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Game 2
NORTHERN ARIZONA LUMBERJACKS (1-1) vs. PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (1-0)
Saturday, September 17, 2011 • 5:07 p.m., JELD-WEN Field (18,627), Portland, OR

TELEVISION: Comcast SportsNet (channel 37/HD 737) in Portland • Play-by-play: Bob Akamian • Analyst: Rashad Floyd
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: Northern Arizona leads 14-4 • NAU leads at Portland 7-2 • NAU leads at Flagstaff 7-2
Big Sky Series: Northern Arizona leads 11-4 • NAU leads 6-2 in Flagstaff • NAU leads 5-2 in Portland

Sept. 9, 1978: NAU 42-14 @ Flagstaff
Sept. 8, 1979: NAU 22-21 @ Portland
Oct. 17, 1981: NAU 34-10 @ Portland

Big Sky Conference games
Sept. 21, 1996: NAU 38-24 @ Portland
Sept. 27, 1997: NAU 56-21 @ Flagstaff
Nov. 14, 1998: NAU 23-13 @ Portland
Nov. 13, 1999: NAU 40-24 @ Flagstaff
Sept. 30, 2000: PSU 42-10 @ Flagstaff
Sept. 29, 2001: PSU 33-30 @ Portland
Sept. 28, 2002: NAU 14-10 @ Flagstaff
Sept. 20, 2003: NAU 23-0 @ Portland
Oct. 23, 2004: NAU 21-20 @ Flagstaff
Oct. 22, 2005: PSU 45-0 @ Portland
Nov. 4, 2006: PSU 34-26 @ Flagstaff
Oct. 6, 2007: NAU 44-43 @ Portland
Oct. 11, 2008: NAU 37-17 @ Flagstaff
Oct. 17, 2009: NAU 44-23 @ Portland
Nov. 20, 2010: NAU 62-14 @ Flagstaff

STREAKS
• Northern Arizona has won four in a row and seven of the last nine in the series.
• Portland State has lost seven straight Big Sky Conference games.
• JR K Zach Brown has made seven consecutive field goals.
• SR SS DeShawn Shead has made 34 straight starts.

LAST YEAR: NORTHERN ARIZONA 62, PORTLAND STATE 14
Northern Arizona routed the Vikings in Flagstaff. PSU made four early turnovers - three fumbles and an interception - all of which were turned into Lumberjack touchdowns. The 'Jacks scored 35 points in a span of 13 minutes and held a 35-0 halftime lead. Giovannie Dixon rushed for 219 yards and two touchdowns, while Zach Bauman went for 152 yards and two scores. NAU totaled 655 yards of offense, including 394 on the ground. The Vikings missed Cory McCaffrey, who went out early in the game with a quadriceps injury. PSU had 192 yards passing from Tygue Howland and 296 yards overall.

BIG SKY CONFERENCE SEASON OPENS WITH REVENGE IN MIND
The Portland State Vikings will open their 2011 Big Sky Conference schedule this Saturday at JELD-WEN Field against the same opponent that handed them a disheartening loss at the end of last year's Big Sky schedule, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. The Vikings and 'Jacks meet in a 5:07 p.m. game that can be seen on Comcast SportsNet in Portland and around Oregon, as well heard on Freedom 970 AM and www.970.am.
   
PSU took a 62-14 loss at the hands of the Lumberjacks in last year's season finale played at Flagstaff. It was a tough game to have to carry into the off-season and should provide ample motivation for this Saturday. The Vikings have a four-game losing streak to NAU overall.
   
This week's game is the second of six at home for Portland State. The Vikings, at 1-0, are the only Big Sky Conference team without a loss after two weeks, although the lone win came against NAIA Southern Oregon. The matchup with the Lumberjacks (1-1) should be a much stronger indicator of how PSU has progressed from 2010.
   
NAU is 7-2 all-time in Portland, 5-2 in Big Sky games. The Lumberjacks are 14-4 overall against the Vikings. The contest will be one of four Big Sky Conference games this weekend as league schools meet for the first time.
   
Portland State's first road contest is Sept. 24 at Rose Bowl Champion TCU.

SCOUTING THE LUMBERJACKS
Northern Arizona is 1-1 on the season, with a loss at Arizona (41-10) and a win at home over Division II Fort Lewis (58-13). Head Coach Jerome Souers is in his 14th season at Northern Arizona, making him the longest-tenured coach in the Big Sky Conference. Souers has a 9-4 record against Portland State, 73-76 overall.
   
NAU has 11 returning starters and 52 returning letterwinners from a team that went 6-5 last year, 4-4 in the Big Sky Conference.
   
A running game that trounced the Vikings last year returns in the form of sophomore Zach Bauman and junior Giovannie Dixon. They combined for nearly 1,600 yards in 2010 and have started 2011 equally well. Bauman has rushed 40 times for 185 yards and a touchdown. Dixon is 8-139 with two scores, including an 82-yard run.
   
Junior quarterback Cary Grossart is 36-47 passing for nearly a 77% completion rate. He has 450 yards, four touchdowns and just one interception. Sophomore receiver Ify Umodu has been the top receiver with 14 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
   
NAU averages over 440 yards of offense, but had 622 total against Fort Lewis.
   
Senior defensive end Isaac Bond leads the Lumberjacks' defense with three sacks and four tackles for loss. Redshirt freshman middle linebacker Craig Frum has a team-high 10 tackles. Four other players, including former Viking Ryan Reardon, have eight tackles.
   
The defense is allowing only 54 rushing yards per game, including just 75 yards to Pac-12 Arizona. However, the 'Jacks have given up over 310 yards passing per game.

GAME WEEK ACTIVITIES
VIKINGS ON THE RADIO: 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... Tom Hewitt (play-by-play) and Mike Lund (analyst) call the action.
VIKINGS ON TELEVISION: Portland State and Comcast SportsNet have teamed up to present a minimum of four Viking football games during the 2011 season. The Vikings can be seen on CSN on Sept. 3 vs. Southern Oregon, Sept. 17 vs. Northern Arizona, Oct. 8 vs. Montana State, and Oct. 15 at Montana. There is a possibility that additional Viking games will be televised on CSN and will be determined later in the season... veteran broadcasters Bob Akamian and Rashad Floyd will be on the call for the first two games. Games against Montana State (Max Media) and Montana (KPAX) will be shared feeds produced by the opponents' television partners... 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.b2tv.com... Live stats for Portland State home games are at www.GoViks.com.
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 Dave Smith Show on 750 AM The Game. Burton will review and preview Viking football games.
VIKING COACHES LUNCHEONS: Viking Coaches Luncheons are scheduled for Monday at noon of every home football week. 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 $15 to $50, with youth prices as low as $8. 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 SEPT. 17: The Coors Light Viking Tailgate will open three hours before every game and will be located outside the Kingston Saloon.  The tailgate area will feature beer, live television, inflatables for the kids, Voodoo Donuts, and Ben and Jerry's ice cream. There will also be a special Student Tailgate party sponsored by 7-11. DJ O.G. ONE, also the official DJ of the Portland Trailblazers, will be the DJ at all home games.

PORTLAND STATE AND THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE
Portland State begins its 16th season as a member of the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings are 50-65 all-time in Big Sky games, 32-26 at home and 18-39 on the road.
   
Former coach Tim Walsh (42-41) led the Vikings through the first 11 years, and Jerry Glanville (7-17) was the head coach for three seasons. Nigel Burton was 1-7 in Big Sky play in his first season as head coach.
   
The Vikings have never won a Big Sky title, but tied for second four times, tied for third twice, and tied for fourth twice under Walsh. The Vikings finished sixth, sixth and eighth under Glanville.
   
PSU has made one NCAA I playoff appearance (2000) after placing second in the Big Sky.

THE VIKINGS FOR OPENERS
• PSU is 33-21-1 in home openers dating to 1958 (complete home/away schedules not available prior to '58)
• The Vikings are 12-4 in home openers since moving to the NCAA I FCS level and joining the Big Sky.
• Portland State is 9-6 in Big Sky Conference home opening games.
• With the win over Southern Oregon, PSU has won four straight home openers.
• The Vikings won the 2010 Big Sky Conference home opener (38-3 over Idaho State), and have won five of their last six Big Sky home openers.

THE OPENING GAME'S BEST STORY OF ALL
When JR OL Joey Esposito trotted onto the field for the opening snap on offense against Southern Oregon, few Viking fans noticed. Such is the anonymity of the offensive lineman. However, those familiar with Joey's story know it was the best one in a day filled with good Viking anecdotes.
   
Esposito was playing in his first game since signing a national letter of intent with Portland State in 2010. Shortly after competing in spring football that year, Esposito was diagnosed with cancer for the SECOND TIME in his life. Having previously battled testicular cancer, Esposito this time was told he had a spot on his lung.
   
The 6-4, 300-pound Esposito had previously overcome the insidious disease while in junior college. This time, he underwent chemotherapy throughout the summer of 2010 and eventually surgery to remove a piece of his lung.
   
Not surprisingly, Esposito was unable to do anything football-related for the rest of the year. He returned for spring football this year, and despite being weak, showed promise. He was lauded for his resiliency in features by the Oregonian newspaper and KGW TV Sports during spring ball.
   
“I pretty much had to start all over again,” Esposito told Ian Ruder of the Oregonian. “I wanted to come back and play football but I had to go through every day like it was my first day. I had to take my time getting into it and not rush. It took a while to get back into but this is what I do, this is who I am.” 
   
Now with a clean bill of health, and after six months of preparation, Esposito, a native of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, is writing a new story in his life all over again.

FACTS, FIGURES AND CURIOSITIES
WINS AND LOSSES: With a 52-0 non-conference opening win over Southern Oregon, the Vikings ended a seven-game losing streak that consisted of the last seven games of 2010... PSU still has a seven-game Big Sky losing streak, which is its longest-ever Big Sky losing streak... the Vikings are now 1-0 at home... PSU is 52-29 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 as it starts a 16th season as a member. The Vikings are 32-26 at home, 18-39 on the road in BSC games.

OREGONIAN OFFENSE: Portland State started eight players from the state of Oregon on offense against Southern Oregon. They were: Kyle Ritt (Aloha), Adam Kleffner (Portland/Jesuit), Mitch Gaulke (West Linn), Connor Kavanaugh (Portland/Lincoln), Cory McCaffrey (Sisters), Justin Monahan (West Linn), Ricky Cookman (Clackamas) and Nevin Lewis (Culver). The Vikings might have started a ninth, but sat SR LT Dustin Waldron after 24 straight starts. Waldron was resting a sore knee, but he will return this week. Two other Oregonians started on defense: SR DE Carl Sommer and GR DT Myes Wade. Other Oregonians to see significant time included SR QB Drew Hubel (Corvallis), SR QB Justin Engstrom (Scappoose), JR K Zach Brown (Keizer/McNary) and SR K Tyler Cope (Portland/Jesuit)... in all, Portland State has 35 Oregonians on its roster.

SHARING THE WEALTH: It was a big day for the Viking offense in the win over Southern Oregon. The Vikings totaled 597 yards, which did NOT make it into the all-time top 10 for a game, but the rushing total (335 yards) tied for eighth-best in PSU history... PSU was so effective, that starting QB Connor Kavanaugh played only one quarter. He completed 4-5 passes for 48 yards and rushed four times for 78 yards and a touchdown... SR QB Drew Hubel, playing for the first time since November 2009, played the second and most of the third period. He was 13-22-1 for 181 yards and a 21-yard touchdown pass to JR WR Justin Monahan... SR QB Justin Engstrom played the rest of the way, completing 3-4 for 33 yards and also had a two-yard TD run... four players had good rushing days, including Kavanaugh. FR RB Shaquille Richard was the leading rusher in a backup role. He had 16 carries for 89 yards. SO RB Justin Lilley had 10 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown. Last year's leading rusher, Cory McCaffrey had 13 carries for 69 yards and three first-period touchdowns. He came out of the game early in the second period... eight Viking receivers made catches, led by Monahan's five grabs for 82 yards and a score... SO WR AJ Powell caught four passes for 60 yards, while Ricky Cookman caught four for 50 yards.

DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS: PSU forced three turnovers, highlighted by SR CB David Ross's interception on the second play from scrimmage. That led to an easy SR RB Cory McCaffrey touchdown run and the Vikings were off to a 31-point first period. JR CB Denzel Davis also had an interception, while SR LB Ryan Rau recovered a fumble - the third of his career... Rau had a team-high nine tackles... JR LB Joel Sisler and SR LB Shane Melbo each had six tackles and combined for 4.5 tackles for loss.

MAKING BAGELS: Portland State's defense pitched its first shutout since the Tim Walsh era - a span of 48 games - with the 52-0 whitewashing of Southern Oregon. The last Viking shutout was a 34-0 win over Eastern Washington on Oct. 21, 2006... as a team, the Vikings had 14 tackles for loss (after making 61 all of last season), forced three turnovers and allowed the Raiders just 107 yards of total offense.

LED BY SHEAD: SR SS DeShawn Shead started his 34th straight game against Southern Oregon. He is the only Viking to start and play in all 34 games over the last four seasons. Shead played well with three tackles, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.

LEWIS CONTINUES TO EXCEL ON SPECIAL TEAMS: Portland State's Nevin Lewis was named the Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the 52-0 win over Southern Oregon... Lewis,  who was the Vikings' leading kick returner in 2010, did not have an opportunity for a return as PSU shut out SOU. But he had an impact elsewhere. Lewis blocked a punt and recorded a tackle on a fake punt attempt leading to a pair of Portland State touchdowns... in the first quarter, Southern Oregon tried a fake punt from its own 33-yard line. Lewis made the stop at the 27-yard line. Three plays later, Portland State scored to take a 17-0 lead. On Southern Oregon's next punt, Lewis broke through for the block. PSU took over at the Southern Oregon 8-yard line, and scored soon after to take a 24-0 lead. This is Lewis' first Player of the Week honor.

A GOOD DAY TO BE NAMED JUSTIN: Portland State scored three straight touchdowns in the second and third periods by players named Justin. JR WR Justin Monahan caught a 21-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter. SO RB Justin Lilley had a one-yard run in the third period. He was followed by SR QB Justin Engstrom, who had a two-yard run.

HERE'S THE KICKER: In addition to three quarterbacks, the Vikings also used three kickers against Southern Oregon, getting mixed results. PSU's regular starter JR Zach Brown made one field goal from 25 yards to extend his PSU career record total to 37 and consecutive made streak to seven. Brown also made 3-4 extra points. He missed his first PAT, ending a streak of 41 in a row to start his career which, ironically, ties Eric Azorr for the PSU record for consecutive PATs... SR K Tyler Cope kicked two extra points and handled second-half kickoff duties... SR K Robert Truax missed a 28-yard field goal attempt.

NEW ATTITUDE AT HOME: Portland State hopes to bring a new attitude to JELD-WEN Field. After going 35-9 at home over Tim Walsh's final eight seasons, 1999-2006 (including two 5-0 marks), the Vikings were just 7-13 at home the last four years (which includes 1-3 at Hillsboro Stadium in 2010). The Vikings have started their six-game home schedule 1-0.

THE VIKINGS RECORD ON TV: Since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996, Portland State has appeared on television locally in Portland 37 times. PSU is 15-22 in those games, 9-7 at home, 6-15 on the road... the Vikings broke an 11-game TV losing streak with the win over Southern Oregon. This week's contest with Northern Arizona will also be televised in Portland... this season, the Vikings will have at least four games televised in the Portland area.

LOWER DIVISION OPPONENTS: Since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996, Portland State is 9-0 against lower division programs (Division II, III and NAIA), including 2-0 against Southern Oregon.

THE HUBEL TELESCOPE: With SR QB Drew Hubel (that's HUE-bull, not hubble) back on the field, it is worth taking a closer look at his Portland State career passing statistics. Hubel moved into fourth place in all-time passing yards at PSU with 6,539, passing Terry Summerfield (1982-85)... Hubel also has 43 career touchdown passes to rank sixth all-time... his pass completion total of 495 also ranks sixth all-time at PSU.