TELEVISION: None
RADIO: Freedom 970 AM, www.freedom970.com • Pregame Show: Noon • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Analyst: Mike Lund
INTERNET: Live video stream: http://www.WatchBigSky.com • Live stats: http://vikslive.statb.us and http://viksmobile.com

THE SERIES RECORD
All-Time Series: Weber State leads 20-12 • The series is tied 8-8 in Portland • Weber State leads 12-4 in Ogden
Big Sky Conference Series: Weber State leads 10-6 • Weber State leads 5-3 in Portland • Weber State leads 5-3 in Ogden

Big Sky Conference games
Oct. 19, 1996: WSU 35-10 @ Portland
Oct. 18, 1997: WSU 16-7 @ Ogden
Oct. 24, 1998: PSU 34-27 @ Portland
Oct. 23, 1999: PSU 31-14 @ Ogden
Oct. 21, 2000: WSU 41-9 @ Ogden
Oct. 20, 2001: PSU 65-43 @ Portland
Nov. 9, 2002: WSU 20-14 @ Ogden
Nov. 8, 2003: WSU 45-21 @ Portland
Nov. 13, 2004: PSU 34-15 @ Ogden
Nov. 12, 2005: PSU 39-14 @ Portland
Sept. 23, 2006: PSU 20-10 @ Ogden
Oct. 27, 2007: WSU 73-68 @ Portland
Nov. 1, 2008: WSU 31-21 @ Ogden
Sept. 26, 2009: WSU 36-29 @ Portland
Oct. 23, 2010: WSU 44-41 @ Ogden
Nov. 19, 2011: WSU 48-33 @ Portland

LAST MEETING, Nov. 19, 2011: Weber State 48, Portland State 33
CJ Tuckett rushed 20 times for 211 yards and five touchdowns to lead Weber State to a 48-33 win at JELD-WEN Field. Three of Tuckett's TDs came in the fourth quarter as WSU broke away from a 27-27 tie. Zach Brown kicked four field goals for the Vikings, who outgained the Wildcats, 496 to 374. Despite all that offense, PSU committed two turnovers, had a punt blocked and failed on a fake field goal try. Connor Kavanuagh passed for a career-high 364 yards and two scores.

STORYLINES
• Weber State has won the last five meetings in the series, including the last three trips to Portland. The Wildcats have won five of eight Big Sky Conference games played at JELD-WEN Field.
• The Wildcats have broken the Vikings hearts in the last three meetings. In 2009, the Wildcats scored with 17 seconds left at JELD-WEN Field, turning a 29-28 Viking lead into a 36-29 Viking loss. In 2010, PSU scored with 1:02 to play to go ahead 41-37 in Ogden. But, WSU ran off six plays for 70 yards, scoring on a two-yard run by Vai Tafuna with 21 seconds to play, winning 44-41. In 2011, the Vikings were 7-3 heading into the season finale at JELD-WEN Field, hoping for a win and a shot at an NCAA playoff berth. But the Wildcats beat PSU, 48-33, in former Coach Ron McBride's final game before retirement.
• The 2007 meeting at JELD-WEN Field is the highest-scoring Division I regulation football game in college history with Weber State winning, 73-68. Amazingly, that was NOT the most points by either team in the series. Weber State earned a 74-6 win in 1965. A Mouse Davis-coached Portland State team won 75-0 in 1980. A 65-43 win by the Vikings in 2001 at JELD-WEN was the highest-scoring game in PSU history by two teams, combined, until the 2007 contest.

VIKINGS LOOK FOR SECOND STRAIGHT AT HOME AGAINST WEBER
Portland State will attempt to start a winning streak this Saturday when it hosts Weber State in a Big Sky Conference game at JELD-WEN Field. The Vikings (4-4, 1-3) and Wildcats (1-7, 0-4) will meet up in a 1:05 p.m. game.

After three straight losses, PSU finally righted the ship last Saturday with a fourth-quarter comeback and 14-10 win over North Dakota. The Vikings got excellent defense (238 yards allowed), timely special teams play (a blocked punt that led to the Vikings first touchdown) and enough offense (392 yards and two fourth-quarter scores) to get the win. PSU trailed the entire game until DJ Adams rumbled in for a pair of touchdowns in short-field situations. The Viks led 14-10 with just over nine minutes to play and the defense took it from there.

Portland State's fourth win of the year guarantees it a better record than last year (3-8). Now, the Vikings try to make it two in a row and get back over .500 when they face Weber State.

The Wildcats have had a rough go of it this season, struggling to a 1-7 mark. After a season-opening win over Stephen F. Austin, WSU has lost seven straight. The Wildcats are coming off a bye last Saturday.

Although Weber State is currently tied at the bottom of the Big Sky Conference standings, the Vikings still need to stop a five-game losing streak to the Wildcats - with three of those losses coming at JELD-WEN Field. PSU's last win over Weber State was a 20-10 decision in 2006. In recent years, the Wildcats have won close games in the late-going against the Vikings. Weber State scored in the final minute of the game in both 2009 and 2010 to earn come-from-behind wins. Then, in 2011, with PSU hoping for a post-season berth, the Wildcats broke open a 27-27 fourth-quarter tie to beat the Vikings at home, 48-33, in the season finale.

Portland State and Weber State did not meet in 2012 due to the newly-expanded Big Sky Conference.

This week's game is not televised. It can be heard on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. The pre-game show begins at noon. A live video stream is available at www.WatchBigSky.com.

Portland State travels to Idaho State on Nov. 9, comes home to face Sacramento State on Nov. 16. Then concludes the regular season at Eastern Washington on Nov. 23. 

SCOUTING WEBER STATE
After a season-opening 50-40 win over Stephen F. Austin, Weber State has lost seven straight games. The Wildcats are 1-7 overall, 0-4 in the Big Sky Conference. 

Weber State ranks last in the Big Sky Conference in scoring (13.4), total offense (286.0), scoring defense (47.0) and total defense (537.2).

In fact, after scoring those 50 points in the first game, the Wildcats have only 57 points scored in the next seven. They have given up 31 or more points in every game and 70 points on two occasions.

Freshman quarterback Austin Chipoletti leads the Wildcat offense. He has completed 95-163 passes for 837 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions. Senior Erik Walker has been the top receiver with 41 catches for 449 yards and a touchdown.

Bo Bolen leads the running game with 85 carries for 417 yards and four touchdowns. The Wildcats average over 150 yards rushing per game. Bolen also returns kicks, punts and has 15 receptions. He averages 104.9 all-purpose yards per game. 

Weber State has committed 17 turnovers while forcing 10 takeaways. 

Linebacker Roman Valenzuela has 67 tackles to lead Weber State. Anthony Morales, also a linebacker, has 55 tackles, including six for losses.

GAME WEEK ACTIVITIES
NIGEL BURTON ON THE RADIO: Viking football Coach Nigel Burton can be heard every Monday at 3:15 p.m. on the Wheels At Work Show on Fox Sports Radio 620 AM. Burton will review and preview Viking football games... Burton can also be heard on the John Canzano's Bald Faced Truth Show on 750 AM The Game on Monday's of home football weeks.
VIKING COACHES' LUNCHEONS: Viking Coaches Luncheons take place at noon every Monday at the Old Spaghetti Factory and continue weekly through March. THERE WILL BE NO COACHES LUNCHEON ON NOV. 4, THEY WILL RESUME ON NOV. 11. Coach Nigel Burton, Viking players, and coaches representing other sports will be on hand to speak and take questions. Luncheons take place at The OSF at 0715 S.W. Bancroft in Portland. The cost is $10.00 per person and includes lunch and a non-alcoholic beverage.
VIKINGS ON THE RADIO: All Portland State football games can be heard on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. 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 has four televised games in 2013, three of which are on the Big Sky Conference Root Sports Game of the Week. The final televised game is coming up on Nov. 23 at Eastern Washington, 2:45 p.m., Root Sports.
feature for in-stadium and on-the-go viewing: http://viksmobile.com.
VIKINGS ON THE INTERNET: Live streaming video of all Portland State home and Big Sky Conference games can be seen free at www.WatchBigSky.com... Live stats for Portland State home games are at www.GoViks.com with a mobile phone feature for in-stadium and on-the-go viewing: http://viksmobile.com.
THE VIK WALK: The Vik Walk begins on the Park Blocks with the team two and a half hours before every home game. The team will walk to JELD-WEN Field and fans are welcome to join. They will pass the Viking Tailgate area on SW 18th and Salmon and the Cheerful Bullpen.
TICKETS: Tickets for all home games can be purchased in prices ranging from $19 to $52, with youth prices as low as $9. Groups of 15 or more get special admission prices. Tickets are subject to service charge. To purchase tickets by phone, call 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.

THE DEFENSIVE EDGE: DAVID EDGERSON PICKS OFF TWO, PICKS UP BIG SKY HONOR
Portland State's defense came up big in a 14-10 win over North Dakota last Saturday at JELD-WEN Field. A big part of that success came from senior safety David Edgerson, who had two interceptions in the game. For his performance Edgerson has been named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week. 

Edgerson made an interception in the second quarter, then added a second in the fourth quarter to seal the win. With 1:57 left in the game, North Dakota was driving for a go-ahead score. But Edgerson picked off a pass that had been deflected by Viking cornerback Aaron Sibley. That sealed the Viking win. Edgerson also had three solo tackles in the game.

Edgerson, a 5-11, 205-pound safety from New Orleans, LA, has four interceptions this season to lead the Big Sky Conference and rank fifth in the nation. He has 43 tackles for the season to rank third on the Viking team.

SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE: VIKING QUICK NOTES

DEFENSE HITS ITS STRIDE: For the second game in a row, the Portland State defense was dominant, this time leading the Vikings to a win over North Dakota last Saturday. PSU held UND to 238 total yards in the game. After the 11:31 mark of the second quarter, North Dakota managed only 55 yards on 36 plays. In the second half, UND had 37 total yards... in the previous game against Southern Utah, PSU's defense gave up just 183 yards in a 17-7 loss. That is an average of 210.5 yards and 13.5 points allowed in the last two contests.

BLOCK PARTY: When SR S Michael Plummer blocked a North Dakota punt with 12:22 to play in the fourth quarter it ignited a Portland State come-from-behind win. The Vikings trailed 10-0, but scored two touchdowns in the next three minutes to come away with a 14-10 victory... Plummer's block was his second of the season and the third punt block of the year for the Vikings. Combined with three field goal blocks (all by JR WR Victor Dean), the Vikings now have six blocked kicks on the season to lead the nation.

BEST FOOT IN THE NATION: Speaking of excellent special teams play, JR P Kyle Loomis continues to lead the nation in punting. Loomis has a 47.3 average and of his 38 punts, 15 have gone over 50 yards. He has a pair of 67-yard punts this season. Fifteen of Loomis' punts have been downed inside the 20 yard line and 11 have been fair caught. Portland State's 41.8 net punting average also leads the nation... Loomis has an interesting story (see below) as a veteran of one season of football at Oregon State (2006) and nearly four years in the US Army. Having celebrated his 26th birthday on Sept. 30, he is the oldest Viking, but also one of the most effective. Loomis has accomplished all of this after seven years away from football.

STILL MORE SPECIAL TEAMS: In addition to PSU's kick-blocking abilities and sensational punting game, the Vikings hold opponents to 14.4 yards per kickoff return this season. That number leads the Big Sky and ranks second in the nation.

REALITY CHECK: Portland State still has one important area of special teams to get fixed. The field goal kicking game has been a disappointment, making just 1-7 attempts this season. The Vikings missed two and had a third field goal blocked against North Dakota.

OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS: PSU has totaled more than 600 yards of offense in three games this season. Although the numbers have been down the past two games, they are still outstanding. Here are the season highlights:
• PSU averages 251.2 yards rushing per game to rank second in the Big Sky and ninth the nation.
• The Vikings average 518.9 yards of total offense to lead the Big Sky and rank fourth in the nation.
• The Vikings lead the nation with 16.7 yards per pass completion.
• SR RB DJ Adams ranks second in the Big Sky Conference and 19th in the nation in rushing at 106.8 yards per game.
• JR WR Kasey Closs ranks second in the Big Sky and 10th in the nation with 99.4 receiving yards per game. He averages 18.9 yards per catch, has five touchdowns and three 100-yard games. Other Vikings with big receiving averages include Victor Dean (15 catches, 22.2 ypc) and Roston Tatum (9 catches, 25.9 ypc).
• SO QB Kieran McDonagh leads the nation with 16.9 yards per completion.

THE TOUCHDOWN MAKER: SR RB DJ Adams made a triumphant return to the endzone (twice!) in the fourth quarter against North Dakota as the Vikings won 14-10. He had been kept out of the endzone for three straight weeks and that was unusual. Adams now has nine rushing touchdowns on the season to rank second in the Big Sky and 17th in the nation... Adams has 21 TDs in his 19-game PSU career. That ranks 10th all-time at Portland State... counting his two seasons at Maryland, Adams has 36 career rushing touchdowns on 414 carries. That is one end zone trip for every 11.5 totes... Adams leads the Vikings with 854 rushing yards this season. He averages 6.1 yards per carry and has five 100-yard games... following a career-high 208 yards and two touchdowns at UC Davis (9/21), Adams earned Big Sky Conference Player of the Week. In that game, he averaged 14.9 yards per carry and had scoring runs of 85 and 27 yards.

QUARTERBACK ROULETTE: Portland State has used all three of its quarterbacks at some point in each of the last two games. It has been due in part to turnovers, inability to score, and/or just a change of pace in the offense. SO QB Kieran McDonagh started his 19th straight game as a Viking against North Dakota. And, he rushed for a career-high 108 yards on 10 carries. Ironically though, it was PSU's third QB of the day - Collin Ramirez - that was taking snaps when the Vikings scored both fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat UND, 14-10.

CONSIDERING KIERAN: SO QB Kieran McDonagh has twice set career highs for passing yards in a game this season (308, then 377) and also set a career-high for total offense (441). McDonagh has thrown 13 touchdown passes this season and run for three more... the sophomore from Vancouver's Skyview High School was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week after the 37-30 loss to Cal. He had 308 passing yards, 368 total yards, a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown... McDonagh is averaging 274.1 yards of total offense per game... McDonagh leads the nation in yards per completion (16.9)... he has 1,821 passing yards (with more than 4,000 in his career) and 372 rushing yards... McDonagh had his first 100-yard rushing game in a 10-carry, 108-yard performance against North Dakota.

GETTING DEFENSIVE:
• Portland State has forced 13 turnovers in eight games.
• Portland State ranks fifth in the nation in tackles for loss per game (8.9).
• SR S David Edgerson leads the Big Sky Conference and ranks fifth in the nation with four interceptions.
• SR S Dean Faddis leads the Vikings with 70 tackles this season and has five games of at least 10 tackles.
• SR LB Jaycob Shoemaker has 65 tackles in seven games played to rank sixth in the Big Sky (9.3 pg). Shoemaker passed 200 career tackles against North Dakota and now has 206.
• SR DE Bryant Long leads the team with eight tackles for loss. SR DE Jeremy Boone and SO DT Junior Alexis each have 3.5 sacks this season.
• The Viking defense has 20 quarterback sacks.

RED ZONE REVIEW: Portland State had allowed opponents 30 trips into the red zone through eight games. Only 15 times have the opponents scored touchdowns (50%). There has also been one turnover, nine field goals, two missed field goals and three losses of possession on downs.

OFFENSIVE LINE LEGACY: Portland State's offensive line has allowed only four sacks in eight games this season. That is the fewest in the Big Sky and ranks second fewest in the nation... PSU gives up only 3.44 tackles for loss per game, which is second in the nation... in 2012, PSU gave up only seven sacks while throwing 343 passes.

HANG ON: Turnovers have been a problem for Portland State this season, although the Vikings had just one against North Dakota. The Vikings have 24 giveaways through eight games - an average of three per contest. PSU has lost 12 fumbles on the season after having only eight fumbles lost in all of 2012. The 24 turnovers ranks 121st in the nation.

CLEAN IT UP: Portland State continues to be a heavily penalized team. The Vikings had nine against North Dakota which is right about at their average. The Vikings have 77 penalties for 702 yards on the season (87.7 yards per game). That ranks last in the Big Sky Conference and 120th in the nation.

A DISTURBING TREND, REVERSED!: Portland State lost a double-digit lead in the second half to lose to Cal Poly, 38-34 on Sept. 26. PSU was up 14-0, and then 21-7 entering the third quarter. It marked the fourth time in two seasons PSU had given up a double-digit lead at home to lose. However, that trend was reversed when the Vikings turned a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit (10-0) into a 14-10 against North Dakota.

TASTY, YET INSIGNIFICANT, TIDBITS:
• The Vikings' 14 points against North Dakota are the fewest in a win since PSU beat Sacramento State, 13-7, on Nov. 11, 2006.
• Both SR RB DJ Adams and JR RB Shaquille Richard passed 1,000 career rushing yards against Eastern Oregon (8/29). Adams now has 1,821 career yards and 21 touchdowns. Richard has 1,240 yards and eight touchdowns.
• Nigel Burton is 3-0 at UC Davis and the Vikings have averaged 43.7 points in those games.
• Portland State is 4-1 all-time in Thursday games.
• Portland State has appeared on television locally in Portland 53 times since joining the Big Sky Conference. PSU is 19-34 in those games, 12-11 at home, 7-23 on the road... PSU is 0-3 in televised games this year.
• The 57 points scored by the Vikings against Eastern Oregon is the most ever in a season-opening game in the 67-year history of the PSU program.
• The Vikings are 13-0 against lower division teams since moving to the Big Sky Conference in 1996.
• JR WR Victor Dean has blocked three field goals this season.

2013 HIGHLIGHT REEL
DYNAMIC DUO: Portland State's 57-17 opening-night win over Eastern Oregon (8/29) was led by a pair of dynamic offensive performers. SR RB DJ Adams rushed 17 times for 107 yards and three touchdowns in little more than two periods. SO QB Kieran McDonagh completed 7-11 passes for 170 yards a two scores while playing just the first half. In all the Vikings had 672 yards of total offense (10th-most all-time), and 405 yards rushing (4th-most all-time).

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: Portland State totaled 280 yards in the first quarter and 434 by halftime in a 37-30 loss to California (9/7). The Vikings jumped to a quick lead and led for half of the game. SO QB Kieran McDonagh hit JR WR Kasey Closs on an 81-yard touchdown pass on the game's second play. McDonagh went on to total a career-high 308 passing yards. With 60 rushing yards and a touchdown, McDonagh had 368 yards of total offense, was responsible for two touchdowns and earned Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week. PSU totaled 553 yards of offense in the game.

A COMPLETE GAME: Portland State had a slow start, but ended up with a fast finish in a 43-6 rout of Humboldt State (9/14). The Vikings totaled 622 yards of offense, including career-best marks of 377 passing yards and 441 total offensive yards by SO QB Kieran McDonagh. He threw two touchdowns passes while JR RB Shaq Richard and SR RB Justin Lilley each ran for two touchdowns... the defense made 18 tackles for loss and eight sacks in the win, holding Humboldt State to the fewest points by a Viking opponent in 24 games.

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING: There was thunder and lightning in the air and on the ground in Davis, CA (9/21). Despite a 36-minute delay in the second quarter due to a lightning storm, Portland State's running game put out a 427-yard rushing performance against UC Davis. The Vikings beat the Aggies, 41-10 while rolling up 601 yards of total offense. With 427 rushing yards on only 38 carries, the Vikings averaged 11.2 yards per play. They came within 10 yards of the PSU single-game rushing records (437 vs. Idaho State, 2012). SR RB DJ Adams rushed for 208 yards on 14 carries and scored two touchdowns to lead the Vikings. He was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week. PSU's quarterbacks were effective as well with redshirt freshman Paris Penn gaining 74 rushing yards on three carries and sophomore Kieran McDonagh rushing for 57 yards on eight carries with two touchdowns. Junior running back Shaq Richard added five carries for 44 yards and freshman Nate Tago had eight carries for 44 yards. Remarkably, all five runners had at least one carry of 22 yards or more. Penn had a 70-yard gain and Adams scored on touchdowns runs of 85 and 27 yards... PSU gained 601 yards on 60 plays to average 10 yards per play. It marked the third time in four games that the Viking offense has gained at least 600 yards. 

MORE FIREWORKS: Portland State lost to 18th-ranked Cal Poly, 38-34, in the Big Sky Conference opener (9/26), but the Vikings hit a few milestones in the game. JR WR Victor Dean caught three touchdown passes in the game, while SO QB Kieran McDonagh threw for a career-high four touchdowns. It was the first time in five years that either feat had been accomplished by a Viking.

SPECIAL TEAMS, DEFENSE SAVE THE DAY: Portland State moved the ball up and down the field but kept finding ways not to score before finally beating North Dakota 14-10 (10/26). The big plays came early in the fourth quarter when SR S Michael Plummer blocked a punt, then the Vikings tackled the punter on UNDs next series after he mishandled a snap. Both plays led to short-field rushing touchdowns by SR RB DJ Adams, turning a 10-0 deficit into a 14-10 win. Meanwhile, the defense kept PSU in the game, holding North Dakota to 55 yards on its last 36 offensive plays of the game, including only 37 yards in the second half. SR S David Edgerson picked off a UND pass with 1:57 left to seal the win. It was his second interception of the game and he was later named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week.