COMPLETE GAME NOTES AND STATS IN PDF

GAME 2
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (0-1) vs. UC DAVIS AGGIES (0-1)
Saturday, September 11, 2010, 6 p.m. Aggie Stadium (10,849), Davis, CA

TELEVISION: None
RADIO: 970 AM KXFD, www.970.am
Pregame Show: 5 p.m. • Kickoff: 6 p.m. • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Analyst: Mike Lund
INTERNET: Live stats are available at www.ucdavisaggies.com

All-Time Series: Portland State leads 6-4 • PSU leads 5-2 in Portland • UCD leads 2-1 in Davis

Sept. 14, 1974: UCD 50-21 @ Davis
Nov. 15, 1975: PSU 32-21 @ Portland
Nov. 21, 1992: PSU 42-28 @ Portland*
Oct. 7, 1995: PSU 40-13 @ Portland
Oct. 12, 1996: PSU 32-27 @ Portland
Nov. 20, 2004: PSU 38-21 @ Portland
Sept. 10, 2005: PSU 14-12 @ Davis
Sept. 8, 2007: UCD 26-17 @ Portland
Sept. 13, 2008: UCD 38-24 @ Davis
Oct. 24, 2009: UCD 34-31 @ Portland
*NCAA II playoff game

STREAKS
• UC Davis has won three straight games in the series.
• The Aggies have won four in a row at home.
• The Vikings have lost six straight games, dating to last season.
• PSU has lost three in a row on the road.
• Viking SR WR Ray Fry has caught at least three passes in each of his last 18 games.
• Viking SO K  Zach Brown has made eight straight field goals.

STORYLINES
• UC Davis has been picked in the preseason coaches poll as the favorite to win the Great West Football Conference.
• After Portland State had dominated the series with six wins in a row, UC Davis has won three straight meetings.
• Former Viking Head Coach Jerry Glanville was 0-3 against Aggie Coach Bob Biggs (2007-09). Former Viking Coach Tim Walsh (now a conference rival of UCD as Head Coach at Cal Poly) was 4-0 against Biggs while at PSU (1993-2006).
• The teams are meeting for the sixth time in seven seasons for a non-conference game.
• The last time the teams met in Davis, the Aggies exploded for 588 yards of offense, including 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns by running back Joe Trombetta.
• With last year's win over PSU, UC Davis has won two in a row at PGE Park. The Aggies totaled 484 yards of offense and outscored the Vikings 17-3 in the fourth period to win 34-31.

VIKINGS TRAVEL TO UC DAVIS INTENT ON ENDING STREAK,
GETTING NEW HEAD COACH HIS FIRST WIN
Portland State heads south again this week, this time to Davis, CA, as the Vikings will take on Great West Conference foe UC Davis. Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Aggie Field. The game marks the second of three straight on the road to open the season for the Vikings. Viking fans can hear the game on Freedom 970 AM or on the internet at www.970.am.

PSU and UCD will go into the game after similar season-opening experiences against Pac-10 opponents. The Vikings, in the debut of new Head Coach Nigel Burton, lost at Arizona State 54-9, last Saturday. The Aggies fell to Cal in Berkeley, 52-3.

Portland State is anxious to end a six-game losing streak that dates to last season and includes the final five games of 2009 under former Coach Jerry Glanville. PSU would also like to end a three-game road losing streak. The Vikings have also lost three in a row to UC Davis.

Meanwhile, the Aggies, who were picked to win the GWFC in a preseason coaches poll, will be hosting their home opener. They beat the Vikings in a 34-31 come-from-behind effort last year at PGE Park.

Portland State plays at Oregon on Sept. 18 before opening at home on Oct. 2 against Idaho State. The Vikings will play eight straight Big Sky Conference games through late November to round out the regular season.
   
SCOUTING UC DAVIS
UC Davis had a rough start at California last Saturday, losing 52-3. The Aggies had just four first downs and were outgained 517 to 81 on offense.   

Head Coach Bob Biggs leads the Aggies for an 18th season. He has a 130-67-1 record and his team has been picked to win the Great West Football Conference in a preseason poll of league coaches. UCD comes off a 6-5 season, but was 3-1 winning the GWFC in 2009. Seventeen starters and 51 letterwinners return from that team.

LAST YEAR: UC DAVIS 34, PORTLAND STATE 31
Portland State started well in the game at PGE Park, scoring touchdowns on its first three possessions and leading 21-17 at halftime. However, the Vikings managed only 17 offensive yards in the second half. Still, when LB Ryan Rau returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown midway through the third period, the Vikings led 28-17.

But, UCD outscored the Vikings 17-3 in the fourth period, then was able to run out the clock in the closing moments of the game. The Aggies totaled 484 yards of offense in the game, to just 237 for the Vikings.

Viking QB Connor Kavanaugh passed for 131 yards and rushed for 50 more in his second career start.

ZACH BROWN NAMED BIG SKY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Portland State kicker Zach Brown has been named the Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for the third time in his 12-game career.  Players of the Week were named by the league office today for games played last weekend.

Brown kicked field goals of 42, 53 and 47 yards at Arizona State, providing the only Viking points in a 54-9 loss. His 53-yarder tied for the second-longest in Portland State history.  He also had three kickoffs that averaged 64.8 yards in length.

The sophomore from Keizer's McNary High School set a school record with 18 field goals last season. He is now 21-28 on field goals in his career and is the only Viking in history to make at least three field goals in excess of 50 yards.

Remarkably, Brown has made eight consecutive field goals and 17 of his last 19 dating to the middle of last season. His only misses over that span are from 52 and 53 yards.

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 95.5 FM The Game. Burton will review and preview Viking football games.
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. 

FACT, FIGURES AND CURIOSITIES
WINS AND LOSSES: Portland State is now 2-26 all-time against FBS schools... PSU is 0-9 against the Pac-10... the Vikings have lost three straight on the road, allowing a combined 142 points in the three games... PSU is 6-4 all-time against UC Davis and 25-14 all-time against current members of the Great West Football Conference.

DEALING WITH THE DEVIL: Portland State dealt with the devil in more ways than one at Arizona State. At kickoff, the Vikings and the Sun Devils played in 104 degree temperatures - the highest temperature for an ASU game in at least eight years, and possibly the hottest game in PSU history.

THE REAL STUFF: Portland State played on natural grass at Arizona State but moves to artificial turf this week at UC Davis. Last year, the Vikings played on just one grass field all season - and that one was covered with snow at Northern Colorado (the Vikings won)... the Big Sky Conference has just two natural grass field left - Northern Colorado and Weber State. WSU will go to artificial turf next season.

AND THE STARTING QUARTERBACK IS....: JR QB Connor Kavanaugh got the start against Arizona State after a three-way battle for the role during preseason camp between he and SR QBs Tygue Howland and Drew Hubel. It was Kavanaugh's third career start and he played reasonably well, completing 12-23 passes for a career-high 146 yards and one interception... Howland played in the second half, going 6-14 for 63 yards and two interceptions... Hubel did not play in the game... Ironically, Hubel is the most experienced Viking quarterback with 24 games played and 20 starts. he has thrown for 6,358 yards and 42 touchdowns in his career. Hubel is coming back from off-season surgery on his knee following an injury last season.  Howland missed all of last season with a knee injury.

QB Games/Starts    06     07     08     09    10    Total    Notes
Drew Hubel                -      6/4   10/8   8/8    0/0    24/20  missed 3 games with injuries in '09
Tygue Howland        2/0    1/1    7/3    0/0    1/0    11/4    RS in 05, injured in 3rd game in '06,
                                                                                         1st game in 07, preseason in '09
Connor Kavanaugh    -     RS     2/0    9/2    1/1    12/3    played all 11 in '09 including holder
Justin Engstrom         -    OSU   OSU   5/1   0/0     5/1     transfer from OSU prior to '09

BACK WHERE HE BELONGS: JR RB Cory McCaffrey has made the move from wide receiver to running back this year, and got the start against Arizona State. He was limited to 12 yards on 11 carries and three receptions for 26 yards by a talented Arizona State defense, but figures to do well this year... 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 he rambled for a state record 2,925 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns. 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. He didn't see much action, playing briefly in 10 games over the last two seasons. McCaffrey had three total receptions. When Nigel Burton was hired last December, one of his first moves with the existing team was to return McCaffrey to the backfield.

MAKING A FRESH START: Nine Vikings made their first career starts for Portland State against Arizona State. They were: 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.

CAREER AND MILESTONE WATCH: SR WR Ray Fry passed 100 career receptions on Saturday, while JR CB DeShawn Shead passed 100 career tackles and JR LB Ryan Rau reach 100 career tackles... SO K Zach Brown now has 21 career field goals in just 12 games to rank eighth all-time for the Vikings. Here is a look at the active leaders in respective stats for the Vikings (and their all-time PSU ranking where applicable):

Games Played: Travis Beckley/Rory Richards, 2007-10, 34
Games Started: Travis Beckley/DeShawn Shead, 2008-10, 23 (both consecutive)
Receptions: Ray Fry, 2008-10, 104
Receiving Yards: Ray Fry, 2008-10, 1,509 yards
Rushing Yards: Connor Kavanaugh, 2008-10, 413 yards
Passing Yards/TDs: Drew Hubel, 2007-10, 6,358 yards (4th)/42 TDs (6th)
Tackles: DeShawn Shead, 2008-10, 102 (also Ryan Rau, 2008-10, 100)
Tackles For Loss: Travis Beckley, 2007-10, 12
Sacks: Travis Beckley, 2007-10, 7
Interceptions: DeShawn Shead, 2008-10, 9
Field Goals: Zach Brown, 2009-10, 21 (8th)

WHAT BROWN CAN DO FOR YOU: SO K Zach Brown started his 2010 season much like ended 2009, by making field goals. Brown was three for three against Arizona State, including kicks from 42, 53 and 47 yards and earned Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors for the third time in his career... Brown's 53-yarder tied for the second-longest in Portland State history. He is now 3-6 from 50+ yards in his career, and has the most 50-yard field goals by a Viking... with 21 field goals in his 12-game career, Brown already ranks eighth in PSU history... 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 was also perfect on extra points making 21 of 21.

GREEN MOVE: One move of interest during fall camp was Nick Green from quarterback to safety. Green, a sophomore from Central Catholic High School, was one of a host of players competing for time at quarterback. A talented athlete, he was moved to safety to improve the depth at a position with little experience entering the 2010 season. Green made four tackles in a backup role against Arizona State.

FROM THE HARDWOOD TO THE GRIDIRON: SR TE Julius Thomas is 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 figures to play an important role in 2010. A native of Stockton, CA, Thomas only football experience is as a freshman at Tokay High School (2002)... in his first game as a Viking, Thomas caught two passes for 20 yards.

INFLUENTIAL? HE CERTAINLY CAN BE: New Portland State Football Head Coach Nigel Burton was recently named the 25th Most Influential Person on the state of Oregon sports scene by Oregonian columnist John Canzano. (The top of the list? No surprise: Portland Trail Blazers billionaire owner Paul Allen, and Nike mogul Phil Knight). So, how does Burton get on the list without having coached a game yet at Portland State? He has the unique opportunity to turn around a program that has won just nine games in the last three seasons and comes off its poorest mark (2-9) in 28 years. If he can do that, Burton can create a huge buzz for the football program at the state's largest institution of higher education (28,000 students) located in Oregon's major metropolitan area (more the 2.1 million people) as it heads back to a newly remodeled PGE Park in 2011.

BACK IN GREEN: The Viking football team has a new look, which is actually an old look, but better represents Portland State Athletics. PSU has new uniforms which include green as the dominant color once again. Gone are the all black uniforms of the past three seasons. In 2010, the Vikings will have varying combinations of green, white and black as in years past... the Vikings have 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 has also returned to the black helmets.

LOOKING FOR IMPROVEMENT: After a 2-9 season there are always several places to point a finger for improvement. The most obvious come in the areas of possession and efficiency. With that in mind, the Vikings can go a long way toward turning things around by improving their turnover ratio and red zone success. Portland State had a -20 turnover ratio in 2009, with 34 turnovers and 14 takeaways. The -1.82 turnover ratio per game ranked last in the nation among 118 teams at the NCAA I FCS level... the Vikings converted just 11 of 29 red zone opportunities into touchdowns (a poor 38% - opponents converted 64%). The Vikings did convert 10 of those opportunities into field goals... PSU's pass defense allowed 280.9 yards per game, ranking 117th in the nation. PSU also gave up school records of 3,090 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns... the scoring defense was 111th in the nation (33.8 points allowed per game).

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.

TEAM CAPTAINS NAMED: The Portland State Football team selected its team captains for the 2010 season prior to the Arizona State game with six Vikings given the honor. In voting done by Viking players, seniors Drew Hubel and Travis Beckley, and juniors Connor Kavanaugh, Ryan Rau, DeShawn Shead and Adam Kleffner were all selected as captains. Originally, Head Coach Nigel Burton had wanted to name four captains, but the voting was so close among those six players he decided to go with all six.