in PSU history is 11... the Vikings went 1-3 at home, 1-6 on the road... PSU is 51-29 in home games since moving to the NCAA I level, 25-61 on the road... PSU is 50-65 all-time in Big Sky Conference games after 15 seasons. The Vikings are 32-26 at home, 18-39 on the road.

RUSHING RECORD JUST OUT OF REACH: When JR RB Cory McCaffrey went down with a quad injury early in the season finale against Northern Arizona it probably eliminated any chance the Vikings had of breaking the season rushing record at Portland State. It was also the third week the Vikings had played without backup JR RB Willie Griffin and JR QB Connor Kavanaugh. Still, the Vikings managed 104 yards on the ground against a team allowing only 92 per contest. That left Portland State with 2,236 rushing yards for the season, just 19 short of the school record. No doubt, the Vikings would have eclipsed the school record with a healthy Kavanaugh, Griffin and McCaffrey in the final weeks... with a similar number of carries, the Vikings would have broken the school record by more than 120 yards.

ALL-TIME PSU SEASON RUSHING MARKS
1. 1988: 501 carries, 2,255 yards, 205.0 per game, 31 touchdowns
2. 2004: 478 carries, 2,248 yards, 204.4 per game, 29 touchdowns
3. 2010: 471 carries, 2,236 yards, 203.3 per game, 17 touchdowns

RUNNING ON: The Vikings led the Big Sky Conference in rushing at 203.3 yards per game and ranked 18th in the nation overall... PSU averaged 232.2 in Big Sky Conference games and 235.0 rushing yards against FCS teams... PSU had 2,236 total rushing yards in 2010. The Vikings had rushed for 2,153 yards in three seasons COMBINED under Jerry Glanville (2007-09)... the season-high 322 rushing yards on 48 carries by the Vikings against Weber State (Oct. 23) was exactly the total rushing yards the Vikings had during the entire 2008 season (on 186 carries)... JR RB Cory McCaffrey had 1,287 yards rushing - eighth-best in school history... JR QB Connor Kavanaugh had 506 yards rushing in little more than seven games. That is believed to be the most rushing yards by a PSU quarterback in school history... JR RB Willie Griffin had 204 rushing yards in a backup role in eight games before going down with an ankle injury.

CORY CRACKS A K: JR RB Cory McCaffrey made a remarkable transition from wide receiver to running back in 2010. McCaffrey rushed 231 times for 1,287 yards and 10 touchdowns. He had a 5.6 yard per carry average... McCaffrey's rushing total ranks eighth-best for a season in school history. His eight 100-yard games ties for third-best in a season... even more impressive, McCaffrey had 208 carries for 1,247 yards and 10 touchdowns against the nine FCS opponents (138.6)... in Big Sky only statistics, McCaffrey led the league with a 141.4 yards per game average and nine touchdowns... McCaffrey's career-best 226-yard rushing game against Northern Colorado would stand up pretty well on any all-time rushing list at any school in the country. So, it is remarkable to think that it was the 24th 200-yard rushing game in school history at Portland State. And, though still impressive, it ranks just 12th-best for a game in school history.

1,000-YARD RUSHERS
    1,792    Charles Dunn    2000
    1,702    Joe Rubin    2005
    1,619    Steve Papin    1995
    1,586    Ryan Fuqua    2001
    1,561    Charles Dunn    1998
    1,478    Charles Dunn    1999
    1,408    Curtis Delgardo    1990
    1,287    Cory McCaffrey    2010
    1,283    Ryan Fuqua    2002
    1,279    Darick Holmes    1994
    1,251    Curtis Delgardo    1988
    1,176    Charles Dunn    1997
    1,157    Rais Aho    1992
    1,046    Curtis Delgardo    1987
    1,021    Ryan Fuqua    2004
    1,018    Rodney Clemente    1991

100-YARD RUSHING GAMES, SEASON
    10    Joe Rubin    2005
    9    Charles Dunn    2000
    8    Cory McCaffrey    2010
    8    Charles Dunn    1998
    8    Steve Papin    1995
    8    Curtis Delgardo    1990
    7    Ryan Fuqua    2001
    7    Charles Dunn    1999
    7    Darick Holmes    1994
    7    Rais Aho    1992

YOUNG BUT READY: Portland State's offensive line should get a lion's share of the credit for the improved running game. PSU totaled 2,236 rushing yards in 2010 behind a youthful line. JR LT Dustin Waldron and JR C Adam Kleffner were the veterans. Also starting were SO RT Kyle Ritt and SO RG Manuel Rojas. FR LG Mitch Gaulke and SO Nick Gale each had starts, as well as FR LG Alex Cosenza, who was knocked out with a knee injury after four games. JR Seth Giandomenico, SO Dalton Jasso, FR Mitchell Van Dyk also saw action.

WHAT BROWN CAN DO FOR YOU: SO K Zach Brown set the school record for career field goals injsut two seasons with 36. His 18 field goals in 2010 matched the school-record 18 he made in 2009... Brown made 18-26 on the season, including his last six in a row. Brown ranks third in the nation in field goals made (1.67 pg)... 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 for 17 points... 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 four 50+ yard field goals in his career, he has the most 50-yard field goals by a Viking... 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 is a perfect 44-44 on extra points in his career. The 44 consecutive made extra points ties the school record set by Pat Moore (1972-75).

LONGEST FIELD GOALS (50+ yards)
1.    55    Pat Moore, 1975 at Eastern Washington
2.    53    Zach Brown, 2010 at Arizona State
    53    Mike Erickson, 1986 at California Lutheran
4.     52    Zach Brown, 2009 vs. Southern Oregon
    52    Mike Erickson, 1987 vs. Cal State Northridge
    52    John Kincheloe, 1979 at Weber State
7.    50    John Kincheloe, 1980 vs. Weber State
    50    Zach Brown, 2009 at Northern Colorado
    50    Zach Brown, 2010 vs. Eastern Washington

CAREER FIELD GOALS MADE
    36    Zach Brown    2009-10
    32    Mike Erickson    1985-88
    31    J.J. Brumfield    1988-91
    30    Eric Azorr    2003-06
    30    Dan Frantz    1997-00

SEASON FIELD GOALS MADE
    18/25    Zach Brown    2009
    18/26    Zach Brown    2010
    15/23    Danny Urrego    2008
    14/19    Dan Frantz    1999
    14/21    Eric Azorr    2006
    14/22    Mike Cajal-Willis    2002

SOMMER IN FALL: JR DE Carl Sommer had 46 tackles in 2010 to rank fifth on the team and first among defensive linemen. Sommer led the Vikings with 11 tackles for loss and four sacks. His 11 TFLs ranked second in the Big Sky Conference.

DEFENSIVE NOTES: JR FS Manoa Latu had 72 tackles and led the Vikings with three interceptions. He was named Big Sky Conference co-Defensive Player of the Week after the win over Idaho State (10/2), totaling six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, and returning an interception 43 yards for a touchdown... although he did not intercept a pass in 2010, JR CB DeShawn led the Vikings with seven pass breakups and two fumble recoveries to go with 51 tackles. He also had five tackles for loss and a sack. Shead has 13 takeaways in his career (9 INT, 4 FR), 21 pass breakups and 147 tackles, starting all 33 games the last three seasons... JR LB Ryan Rau led the Vikings in tackles for the second year in a row with 83. Rau has 177 tackles in his three-year career.

THE GOOD HANDS MEN: SR WR Nick Hutter led the Vikings with 38 catches for 521 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games played. Hutter had a career-best 10 catches for 121 yards against Eastern Washington, and five catches for 143 yards and a score against Weber State... SO WR Justin Monahan made 30 catches for 369 yards and two touchdowns in his first season as a Viking... SR TE Julius Thomas, playing for the first time since his freshman year in high school, caught 29 passes for 453 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas had two 100-yard games, including 7-143-1 against Big Sky Champion Montana State and 4-102-1 against Weber State.

FOURTH DOWN: SO P Thomas Duyndam quietly had a solid season, averaging 42.6 yards per punt. That ranks as the third-best punting average in school history... 13 of Duyndam's 51 punts finished inside the 20 yard line (with just one touchback) and there were 10 fair catches... Duyndam, from Melbourne, Australia, ranked second in the Big Sky Conference and 11th in the nation in punting average.

BEST PUNTING SEASONS IN PORTLAND STATE HISTORY
1. John Kincheloe, 1989, 42.80
2. Dan Frantz, 2000, 42.70
3. Thomas Duyndam, 2010, 42.56
4. Dan Frantz, 1998, 42.55

CAREER AND MILESTONE WATCH: SR TE Rory Richards played in the most games of any Viking on the 2010 team (44), never missing one in his four years after a redshirt season in 2006. SR DT Travis Beckley was on that same path until he missed a game on Nov. 6 at Sacramento State. Beckley played in 43 of 44, starting all 32 he played in the last three seasons... JR CB DeShawn Shead has the most consecutive starts (33) of any Viking... Here is a look at the active leaders in respective stats for the Vikings (and their all-time PSU ranking where applicable):

Games Played: Rory Richards, 2007-10, 44; Travis Beckley, 2007-10, 43
Games Started: DeShawn Shead, 2008-10, 33 (consecutive); Travis Beckley, 2007-10, 32
Receptions: Ray Fry, 2008-10, 107
Receiving Yards: Ray Fry, 2008-10, 1,536 yards
Rushing Yards: Cory McCaffrey, 2008-10, 1,287 yards; Connor Kavanaugh, 2008-10, 889 yards
Passing Yards/TDs: Drew Hubel, 2007-10, 6,358 yards (4th all-time)/42 TDs (6th all-time)
Tackles: Ryan Rau, 2008-10, 177
Tackles For Loss: Travis Beckley, 2007-10, 13; Ryan Rau, 2008-10, 13
Sacks: Travis Beckley, 2007-10, 8
Interceptions: DeShawn Shead, 2008-10, 9
Pass Breakups: DeShawn Shead, 2008-10, 21
Field Goals: Zach Brown, 2009-10, 36 (1st all-time)

MAKING A FRESH START: 20 different Vikings have been first-time starters this season... there were nine in game one at Arizona State: JR RB Cory McCaffrey, FR OL Alex Cosenza, SO WR Justin Monahan, SR WR Nick Hutter, JR DE Carl Sommer, JR DE Jack Forbes, JR DT Alika Vaiese, JR FS Manoa Latu and JR CB David Ross... FR DT Julious Moore started at UC Davis... SR TE Julius Thomas and SO WR Kalua Noa and SO OL Nick Gale had their first starts against the Ducks... FR OL Mitch Gaulke had his first start against Idaho State... against Montana State, SO DE Dereck Jester made his first start as a Viking... FR DE Bryant Long, FR RB Justin Lilley and JR LB Shane Melbo each made their first starts against Sacramento State... JR SS Donte Almond started his first game against Northern Colorado... SR LB Kevin Takeno started his first game against Northern Arizona.

IRON MEN: Exactly 23 Vikings played in every game of the season. Nine of those started every game. They were JR CB DeShawn Shead, JR CB David Ross, JR RB Cory McCaffrey, JR C Adam Kleffner, JR OT Dustin Waldron, JR OT Kyle Ritt, SO WR Justin Monahan, SO K Zach Brown and JR LS Braedyn Eagle. SO P Thomas Duyndam would have played in every game this season, but the Vikings never punted in a 41-33 win at UC Davis (9/11).

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: To see marked improvement in 2011, Portland State will need to get better in the red zone and on run defense. The Vikings were just 21-31 converting scores in the red zone (68%), and only 14 were touchdowns (45%). A better interpretation is the Vikings were 23rd in total offense (396.6 yards per game) but just 63rd in scoring offense (23.4 ppg)... despite having three games of holding opponents under 71 yards rushing, the Viking defense allowed an average of 232.9 yards per game on the ground, which was 113th in the nation. PSU was also 115th in total defense and scoring defense.

2010 SEASON NOTES
BACK WHERE HE BELONGS: JR RB Cory McCaffrey has 1,287 rushing yards and eight 100-yard games to lead the Vikings in 2010... McCaffrey made the move from wide receiver where he played briefly in 10 games over two years to starting running back... the move to running back was not unusual when you look at McCaffrey's background. In three seasons at Sisters (OR) High School, he rushed for 8,460 yards.  As a senior in 2007, he rambled for a state record 2,925 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns. In high school, McCaffrey rushed for triple digits in every game but one over three seasons. McCaffrey was a two-time state Player of the Year at the 4A level. But, when he came to PSU in 2008, former coach Jerry Glanville moved him to slot receiver. When Nigel Burton was hired last December, one of his first moves with the existing team was to return McCaffrey to the backfield. ?

KAVANAUGH GOES DOWN: JR QB Connor Kavanaugh went down with a left hand injury on the first drive for the Vikings against Eastern Washington. Kavanaugh had taken almost every meaningful snap of the season prior to injuring his throwing hand. Kavanaugh had a broken bone and underwent surgery on Nov. 2 to repair the injury. He will be back for spring football... Kavanaugh had a solid season as a dual threat quarterback, completing 93-154 passes for 1,109 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions in just over seven games. Kavanaugh rushed 85 times for 506 yards and four touchdowns. He threw his last 90 passes without an interception and had three 100-yard games... Kavanaugh had been averaging over 300 yards of total offense per game in his previous four outings before going down against Eastern Washington. Kav came off a game of 392 yards 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.

FROM THE HARDWOOD TO THE GRIDIRON: SR TE Julius Thomas was familiar to Viking football fans for a different reason - he starred on the Viking basketball team for four seasons. Thomas, at 6-5 and a beefed-up 240-pounds, set basketball school records for career games played (121), career wins (78), and career field goal percentage (.663). He also participated on two Big Sky Champion teams and in two NCAA Tournaments (2008 and 2009). Thomas averaged 10.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and and shot a school-record .671 from the field as a senior... since athletes competing at the NCAA level have five years to complete their eligibility, Thomas (who has graduated) elected to go out for spring football. He so impressed the coaching staff that he now plays an important role in 2010. A native of Stockton, CA, Thomas only football experience is as a freshman at Tokay High School (2002).

HUBEL REDSHIRTS AFTER SHOULDER SURGERY: After starting 20 games the previous three seasons, SR QB Drew Hubel had to redshirt the 2010 season. He had surgery on his right shoulder on Sept. 23 to clean out and tighten the shoulder capsule. He had suffered a dislocated right shoulder in the 10th game of 2009 that ended his year. The surgery came after he experienced shoulder discomfort early in the 2010 season. In the off-season, Hubel also had knee surgery to repair a subluxation of the knee cap that occured in game six of 2009. Hubel will be able to return in 2011 and compete with JR QB Connor Kavanaugh for playing time... Hubel is the most experienced Viking quarterback on the roster with 24 games played and 20 starts. He has thrown for 6,358 yards and 42 touchdowns in his career.

BIG SKY CONFERENCE EXPANDS: On Sept. 7, the Big Sky Conference announced it would expand to 11 teams in either 2012 or 2013 with the addition of UC Davis and Cal Poly. The two schools, current members of the Great West Football Conference, will enter the Big Sky as football-only members. UC Davis and Cal Poly are members of the Big West Conference. PSU plays UC Davis in a non-conference game this season for the fourth year in a row. The Vikings lead the all-time series, 6-4. Although the Vikings and the Mustangs have not played since 1999, they have met 18 times throughout history, with the Vikings holding a 10-8 advantage. Former PSU Head Coach Tim Walsh is now the head coach at Cal Poly.

BIG SKY CONFERENCE EXPANDS, PART TWO: On Nov. 1, the Big Sky Conference announced it would expand to 13 teams in either 2012 or 2013 with the addition of Southern Utah and North Dakota. A 14th team, South Dakota, is expected to be added as well. That would mean the Big Sky will have swallowed up the entire current five-team Great West Football Conference. The Big Sky will split into two divisions, yet to be determined. PSU is 1-1 all-time against North Dakota, with those games coming in 1980 and 1981. The Vikings have never played South Dakota. PSU is 8-1 all-time against Southern Utah, playing the Thunderbirds every year from 1986-1994 as both were Division II program at that time... the Big Sky will compete with 12 teams in sports other than football (Cal Poly and UC Davis are members of the Big West).

HOOV: In 2010, the Portland State football team wore a helmet decal that said “Hoov”, while Viking coaches had “Hoov” stitched into the sleeves of their coaching shirts. The recognition is for former Portland State football assistant coach Jeff Hoover, who died tragically in an automobile accident on Nov. 28, 2009. Hoover, who was coaching at Eastern Illinois, was traveling home from a playoff game. He was the Vikings' offensive line coach from 1995-99, then returned to be offensive coordinator in 2006. A good man, with a great sense of humor who was popular with the entire staff and the Portland State community, Hoover died at age 41.

THE ROSE: A rose logo also appears on Viking helmets, on the GoViks.com website, in department publications, at sporting venues and anywhere that Viking sports participate. The rose symbolizes Portland State Athletics' deeply integrated relationship with Portland, Oregon - The City of Roses. For more on the rose and the “Our Town, Your Team” program go to GoViks.com and click on Inside Athletics.

BACK IN GREEN: The Viking football team had a new look in 2010, which was actually an old look, but better represented Portland State Athletics. PSU had new uniforms which included green as the dominant color once again. Gone are the all black uniforms of 2007-09. In 2010, the Vikings will have varying combinations of green, white and black as in years past... the Vikings also eliminated the name plates on the back and placed the nickname “Vikings” below the number on the back of the jersey... the traditional Viking logo was also returned to the black helmets.

A LITTLE GIVE BACK: Portland State Football hosted a free youth football clinic on Aug. 23 at Stott Community Field. The Vikings used their off-day to host approximately 100 area youth players and teach them basic football skills. The free youth clinic was part of the “Our Town, Your Team” program that PSU has undertaken in 2010-11 to engage student-athletes with the Portland community. Details on “Our Town, Your Team” can be found at www.GoViks.com.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL
DOWNTOWN ZACH BROWN: The Vikings' SO K Zach Brown has proven to have a leg that can score from downtown. He made 3-3 field goals in the season-opening loss to Arizona State (9/4), hitting from 42, 53 and 47 yards. For his effort, Brown was named Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for the third time in his career... after making 4-5 field goals in a win at UC Davis (9/11), three extra points and a two-point conversion, Brown earned Player of the Week honors again - his fourth such honor in 13 career games.

WELCOME TO THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE: Portland State gave future Big Sky member (2012) UC Davis a rude welcome, beating the Aggies, 41-33 (9/11), in Davis. JR QB Connor Kavanaugh had 234 yards of total offense and four different players scored touchdowns. SO K Zach Brown made four field goals, three extra points and a two-point conversion for 17 points. JR RB Cory McCaffrey punctuated his first 100-yard game (116) with a 40-yard touchdown run in the third period. The Viking was the first in the career of new Head Coach Nigel Burton.

DYNAMIC DUO: JR QB Connor Kavanaugh and JR RB Cory McCaffrey were a dynamic rushing duo in the Vikings' 38-3 win over Idaho State (10/2). McCaffrey had a career-high 166 yards on 24 carries. Kavanaugh totaled a career-high 125 yards on 15 carries. Each player had a touchdown. Kavanaugh had 341 yards of total offense and accounted for three touchdowns. McCaffrey (with three catches for 35 yards and a touchdown) had 201 total yards and two touchdowns.

NOT IN OUR HOUSE: The Viking defense kept Idaho State out of the “house” in a 38-3 win (10/2). It marked the first time PSU had now allowed a touchdown in 40 games, dating back to the Tim Walsh era. ISU had just 195 yards of offense and two turnovers... JR FS Manoa Latu made six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, broke up two passes and returned an interception for touchdown in the game. He was named Big Sky Conference co-Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.

100 x 8: JR RB Cory McCaffrey rushed for at least 100 yards against eight straight NCAA I FCS teams before a quad injury knocked him early in the season finale at Northern Arizona. McCaffrey had 116 against UC Davis, 166 against Idaho State, 154 against Montana State, 109 against Montana, 178 at Weber State, 100 against Eastern Washington, 187 against Sacramento State and a career-high 226 yards against Northern Colorado. He has 1,235 yards in those eight games (154.4 avg).

4 X 100: The Vikings may not have beaten Weber State (10/23), but the offense certainly rolled over the Wildcats, going for a season-high 600 yards. In the game the Vikings had two 100-yard rushers and two100-yard receivers. JR RB Cory McCaffrey ran for 178 yards and JR QB Connor Kavanaugh went for 114 yards. SR TE Julius Thomas had 102 yards receiving, while SR WR Nick Hutter had a career-high 143 yards. All four players scored a touchdown, combining for the five Viking TDs in the game. Kavanaugh also threw for a career-high 278 yards.

BIG FOOT: SO K Zach Brown became Portland State's all-time leader in field goals made with 33 after making three at Sacramento State (11/6). Brown accomplished the feat in just 20 games, hitting 33 of 48, including four from 50+ yards. He now has 36 in his career.

CORY CRACKS A K: For the first time in five years, Portland State has a 1,000-yard rusher. JR RB Cory McCaffrey passed 1,000 yards in nine games to become just the ninth player in PSU history to reach 1,000. It has been accomplished 16 times. McCaffrey's 1,287 yards ranks as the eighth best season in PSU history.

BACK TO ZACH: SO K Zach Brown continues to make his presence felt with his foot. Brown, who has made his last six field goal attempts, tied his own season record with 18 field goals made in 2010.

ALL-CONFERENCE: Portland State had a pair of first team All-Big Sky Conference selections. JR RB Cory McCaffrey and SR TE Julius Thomas both earned honors from the league in a vote of coaches. JR CB DeShawn Shead was named second team All-Big Sky Conference. Earning honorable mention honors were: JR QB Connor Kavanaugh, JR C Adam Kleffner, JR OT Dustin Waldron, JR OT Kyle Ritt, SO K Zach Brown, JR DE Carl Sommer, FR DT Julious Moore and SO P Thomas Duyndam.