complete notes and stats in pdf

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (3-6, 2-4) vs. #2 MONTANA STATE BOBCATS (8-1, 5-1)
Game 10 • Saturday, November 10, 2012 • 12:30 p.m. PT • Bobcat Stadium (17,200), Bozeman, MT

TELEVISION: Root Sports (ch. 34/HD 734 in Portland)
Play-by-play: Tom Glasgow • Analyst: Sherdric Bonner • Sidelines: Jason Stiles, Jenny Cavnar
RADIO: Freedom 970 AM, www.freedom970.com
Pregame Show: 11:30 a.m. PT • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Analyst: Mike Lund
INTERNET: Live stats: http://vikslive.statb.us. Live video stream: www.bigskytv.org

THE SERIES RECORD
All-Time Series: MSU leads 17-9 • MSU leads in Portland 7-6 • MSU leads in Bozeman 10-2 • PSU leads in Billings 1-0
Big Sky Conference Series: Montana State leads 10-6 • The series is tied in Portland 4-4 • MSU leads in Bozeman 6-2

Big Sky Conference games
Oct. 26, 1996: MSU 24-6 @ Bozeman
Oct. 25, 1997: PSU 44-0 @ Portland
Oct. 17, 1998: PSU 34-31 @ Bozeman
Oct. 16, 1999: PSU 49-28 @ Portland
Nov. 4, 2000: PSU 31-24 @ Bozeman
Nov. 3, 2001: PSU 33-21 @ Portland
Nov. 16, 2002: MSU 28-26 @ Bozeman
Nov. 15, 2003: MSU 25-14 @ Portland
Oct. 16, 2004: MSU 31-24 @ Bozeman (ot)
Oct. 15, 2005: PSU 44-41 @ Portland
Oct. 7, 2006: MSU 14-0 @ Bozeman
Nov. 10, 2007: MSU 50-36 @ Portland
Nov. 15, 2008: MSU 49-32 @ Bozeman
Nov. 7, 2009: MSU 28-10 @ Portland
Oct. 9, 2010: MSU 44-31 @ Bozeman
Oct. 8, 2011: MSU 38-36 @ Portland

STREAKS
• Montana State has won six in a row against the Vikings and five straight in Bozeman against PSU.
• Portland State has lost 14 straight games the nationally-ranked teams (FCS or FBS).
• SR OL Kyle Ritt has played in 42 straight games, starting 39 in a row.

LAST YEAR: MONTANA STATE 38, PORTLAND STATE 36
PSU took third-ranked Montana State to the wire last year, losing 38-36 at JELD-WEN Field. The Bobcats stopped a potentially tieing two-point conversion by the Vikings with 2:52 to play in the game. PSU had trailed by 16 with 6:52 left. MSU's DeNarius McGhee threw for 255 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for a fifth score. Cory McCaffrey rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns while Zach Brown kicked three field goals for the Vikings.

STORYLINES
• Portland State will try to turn around the series trend, having dropped six in a row and nine of the last 10 to Montana State. The Vikings had won five in a row in the series from 1997 to 2001.
• The other trend the Vikings would like to stop is scoring - the Vikings have given up 209 points and 2,348 yards in the last five meetings with the Bobcats. PSU has also commited 12 turnovers in those games.
• The Bobcats have won the last five meetings in Bozeman. PSU's last win at Montana State was 31-24 on Nov. 4, 2000.

VIKING SEASON WILL CONCLUDE IN CHALLENGING FASHION
The Portland State Vikings (3-6, 2-4) have two games to play in the 2012 season, and they are likely to be their two most challenging Big Sky Conference opponents. PSU will take on second-ranked Montana State (8-1, 5-1) this Saturday in a game at Bozeman, then wrap up the year on Nov. 17, hosting the fifth-ranked Eastern Washington Eagles (7-2, 5-1). Both Big Sky opponents have spent time ranked number-one in the nation this season. In addition, both are tied for second place and in contention for the Big Sky Conference Championship with two weeks to play.
    
This Saturday, the Vikings face the Bobcats in a 12:30 p.m. PT game at Bobcat Stadium. The contest will be televised as the Root Sports Big Sky Conference Game of the Week. The game is also available on the radio at Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. The pre-game show begins at 11:30 a.m.
    
Portland State will have to settle for the role of the spoiler as the season plays out. The Vikings come off a disappointing 32-28 home loss to Northern Colorado last Saturday. PSU was up 28-10 in the third quarter but the Bears scored the final 22 points in the game to come from behind for the win. That eliminated the Vikings' hopes for a second straight winning season.
    
Montana State won a big road game last Saturday against a talented Sacramento State team, 20-17. That kept the Bobcats in the hunt for a Big Sky title. MSU is 4-1 at home this season and has a six-game winning streak against the Vikings.
    
Meanwhile, PSU is 1-4 on the road this season. The Vikings' last win in Bozeman came in 2000, meaning they have lost five straight at Bobcat Stadium.

SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
A powerhouse program in recent seasons under sixth-year Head Coach Rob Ash, Montana State is once again one of the top teams in the nation at the FCS level. The Bobcats have been ranked in the top 10 all season and spent time ranked number one. Their only loss was a 27-24 decision to sixth-ranked Eastern Washington on Oct. 13.
    
Montana State is 8-1 overall, 5-1 in the Big Sky. The Bobcats need two wins then a little help against first-place Northern Arizona (6-0 and hosting Southern Utah and Cal Poly the final two weeks) for a shot at another Big Sky Championship.
    
In 2011, MSU was 10-3, 7-1 in the Big Sky with a share of the conference title. The Bobcats advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA playoffs.
    
Routinely one of the nation's best defensive teams under Ash, the Bobcats lead the Big Sky Conference in rushing defense (65.9 per game) and total defense (290.9). MSU's D ranks third in the nation in rushing defense, sixth in total defense and third in total sacks. That should pose quite a challenge for a Viking offense that has been one of the best in the Big Sky this year (210 on the ground, 441 overall and 35 points per game).
    
For good measure, the Bobcats also lead the Big Sky Conference in scoring at 35.8 points per game. That is 10th-best in the nation, while the offense ranks 18th overall (437.6 per game).
    
All that adds up to a team that is able to control the line of scrimmage and the flow of the game. MSU converts 55% of its third downs and is 8-11 on fourth-down, easily the best in each category in the Big Sky Conference. On defense, the Bobcats lead the league in third-down stops, holding opponents to a 28% conversion rate. As a result, MSU also leads the Big Sky in time of possession at 34:16 per game.
    
Junior quarterback DeNarius McGhee leads the offense, averaging 270.6 total yards. He throws for nearly 250 yards per game and has 17 touchdowns passes. McGhee has also run for four scores.
    
Tanner Bleskin has been McGhee's main target, catching 53 passes for 687 yards and three TDs. Jon Ellis has 41 catches for 414 yards and five scores.    
    
A two-pronged rushing attack includes Cody Kirk (129-638-11) and Orenzo Davis (110-473-6). Kirk's 11 touchdowns leads the Big Sky Conference.
    
Some stars on defense include All-American candidates at linebacker - Jody Owens - and the defensive line - Caleb Schreibeis. Owens leads the team with 63 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks. Schreibeis has 11 tackles for loss, eight sacks, five forced fumbles and seven quarterback hurries.
    
Cornerback Darius Jones has three interceptions on a defense that has made 11 picks and forced 16 turnovers this year. The Bobcats also have 30 sacks as a team.
    
VIKINGS VS. NATIONALLY-RANKED TEAMS
Portland State will play its third nationally-ranked opponent this season when it faces #2 Montana State. The Vikings lost at #22 Northern Arizona, 24-10, and at #14 Cal Poly, 37-25. PSU is 14-31 all-time against nationally-ranked FCS teams, 14-37 against all Division I ranked teams.
    • PSU is 4-19 on the road against nationally-ranked FCS opponents.
    • PSU has lost 14 straight games to nationally-ranked teams (FCS or FBS).

FACTS, FIGURES AND CURIOSITIES
MOMENTUM IS EVERYTHING: Portland State had control of last Saturday's game against Northern Colorado at halftime and well into the third period. The Vikings were ahead 21-10 at the break and had 252 yards of offense. The defense then got an interception and covered the Bears punter on a bad snap in the opening minutes of the third quarter. After scoring again at the 9:51 mark, PSU was up 28-10 and appeared on its way to victory. But, bad things happened. The first was an 83-yard punt return for touchdown by UNC's Dominic Gunn.  That made it only 28-17, but changed the flow of the game. PSU ended up punting seven times in the second half and failing on a fourth down with 1:24 to play. The Vikings had only 90 yards of offense in the second half. Meanwhile, Northern Colorado tacked on touchdown drives of 64 and 57 yards. The winning score came with 7:26 to play when Gunn caught a 29-yard touchdown pass. It looked as though PSU had stopped that drive but committed a crucial personal foul penalty after stopping the Bears at midfield on a long third-down play.

STOPPING THE RUN: Portland State has done a solid job in stopping the run this season outside of giving up 341 yards on the ground to Cal Poly's triple option offense on Oct. 20. However, the Mustangs needed 79 rushing plays to reach that total and averaged a modest 4.3 yards per carry... other than that game, the Vikings other six Big Sky opponents have averaged 80.2 rushing yards per game and 2.8 yards per carry... Portland State has allowed 128.4 yards on the ground per game this year, down from 136.7 last year and 232.9 of two years ago... the Vikings are giving up 258.6 through the air... opponents have run 365 times and passed 306 times.

TRUE FRESHMAN TAKES FIRST SNAPS: It can't be confirmed, but it is believed that FR QB Kieran McDonagh is the first true freshman quarterback to start his first game at Portland State since at least the 1950s, if ever. Drew Hubel started as a true freshman in 2007 but not until the seventh game of the season. Neil Lomax did not start until game eight of his freshman year... McDonagh has started all nine games and now has a PSU freshman record of 1,999 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. That is the most by a Viking since Hubel totaled 2,912 in 2008... McDonagh has run 72 times for 333 yards and eight touchdowns. McDonagh is averaging 259.1 yards of total offense per game.

TOP FRESHMAN SEASONS AT QUARTERBACK
2012    Kieran McDonagh    146-261-9, 1,999 yards, 13 TDs, .559 (9 games, 9 starts)
1977    Neil Lomax    102-181-5, 1,670 yards, 18 TDs, .561 (9 games, 3 starts)
2007    Drew Hubel    123-217-11, 1,470 yards, 15 TDs, .567 (6 games, 4 starts)
1997    Jimmy Blanchard    115-211-5, 1,185 yards, 3 TDs, .545 (redshirt FR, 9 games, 3 starts)

RUN GAME ROULETTE: Portland State has started three different players at running back this season. Leading rusher JR RB DJ Adams has just two starts but has 129 carries for 804 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the team. Adams ranks fourth in the Big Sky Conference with 89.3 rushing yards per game and has three 100-yard games this season... SO RB Shaquille Richard has 88 carries for 392 yards and two scores with two starts. JR RB Justin Lilley has 25 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown, though he has started five games. Also integral to the run game has been FR QB Kieran McDonagh with 72 carries for 333 yards and eight TDs... the four main men average 185.6 rushing yards and the team averages 209.8 per game.

BIG SKY LEADERS: Portland State ranks second in the Big Sky Conference in total offense (442.0 yards per game) and scoring (35.4 points per game). Portland State averages 209.8 yards on the ground (3rd) and 231.7 yards through the air (9th)... the Vikings have allowed the fewest sacks in the league (4) despite 272 pass attempts. That mark ranks third in the nation... PSU also leads the Big Sky in tackles for loss with 8.0 per game and ranks sixth in the nation in that category... SR LB Ian Sluss leads the Big Sky Conference in interceptions (4) and fumble recoveries (4).

GOOD MOVE: FR WR Thomas Carter started his PSU career as a quarterback. He redshirted in 2011, then after two weeks of fall practice this season, he was moved to wide receiver. The move is paying off as Carter leads the team with 28 catches for 279 yards and two touchdowns. He also has five rushes for 21 yards and a touchdown, and a touchdown pass thrown for 22 yards to FR QB Kieran McDonagh.

MONEY MAN: Despite missing three games this season, SR WR Justin Monahan has 22 receptions, and team-highs of 473 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He averages 21.5 yards per catch. Monahan has 574 all-purpose yards for an average of 95.7 per game... at North Dakota, Monahan caught six passes for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns... Monahan was the Vikings' leading receiver in 2011 (52-707-6). He has 104 career catches for nearly 1,549 yards and 12 touchdowns.

@THESLUSSREPORT: That is the twitter handle for SR LB Ian Sluss and he has gained a lot of followers on and off the field. A second-team All-Big Sky Conference selection last year, Sluss was a preseason All-Conference pick this season. And, he has lived up to the billing. Sluss leads the Vikings in tackles with 87, and he leads the Big Sky Conference in interceptions (4) and fumble recoveries (4). In addition, Sluss has two sacks, three pass breakups, three defensive touchdowns and 9.5 tackles for loss... in PSU's 49-21 win over UC Davis on Oct. 27, Sluss earned Sports Network National Defensive Player of the Week as well as the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week by making six tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two pass breakups. He came up with all four turnovers in the fourth period to preserve the win... Sluss made a dozen tackles at Washington, 12 more against Southern Utah, then a career-high 17 at Northern Arizona... he returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown against Idaho State... he returned a fumble 57 yards for a touchdown against Cal Poly... against UC Davis, Sluss had a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown... Sluss added 11 tackles against Northern Colorado.

THE SHOE FITS: JR LB Jaycob Shoemaker's return to play after missing almost a season-and-a-half with injury is inspiring. “Shoe” has 78 tackles, a team-high 12 tackles for loss, two sacks, and an interception return for touchdown... Shoemaker had a career-high 17 tackles at Cal Poly. That total ranks tied for eighth most in a game in PSU history.

HOOKED ON BASS: SR LB Khalil Bass ranks third on the team with 75 tackles and and fourth with eight TFLs... Bass returned a fumble 24 yards for a touchdown against Idaho State... he has led the team in tackles three times this year.

SACK MASTER: SR DE Marquis Jackson has been a regular threat in opponent backfields this season. Jackson leads the Vikings with 6.5 sacks. That is the most by a Viking since Adam Hayward had 9.5 in 2006. Jackson also has 31 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and a forced fumble.

BIG PLAY OFFENSE: Portland State has a total of 38 offensive touchdowns with 16 of them coming on plays of 25 yards or longer... FR QB Kieran McDonagh's 13 TD passes average 41.0 yards in length.

MULTI-PURPOSE LINE: Give it up for the Portland State offensive line once again this season. The Viking running game is averaging 209 yards per game. At the same time, the line has allowed only four sacks all season to rank third in the nation. PSU has 272 pass attempts and averages 231 yards per game through the air. PSU is 16th in the nation in total offense and 13th in scoring... PSU led the Big Sky in rushing each of the last two years and passing offense the two years prior to that.

YOUTH IS SERVED: Much was made of Portland State's recruiting class last February, including being selected by the Sports Network as one of the top two signing classes in all of the Football Championship Subdivision. And, after nine games played, the results are mostly in... this freshman class has to be one of the best ever, if not the best Portland State has seen. So far this season, 19 freshmen (9 true/10 redshirt or transfer) have played in games. The freshmen have 101 games played and 22 starts... also playing major roles are six 2012 transfers (JR RB DJ Adams, JR S David Edgerson, SR DE Marquis Jackson, JR CB Dennis Fite, JR DT Zack Ka'ahanui, JR DE Nick Alexander). Adams, Edgerson, Fite and Ka'ahanui were among the original signing class on Feb. 2 - signing either NLIs or transfer aid agreements. If you include late signees Sibley, Alexander and Jackson, 16 members of the signing class of 2012 are playing roles with the team this season.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK: All-American SR K Zach Brown finally returned to play against Cal Poly after being out with an injury since the first drive of the first game of the season. Brown kicked a 35-yard field goal - his first of the year and two extra points against Cal Poly... he now has 61 career field goals which is a PSU record. He is also the nation's current active leader in field goals made... Brown would have had an excellent shot at the Big Sky Conference field goal record (76), but that appears out of reach with just three games to play... Brown was the nation's top kicker in 2011. He was a consensus first team All-American, earning honors from Associated Press, The Sports Network, the AFCA, and Walter Camp, while being named the nation's top kicker by the College Football Performance Awards and College Sporting News… Brown was also a finalist for the Fred Mitchell Award, recognizing kickers for excellence on the field and community service… in addition, Brown led the nation in field goals made with 24-27. He broke his own Portland State record for field goals made (18), and now owns 10 school records… he is a six-time Big Sky Conference Player of the Week.

ZACH BROWN's PORTLAND STATE KICKING RECORDS
Field Goals, Season: 24
Field Goals, Career: 61
Field Goals, Consecutive: 16
Field Goal Percentage, Season: 24-27 (.889)
Field Goal Percentage, Career: 61-80 (.763)
Field Goals, 50+ yards, Career: 6
PATs, Consecutive: 44 (tied)
PAT Percentage, Career: .965 (82-85)
Scoring, Season by a Kicker: 99 points (101 points total with 2-pt conversion)
Scoring, Career by a Kicker: 266 points (270 total with two two-point conversions)

PLAYMAKER: SR WR Nevin Lewis is a playmaker, as proven by his 2011 season. He was brilliant on special teams, blocking three punts, snuffing out a fake punt with a tackle for loss and making three tackles in all. He also had 29 kick returns for an average of 23.7 per return... as a receiver, Lewis had 22 catches for 337 yards and two touchdowns. He had one rush for seven yards and completed a 14-yard touchdown pass on a reverse play... this season, Lewis has played in eight games and touched the ball 45 times as a receiver, runner and kick returner, totaling 1,015 yards (22.6 yards per touch) and two touchdowns... on 19 receptions this year, Lewis averages exactly 24 yards per catch... Lewis averages 22.3 yards per kick return and 126.9 all-purpose yards per game... with 557 kick return yards this year, Lewis now ranks third all-time in career kickoff return yards at PSU (1,674).

DUYNDAM WATCH: SR P Thomas Duyndam has a 42.3 punting average this season, just shy of his career-best of 42.6 in 2010 and close to the PSU record of 42.8.

2012 HIGHLIGHT REEL
BIG PLAY FIRST DAY: Portland State made several big plays in a season-opening 38-20 win over Carroll College (9/1). JR RB DJ Adams opened with a 46-yard touchdown run. That was followed by a 32-yard interception return for touchdown by JR LB Jaycob Shoemaker. JR RB Justin Lilley caught a 36-yard touchdown pass off a deflection intended for another player. And, SO RB Shaquille Richard scampered 80 yards with a screen pass for a score.

MONEY HANDS: SR WR Justin Monahan had a big day in his return to the field against North Dakota (9/8) despite a 45-37 loss. Monahan caught a 65-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage and went on to make six catches for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns. He had 226 all-purpose yards.

BIG GAINS: Despite a 49-42 loss to Southern Utah (9/22), Portland State's offense totaled 587 yards, the most in 14 starts by a Viking team. FR QB Kieran McDonagh had 270 yards and two touchdowns passing and 52 yards rushing for 322 yards of total offense. The Vikings had seven players with positive rushing yards and nine with receptions.

KIERAN'S BIG DAY: FR QB Kieran McDonagh accounted for six touchdowns in the Vikings' 77-10 win over the Idaho State Bengals (10/6), earning Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week and The Sports Network's National Freshman of the Week for the NCAA I FCS level. McDonagh rushed for four touchdowns, passed for one touchdown, and caught a touchdown pass for good measure. In all, McDonagh completed 15-23 passes for 280 yards, rushed 10 times for a career-high 66 yards and had a 22-yard reception for a total of 368 yards. McDonagh's rushing touchdowns were 26, 11, 2 and 2 yards. His passing TD was 12 yards to freshman wide receiver Thomas Carter and his receiving TD was a 22 yarder from Carter on a trick play. It's also worth noting the McDonagh left the game before the end of the third quarter.

MOST POINTS IN 32 YEARS: Portland State's 77-10 win over Idaho State marked the most points scored by a Viking team since Nov. 8, 1980 when Mouse Davis and Neil Lomax led a 105-0 win over Delaware State at then-Civic Stadium. The irony is that both Davis and Lomax were in the house to see the game against ISU. Lomax as a spectator and Davis as an analyst on the Viking TV broadcast on Comcast SportsNet. PSU rushed for 437 yards against Idaho State breaking the school record of 436 set against the same Bengal team in 2011. The Vikings' 758 yards of total offense were the second-most in school history. The most is 788, set by the Vikings in 1976 against Eastern Montana under the guidance of Davis. PSU averaged 9.1 yards per play against Idaho State.

FINDERS, KEEPERS: SR LB Ian Sluss turned in a remarkable fourth-quarter performance in the Vikings' 49-21 win over UC Davis (10/27). Sluss opened the quarter by picking off a pass at the PSU 28 when the Aggies were driving and the score was still 28-14. PSU scored after the turnover to lead 35-14. Later in the period he intercepted a pass and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown to put the game away at 42-21. Sluss then recovered two fumbles - one with 3:52 left and one on the final play of the game - for four takeaways in the fourth quarter. In all, he made six tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, two pass breakups and a forced fumble. His INT return for a touchdown marked the third straight game he has returned a takeaway for a score. Sluss was named The Sports Network National Defensive Player of the Week and the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

THE LONGEST DRIVE: Portland State registered a 10-play, 98-yard drive in the third quarter of the win over UC Davis that put the game away. PSU was led by six carries for 74 yards in the drive by JR RB DJ Adams. He also had the four-yard touchdown run to give PSU a two-score lead it would never relinquish, 28-14. The Vikings went on to total 338 yards in the second half and 530 in the game. FR QB Kieran McDonagh compiled 307 yards of total offense, 250 through the air and 57 on the ground. He threw for one touchdown and ran for two others. Adams finished with this third 100-yard game of the year, totaling 19 carries for 139 yards.