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

THE SERIES RECORD
All-Time Series: Portland State leads 8-2 • PSU leads 5-1 in Portland • PSU leads 3-1 in Cedar City
Big Sky Conference Series: Southern Utah leads 1-0 • SUU leads 1-0 in Portland

Western Football Conference games (NCAA II)
Oct. 11, 1986: PSU 41-17 @ Portland
Sept. 26, 1987: PSU 38-6 @ Cedar City
Oct. 22, 1988: PSU 52-24 @ Portland
Oct. 21, 1989: SUU 36-26 @ Cedar City
Nov. 10, 1990: PSU 35-19 @ Portland
Oct. 5, 1991: PSU 30-6 @ Cedar City
Oct. 3, 1992: PSU 35-18 @ Portland

Non-conference games
Nov. 6, 1993: PSU 24-14 @ Cedar City
Nov. 12, 1994: PSU 48-16 @ Portland

Big Sky Conference games
Sept. 22, 2012: SUU 49-42 @ Portland

VIKINGS MAKE FIRST TRIP TO CEDAR CITY IN 20 SEASONS
The Portland State Vikings will look for that elusive first Big Sky Conference win in an unfamiliar place this Saturday. PSU travels to Cedar City, UT for the first time in 20 years to take on Southern Utah.  This week's game will be the first Big Sky game against the T-Birds in Cedar City.

The Vikings go into the game having lost two straight and will be looking for their first Big Sky win of the season. PSU is 3-3, 0-2 after a 55-27 loss at Montana last Saturday. Meanwhile, Southern Utah lost a home game to UC Davis, 21-3, and stands at 4-2, 1-1 this season. 

This week's game kicks off at 1:05 p.m. PT and will air 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 is reeling after two straight losses, though the two opponents were nationally-ranked Cal Poly and Montana. Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds had started the season well, but suffered a surprising home defeat to the Aggies last week. PSU beat UC Davis earlier this season, 41-10.

Southern Utah is a second-year member of the Big Sky Conference. Last year, the T-Birds pulled off a come-from-behind, 49-42 win in Portland. The Vikings outgained the Thunderbirds by nearly 200 yards, 587-397, leading 21-3 in the first quarter and 28-13 in the second quarter. But they committed four turnovers and had 14 penalties to hurt their cause. The T-Birds scored 17 points off Viking turnovers. 

PSU and SUU were former combatants in the old NCAA II Western Football Conference from 1986-1992. The Vikings went 3-1 in Cedar City with the last game being a non-conference affair in 1993. 

SCOUTING THE THUNDERBIRDS
Southern Utah is a second-year member of the Big Sky Conference. The Thunderbirds went 5-6 last season, 4-4 in Big Sky games, including a win at Portland State. This year, SUU has started strong, winning four of its first five games before a surprising 21-3 home loss to UC Davis last Saturday.

The style of play for Southern Utah will be much different from what Portland State has experienced so far this season. The Thunderbirds have a strong defense and a run-oriented offense that has resulted in shorter, lower scoring games. The T-Birds opened the year with a 22-21 win over FBS member South Alabama. A loss at Washington State was the only blemish on the card until last week's loss to UC Davis. The T-Birds have beaten Sacramento State (24-21) and Northern Colorado (27-21) in close contests. Three of Southern Utah's four wins have come on the road.

Southern Utah allows only 346.7 yards and 22.0 points per game on defense, both of which rank third-best in the Big Sky. SUU's run defense allows 114.8 yards per game, the lowest total in the Big Sky. The T-Birds have forced 13 turnovers while committing just eight.

Sophomore linebacker Zak Browning was the Newcomer of the Year in the Big Sky last season. He leads the Thunderbirds with 53 tackles this year. Browning was a high school teammate of the Vikings' Brandon Brody-Heim at Camas, WA's Union HS.

Sophomore defensive end James Cowser has been one of the top defenders in the league this season, making 38 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and four sacks. Linebacker Matt Holley has 7.5 tackles for loss.

Offensively, Aaron Cantu leads the way at quarterback. Cantu has completed 67% of his passes this season for 1,151 yards and seven touchdowns. He has also thrown seven interceptions. Southern Utah operates a short passing game that averages only 9.5 yards per reception.

Fatu Moala leads the receiving corps with 34 catches for 393 yards. Slot receiver Griff McNabb has 23 receptions for 233 yards and a touchdown.

Freshman tailback Raysean Martin leads the running game with 81 carries for 351 yards and five touchdowns. 

Kicker Colton Cook is second in the Big Sky in field goals, having converted eight of 11 field goals with a long of 48 yards.

STORYLINES
• In 2012, Portland State and Southern Utah renewed a series that had previously existed only for a span of nine seasons - 1986 to 1994. The Vikings and Thunderbirds were co-members of the old Division II Western Football Conference from '86 to '92. PSU lead the WFC series 6-1, but now trails the Big Sky series, 1-0.
• Southern Utah joined the Big Sky Conference in 2012.
• Linebacker Zak Browning was the Newcomer of the Year in the Big Sky Conference in 2012. He, and defensive end James Cowser, were Jerry Rice Award finalists and are now only sophomores.

CONTRASTS IN COMPETITION
• Portland State leads the league in total offense  (574.3 ypg) and rushing offense (268.7 ypg). Southern Utah ranks third in total defense (346.7) and first in rushing defense (114.8 ypg).
• Southern Utah gives up the fewest penalty yards per game in the Big Sky (42.0 ypg), while the Vikings have been flagged for the most penalty yards (97.0 ypg).
• Southern Utah leads the Big Sky in time of possession (33.19) while the Vikings rank last in that category and second to last in the nation (25:15).

LAST MEETING, Sept. 22, 2012: Southern Utah 49, Portland State 42
Southern Utah overcame an 18-point deficit to beat Portland State, 49-42, in a shootout at JELD-WEN Field. The Vikings outgained the Thunderbirds by nearly 200 yards, 587-397, but committed four turnovers and had 14 penalties to hurt their cause. The T-Birds scored 17 points off Viking turnovers. 

Portland State led 21-3 in the first quarter and 28-13 in the second quarter. PSU trailed 49-42 with 1:35 to play, but mounted a final drive. The Vikings had first-and-goal at the two-yard line with 18 seconds to play. But with two running plays and two passes could not punch it across for a tying score. 

DJ Adams rushed for 94 yards, Shaq Richard had 93, and Kieran McDonagh passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns. For Southern Utah, Brad Sorensen passed for 311 yards and four TDs. Khalil Bass made 14 tackles for the Vikings. Ian Sluss had 12 tackles and an interception.

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 begin on Monday, Oct. 14, and continue weekly through March. They take place at noon at the Old Spaghetti Factory. 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 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.

SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE: VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINS AND LOSSES: Portland State is 3-3 on the season, 2-1 at home and 1-2 on the road... the Vikings are 8-6 at home since the start of 2011, 5-9 on the road... Head Coach Nigel Burton now has a 9-9 home record, 6-15 road record... the Vikings have eight winning records in 17 years as a member of the Big Sky Conference... PSU is 59-35 in home games since moving to the NCAA I level, 30-70 on the road... PSU is 57-76 all-time in Big Sky Conference games in its' 18th season as a member. The Vikings are 35-32 at home, 22-44 on the road in BSC games.

SLOWED, BUT NOT STOPPED: Despite losing games the last two weeks to nationally-ranked opponents (Cal Poly, Montana), the Vikings have still come up just two yards short of 1,000 total offense and averaged 7.1 yards per play... PSU has totaled more than 600 yards in three games this season. Here are the season highlights:
• PSU averages 268.7 yards rushing per game to lead the Big Sky and rank sixth the nation.
• The Vikings average 574.3 yards of total offense to lead the Big Sky and rank third in the nation.
• PSU is averaging 38.7 points per game to rank third in the Big Sky and 13th in the nation.
• PSU's passing game is no slouch at 305.7 yards per game to rank third in the Big Sky and 12th in the country.
• PSU's average of 18.9 yards per pass completion leads the nation.
• For the season, Portland State is averaging a remarkable 8.1 yards per play.
• SR RB DJ Adams ranks second in the Big Sky Conference and 15th in the nation in rushing at 116.0 yards per game.
• JR WR Kasey Closs leads the Big Sky and ranks fifth in the nation with 110.8 receiving yards per game. He averages 21.5 yards per catch and has five touchdowns.
• SO QB Kieran McDonagh leads the nation with 18.6 yards per completion.

• Through six games, Portland State has 63 plays of 20 yards or more. Thirteen of those plays have resulted in touchdowns. Seventeen of the long plays have been rushing, 33 have been passing. There have been 10 kick returns, two interceptions and one punt return. For a complete list, go to page 18 of this release.

DEANS LIST: JR WR Victor Dean has had two big games in a row, totaling eight receptions for 207 yards. Five of those eight catches have gone for touchdowns, including a 12-yarder and a 71-yarder against Montana. In addition, Dean blocked a field goal against the Griz - his third of the season.

KASEY'S CONTRIBUTION: JR WR Kasey Closs made seven more receptions for 77 yards at Montana. Closs leads the Vikings with 31 catches for 665 yards and five touchdowns. His average of 110.8 yards per game leads the Big Sky and ranks fifth in the nation... Closs averages 21.5 yards per catch... A walk-on, Closs has three 100-yard games.

THE TOUCHDOWN MAKER: SR RB DJ Adams has 205 rushing yards over the past two games, but was kept out of the endzone by nationally-ranked Cal Poly and Montana. Still, he has four 100-yard games in six outings this season... 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... Adams has seven touchdowns this season. He has 19 TDs in his PSU career on 270 carries. Counting his two seasons at Maryland, Adams has 34 career rushing touchdowns on 377 carries. That is one end zone trip for every 11 totes... Adams is 11th all-time at PSU with 19 touchdowns in less than two seasons... Adams leads the Vikings with 696 rushing yards this season. He averages 6.6 yards per carry.

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 307.7 yards of total offense per game to rank ninth in the nation... McDonagh is ninth in the nation in pass efficiency, 12th in touchdowns and leads the nation in yards per completion (18.6).

YOU'RE NOT GETTING OLDER, YOU'RE GETTING BETTER: JR P Kyle 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. After seven years away from football, Loomis is averaging 47.0 yards per punt to rank second in the Big Sky and the nation. Of his 26 punts, 10 have gone 50+ yards, two have gone 60+ and 11 have been downed inside the 20... Loomis boomed a season-best 67-yarder against Humboldt State.

THE NATION'S BEST PUNT COVER TEAM: It helps to have the nation's second-leading punter in JR P Kyle Loomis (47.0), but the Vikings' punt cover team has been equally good giving up only 27 yards this year. The Vikings net punting average of 43.7 leads the nation.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: 
• Through four games PSU's rushing defense had been particularly good, allowing just 2.6 yards per carry and 115.2 yards per game. But the last two games have not gone well on the ground. Cal Poly rushed 79 times for 431 yards, followed by Montana's 47 carries for 378 yards. That is 809 rushing yards in two games.
• Portland State has forced 10 turnovers in six games.
• SR S Dean Faddis leads the Vikings with 54 tackles this season and has four games of at least 10 tackles.
• SR LB Jaycob Shoemaker has 46 tackles in five games played to rank fifth in the Big Sky (9.2 pg). He leads the team with 5.5 tackles for loss and ranks 10th in the Big Sky... Shoemaker had 14 tackles against Cal Poly.
• The six points allowed by the Viking defense to Humboldt State were the fewest given up since a 52-0 win over Southern Oregon in the 2011 opener (a span of 24 games).
• The Vikings held UC Davis to 258 yards of offense and 10 points. That is the fewest yards allowed by a Viking team in two seasons.

RED ZONE REVIEW: Portland State had allowed opponents 26 trips into the red zone through six games. Only 13 times have the opponents scored touchdowns (50%). There had also been eight field goals, two missed field goals and three losses of possession on downs.

HERE COMES NATE: FR RB Nate Tago (TONG-go) saw his first action as a kick returner three games ago and has since taken over the role for the Vikings. Tago has 12 kick returns for an average of 24.5 yards per return to rank second in the Big Sky Conference.

SACKED: Portland State led the Big Sky Conference in sacks after four games with 17. In the last two games, the Vikings have not made a quarterback sack. 

NOT SO SACKED: Portland State's offensive line has allowed only three sacks in six games this season. That is the fewest in the Big Sky and ranks fifth fewest in the nation.

HANG ON: Turnovers have been a problem for Portland State this season. The Vikings have 18 giveaways through six games - an average of three per contest. PSU has lost 10 fumbles on the season after having only eight fumbles lost in all of 2012. PSU has a -1.3 turnover margin which is 12th in the league and 106th  in the nation... the 10 fumbles lost ranks last in the nation.

CLEAN IT UP: Portland State continues to be a heavily penalized team. With 12 yellow flags for 108 yards against Montana, the Vikings now have 63 penalties for 582 yards on the season (97.0 yards per game). That ranks last in the Big Sky Conference.

A DISTURBING TREND: Portland State lost a double-digit lead in the second half to lose to Cal Poly, 38-34. PSU was up 14-0, and then 21-7 entering the third quarter. Cal Poly ran off four straight touchdowns to take the lead and eventually win the game. It marks the fourth time in two seasons PSU has given up a double-digit lead at home to lose.

VETERANS: Among Portland State's returning players, SR RB Justin Lilley has appeared in the most career games (38), followed by SR C Mitch Gaulke (33) and SR DE Bryant Long (33)… Gaulke has the most career starts (33), followed by SR OL Mitchell Van Dyk (27) and SR LB Jaycob Shoemaker (19).

CAPTAINS: The Portland State team selected a lineman on each side of the football as the 2013 team captains. SR C Mitch Gaulke and SR DE Bryant Long were named as Viking captains prior to the first game.

IT'S A TEAM GAME: A total of 64 Vikings got into the game against Eastern Oregon. Eleven players made their first career starts at Portland State: FR LT Kyle Smith, SO TE Cam Thompson, JR WR Kasey Closs, SO WR David Jones, JR DT Joe Lopez, SO LB Brandon Brody-Heim, SO LB Jeremy Lutali, JR LB Corey Crowder, SR S Dean Faddis, JR CB Mishawn Cummings, and JR P Kyle Loomis... against California, SO DE Sadat Sulleyman made his first career start as a Viking... SO S Demetrius Jackson got his first career start against Humboldt State... JR WR Victor Dean started for the first time against UC Davis... against Cal Poly, JR CB Davon Dunn and FR OL Cam Keizur made their first career starts... at Montana, SO TE Hayden Plinke made his first career start.

TASTY, YET INSIGNIFICANT, TIDBITS: 
• Both SR RB DJ Adams and JR RB Shaquille Richard passed 1,000 career rushing yards against Eastern Oregon (8/29). Adams now has nearly 1,700 career yards and 19 touchdowns. Richard has 1,165 yards on 241 carries with six 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.