TELEVISION: Root Sports • Play-by-play: Rich Burk • Analyst: Robb Akey • Sidelines: Brad Adam
(also Direct TV Channel 101, Dish Network Channel 102)
RADIO: Freedom 970 AM, www.freedom970.com • Pregame Show: 1:30 p.m. • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Analyst: Mike Lund
INTERNET: Live video stream: None • Live stats: http://vikslive.statb.us and http://viksmobile.com

THE SERIES RECORD
All-Time Series: PSU leads 19-15-1 • PSU leads 10-8 in Portland • PSU leads 9-6-1 in Cheney • EWU leads 1-0 in Seattle
Big Sky Conference Series: EWU leads 9-8 • EWU leads 5-4 in Portland • PSU leads 4-3 in Cheney • EWU leads 1-0 in Seattle

Big Sky Conference games

Sept. 28, 1996: EWU 24-7 @ Cheney
Sept. 20, 1997: EWU 31-14 @ Portland
Sept. 12, 1998: PSU 30-27 @ Cheney (ot)
Sept. 16, 1999: PSU 48-39 @ Portland
Nov. 11, 2000: EWU 27-24 @ Portland
Nov. 10, 2001: PSU 37-22 @ Cheney
Oct. 12, 2002: PSU 34-31 @ Portland
Oct. 11, 2003: EWU 42-16 @ Cheney
Oct. 2, 2004: EWU 41-21 @ Portland
Oct. 1, 2005: EWU 42-24 @ Cheney
Oct. 21, 2006: PSU 34-0 @ Portland
Sept. 29, 2007: PSU 28-21 @ Cheney
Oct. 4, 2008: PSU 47-36 @ Portland
Oct. 31, 2009: EWU 47-10 @ Seattle
Oct. 30, 2010: EWU 50-17 @ Portland
Oct. 29, 2011: PSU 43-26 @ Cheney
Nov. 17, 2012: EWU 41-34 @ Portland

LAST YEAR: Eastern Washington 41, Portland State 34
Eastern Washington quarterback Kyle Padron capped a 94-yard Eastern Washington drive with a one-yard touchdown run with 1:25 to play, breaking a 34-34 tie and giving the Eagles a season-ending 41-34 win. The victory gave fifth-ranked Eastern a share of the Big Sky Conference Championship. 

Portland State took a 13-0 first quarter lead, and 26-14 third quarter advantage. Both times the Eagles came back to lead.  The Vikings tied the game on a Kieran McDonagh touchdown run with 4:50 left. That set up the game-winning drive.

The Eagles passed for 463 yards, but had 0 yards rushing on 28 carries. Padron passed for 381 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two scores after coming in relief of starter Vernon Adams in the second quarter.

PSU had 424 yards of offense. McDonagh passed for 186 yards and rushed for 70 more.

STORYLINES
• Eastern Washington is the closest - in proximity - Big Sky Conference opponent, and the Eagles also maintain the longest continuous series with the Vikings. This year the teams will meet for the 24th consecutive season.

• The road team has won the last three games in the series, and the road team also leads the series at each Big Sky venue (PSU leads 4-3 in Cheney, while EWU leads 5-4 in Portland)

• Eastern Washington won the national championship in 2010 and reached the national semifinals in 2012.

VIKINGS WILL TRY TO SPOIL EAGLES PERFECT BIG SKY SEASON
The Portland State Vikings will try to play the spoiler this Saturday as they face the Eastern Washington Eagles in a Dam Cup game. The Vikings (6-5, 3-4) will play for pride while the third-ranked Eagles (9-2, 7-0) will play for a perfect Big Sky Conference record. They have already clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA I FCS playoffs. The last school to have a perfect Big Sky season was Montana in 2009 (8-0).

The Vikings and the Eagles meet in a 2:45 p.m. game at Roos Field in Cheney, WA. It will be televised as the Root Sports Big Sky Conference Game of the Week. The game can be heard on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. The pre-game show begins at noon. 

In addition to the Big Sky showdown, the teams meet as part of the Dam Cup competition between the schools (see THE DAM CUP). Heading into the game, the PSU athletic program holds a 7-0 lead in the 2013-14 competition. With four points available for a football win, the Vikings could get to the 11 points needed to win the annual competition.

Portland State saw its three-game winning streak come to an end last Saturday at JELD-WEN Field. The Vikings lost a heart-breaker on Senior Day to Sacramento State, 43-42. PSU went ahead 42-31 with 9:25 to play but could not hold on. The loss spoiled a 713-yard day by the Viking offense and a 249-yard, five-touchdown rushing performance by DJ Adams.

Still, at 6-5 on the season, PSU has twice the number of wins as 2012 (3-8).

Eastern Washington just keeps rolling along as one of the best teams in the nation. The Eagles beat Oregon State to start the season and have continued to impress the entire fall behind quarterback Vernon Adams. EWU is 9-2 overall, 7-0 in the Big Sky and has won seven straight games. The Eagles are 4-0 at home.

Saturday's game will be a matchup of the Big Sky's top two offenses. PSU averages 534.8 yards per game (285.2 rushing) to rank third in the nation. Eastern Washington averages 531.4 yards per game (350.5 passing) to rank fourth in the nation.

The series between the schools has remained relatively close. PSU leads the all-time series, 19-15-1. EWU leads the Big Sky series, 9-8, and has won three of the last four meetings.

SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON
Eastern Washington Head Coach Beau Baldwin has built a powerhouse in Cheney, WA. Baldwin already has a national championship to his credit (2010) and reached the national semifinals in 2012. The Eagles are 9-2 this year, 53-21 in six years under Baldwin.

Sophomore quarterback Vernon Adams has become a bonafide superstar at the FCS level, averaging 327 passing yards per game and throwing for 41 touchdowns this season. Adams can also run, with 589 positive yards and four TDs this season.

Adams' main target has been Cooper Kupp, a freshman with an FCS-freshman record of 1,231 receiving yards. Kupp has caught a league-leading 16 touchdown passes. Senior Ashton Clark continues to be a mainstay in the receiving corps with 56 catches for 833 yards and nine touchdowns.

Quincy Forte has helped the Eagles maintain offensive balance with 706 rushing yards and six touchdowns. In fact, the Eagles have run (384) more than they have passed (365) this year.

Eastern Washington averages 531.4 yards of offense per game to rank fourth in the nation, 180.9 on the ground and 350.5 through the air.

Defensively, the Eagles have given up a lot of yards at 440.8 per game. But, holding opponents just under 28 points per contest has gotten the job done for the Eagles' high-powered offense (40.3 ppg).

Senior linebacker Ronnie Hamlin has a team-high 87 tackles and two interceptions. Senior free safety TJ Lee has made 78 tackles, an interception and three fumble recoveries this season. Junior Cody McCarthy has 78 tackles and a team-high eight tackles for loss.

THE DAM CUP
The Portland State Vikings and Eastern Washington Eagles are in the fourth year of a five-sport rivalry cup called The Dam Cup. The Dam Cup celebrates the friendly rivalry between the states of Oregon and Washington within the Big Sky Conference. Saturday's football game will be worth four points in the Dam Cup series. Portland State currently leads the competition, 7-0, and 11 points are required to win the Dam Cup.

The so-named rivalry refers to the four dams linking Oregon and Washington that one passes on the 339-mile drive from the Portland State campus to the Eastern Washington campus. Located along the Columbia River, they are Bonneville Dam, The Dalles Dam, The John Day Dam and the McNary Dam.  

The five sports competing for the cup are football, women's soccer, women's volleyball, women's basketball and men's basketball. The purpose of the Dam Cup is to create a rivalry between Portland State University and Eastern Washington University and provide a sense of pride between alumni in the Portland and Spokane areas. Other goals include increasing attendance at events between both schools and building school spirit among each institutions' student body. The winner of the Dam Cup will possess The Dam Trophy acknowledging the achievement for the following year. 

The Dam Cup is based on a point system.  Each game played in the five sports between the two schools has a point value. Points are only rewarded for regular season contests. The annual football game is worth four points, the women's soccer match is worth three points, each women's volleyball match is worth two points for a total of four points possible, and each men's and women's basketball game is worth two points for a total of four points possible in each sport. New for the 2013-14 season a fan interaction platform at www.DamCup.com that will be worth 2 points.  The total points possible are 21 which means that to win the cup a school would need to win at least 11 points.

The 2013-14 Dam Cup Series
Volleyball - Sept. 23 - @ PSU 3, EWU 0 - PSU leads 2-0
Soccer - Oct. 4 - PSU 2, @ EWU 0 - PSU leads 5-0
Volleyball - Oct. 28 - PSU 3, @ EWU 1 - PSU leads 7-0
Football - Nov. 23 @ EWU
Men's Basketball - Jan. 27 @ PSU, Feb. 24 @ EWU
Women's Basketball - Dec. 29 @ EWU, Feb. 24 @ PSU

Previous Dam Cup Champions
2010-11 PSU 9-8
2011-12 PSU 15-2
2012-13 EWU 10-7

VIKINGS VS. NATIONALLY-RANKED TEAMS
Portland State has had a rough go of it against nationally-ranked teams in recent years. The Vikings have lost 18 straight games to nationally-ranked teams dating back to the 2008 season. The last win over a ranked team was a 47-36 Viking victory over 11th-ranked Eastern Washington on Oct. 4, 2008.

VIKINGS HAND OUT TEAM AWARDS, ADAMS NAMED MVP
Senior running back DJ Adams came away with the team Most Valuable Player honor, as the Portland State football program handed out its 2013 season awards at the team banquet on Sunday afternoon. 

The Viking team banquet was held in conjunction with the final home game of the season and Senior Day (Saturday vs. Sacramento State) as player families were in town for the event. 

Adams was a worthy honoree as the team's MVP. He leads the Vikings in rushing (1,456 yards) and touchdowns (18) this season. Adams, a 5-10, 210-pounder from Atlanta, leads the Big Sky Conference in rushing and ranks fifth in the nation in rushing overall. Adams was also named the team's Most Valuable Offensive Back and the team's Most Inspirational Player for the second year in a row in voting done by the players.

Among the players aiding Adams on his great season was senior right tackle Mitchell Van Dyk who was selected as the team's top offensive lineman for the second straight season. Van Dyk, a 6-9, 290-pounder from Paso Robles, CA, was part of a line that has led the Vikings to a school-record 3,137 rushing yards. PSU ranks second in the nation in rushing. In addition, the Viking line has allowed only five quarterback sacks all season despite more than 300 pass attempts. That is the second-fewest sacks allowed by any team in the country this year. PSU is first in the Big Sky in total offense (534.8) and third in the nation.

Senior Bryant Long was selected as the Vikings' top defensive lineman. Long, a 6-3, 245-pound defensive end from South Orange, NJ, has 29 tackles and a team-high nine tackles for loss this year. He was a team leader all the way as his teammates selected him as a captain prior to the season.

Also making a mark on defense was senior Dean Faddis, who was named the team's Outstanding Defensive Back. Faddis has 84 tackles and a team-high nine pass breakups. A senior from Ramona, CA, Faddis accomplished his fine season after missing most of the last two seasons due to twice breaking his foot.

The nation's top punter, junior Kyle Loomis, was an easy selection as the Special Teams Player of the Year. Loomis has led the nation in punting for most of the season and currently has a 47.1 average. He is set to break the Portland State record by nearly five yards (42.8) after the final game. Loomis, a native of Roseburg, OR who is 26 years old, recently returned to college and football after a stint in the Army. He last played in 2006 at Oregon State University.

Portland State's leading receiver, Kasey Closs, was named the Most Improved Player on the team. Closs was a redshirt in 2012 but earned a starting role as a wide receiver in 2013. The junior from Lake Oswego has team highs of 52 catches for 976 yards and five touchdowns.

Senior center Mitch Gaulke was named the Mike Schrunk Scholar Athlete of the Year for the third straight season. Gaulke, from West Linn, OR, has been a starter at center for three seasons and earned virtually every academic award available at the conference, regional and national levels during that time. Along with Bryant Long, Gaulke was a team captain this season.

Redshirt freshman Steven Long was named the Scout Team Player of the Year. Long, who was the state Player of the Year at Lake Oswego High School in 2011, came back from brain surgery this past spring to compete. He will be a factor in the backfield in the coming seasons for PSU.

The Charles Withers Award was presented to Mike and Annie Chisholm for their continued contributions to the Portland State football program. The Chisholms have been prominent boosters and donors to PSU athletics over the past two decades.

2013 PORTLAND STATE FOOTBALL TEAM AWARDS
Most Valuable Player: SR RB DJ Adams
Outstanding Offensive Back: SR RB DJ Adams
Outstanding Defensive Back: SR S Dean Faddis
Outstanding Offensive Lineman: SR RT Mitchell Van Dyk
Outstanding Defensive Lineman: SR DE Bryant Long
Most Improved Player: JR WR Kasey Closs
Most Inspirational Player: SR RB DJ Adams
Special Teams Player of the Year: JR P Kyle Loomis
Scout Team Player of the Year: FR RB Steven Long
Mike Schrunk Scholar-Athlete Award: SR C Mitch Gaulke
Charles Withers Award (for contributions to the program): Mike and Annie Chisholm

SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE: VIKING QUICK NOTES

WINS AND LOSSES: 
• Portland State is 6-5 on the season, 4-2 at home and 2-3 on the road.
• The Vikings are 10-7 at home since the start of 2011, 6-10 on the road.
• Head Coach Nigel Burton now has a 11-10 home record, 7-16 road record.
• The Vikings have eight winning records in 17 years as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
• PSU is 61-36 in home games since moving to the NCAA I level, 31-71 on the road.
• PSU is 60-78 all-time in Big Sky Conference games in its' 18th season as a member. The Vikings are 37-33 at home, 23-45 on the road in BSC games.

RUNNING WILD: Portland State has four of the top seven rushing performances in school history this season.  The Vikings' 382-yard rushing game against Sacramento State ranks seventh all-time in PSU history. Last week's 395-yard effort at Idaho State ranks sixth. The Vikings have also had 427 rushing yards against UC Davis (4th) and 405 against Eastern Oregon (5th)... the Vikings have averaged 375.7 rushing yards per game over the last three contests... SR RB DJ Adams had career-highs of 249 yards and five touchdowns rushing against Sacramento State. Adams has three 200-yard games this season. It was the first 5-TD rushing game by a Viking since Joe Rubin in 2005  vs. Northern Colorado. The school record for rushing touchdowns is six (Joel Sigel, 1976)... SO TE Hayden Plinke rushed for 64 more yards from a wildcat formation. Plinke has 191 yards on 27 carries over the last three games.

RECORD BREAKERS: Portland State has set a new school record for rushing in a season with 3,137 yards (2,726 in 2011 was the old mark)... the total offense record has also fallen with 5,883 yards (5,574, 1977)... PSU's 34 rushing touchdowns is also a new record (33, 1976)... the 534.8 yards per game is well ahead of the 506.7 yard per game record set in 1977. PSU needs 198 yards of offense at Eastern Washington to break that mark... also on the verge of going down is Portland State's punting average record. JR P Kyle Loomis average is 47.1 yards per punt. The school record is 42.8 (John Kincheloe, 1979).

MORE OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS: PSU has totaled more than 600 yards of offense in four games this season with a season-high of 713 yards against Sacramento State. The Vikings average 534.8 yards per game to ranks third in the nation.
• PSU averages 285.2 yards rushing per game to rank second in the Big Sky and second in the nation.
• The Vikings average 534.8 yards of total offense to rank first the Big Sky and third in the nation.
• The Vikings lead the nation with 16.6 yards per pass completion.
• SR RB DJ Adams ranks first in the Big Sky Conference and fifth in the nation in rushing at 132.4 yards per game.
• SO QB Kieran McDonagh leads the nation with 16.9 yards per completion.

DJs MILESTONE: SR RB DJ Adams became just the 10th Viking in history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and the feat has now been accomplished 18 times (all since 1987). With 249 yards last week, Adams has 1,456 yards to rank 12th all-time... with 132.4 rushing yards per game, Adams ranks leads the Big Sky Conference and ranks fifth in the nation in rushing. Here is a look at DJ in the record book after 22 career games:

Rushing, Season: 1,456 yards, 7th
Rushing, Career: 2,423, 7th
Rushing TDs, Career: 30, 5th
Rushing TDs, Season: 18, 3rd
100-yard Games, Career: 12,t5th
100-yard Games, Season: 8, t3rd
200-yard Games, Career: 3, t3rd
200-yard Games, Season: 3, 3rd

PORTLAND STATE'S 1,000-YARD RUSHERS
1,792 Charles Dunn 2000
1,702 Joe Rubin 2005
1,619 Steve Papin 1995
1,586 Ryan Fuqua 2001
1,561 Charles Dunn 1998
1,478 Charles Dunn 1999
1,456 DJ Adams 2013
1,408 Curtis Delgardo 1990
1,287 Cory McCaffrey 2010
1,283 Ryan Fuqua 2002
1,279 Darick Holmes 1994
1,251 Curtis Delgardo 1988
1,176 Charles Dunn 1997
1,157 Rais Aho 1992
1,060 Connor Kavanaugh 2011
1,046 Curtis Delgardo 1987
1,021 Ryan Fuqua 2004
1,018 Rodney Clemente 1991

ANOTHER 1,000 ON THE WAY?: With one game to play, JR WR Kasey Closs has 976 receiving yards on 52 receptions. Closs has a realistic chance at 1,000 yards, a standard that has been reached 14 times by 12 different players in Portland State history. The receiving record is 1,299 yards by Randy Nelson in 1969.

THE TOUCHDOWN MAKER: SR RB DJ Adams leads the Vikings with 18 touchdowns this season. Adams has 30 TDs in his 22-game PSU career. Counting his two seasons at Maryland, Adams has 45 career rushing touchdowns on 502 carries. That is one end zone trip for every 11.1 totes... following 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 had his second career 200-yard game with 201 yards and two touchdowns at Idaho State (11/9)... Adams marked his third 200-yard game with a career-high 249 yards and five touchdowns against Sacramento State (11/6).

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 47.1 average and of his 50 punts, 18 have gone over 50 yards. He has a pair of 67-yard punts this season. Seventeen of Loomis' punts have been downed inside the 20 yard line and 15 have been fair caught... Loomis' 47.1 average is well ahead of the PSU all-time season record of 42.8 (John Kincheloe, 1979)... Portland State's 42.0 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.

BLOCK PARTY: The block party continues for the Vikings. SR S David Edgerson blocked a Weber State field goal three weeks ago, bringing PSU's season total of kick blocks to seven, which leads the nation... JR WR Victor Dean has blocked three field goals, SR S Michael Plummer has blocked two punts, SR DE Bryant Long has blocked one punt this year. 

STILL MORE SPECIAL TEAMS: In addition to PSU's kick-blocking abilities and sensational punting game, the Vikings hold opponents to 14.2 yards per kickoff return this season. That number leads the Big Sky and 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 3-14 attempts this season. 

RUN DEFENSE HITS ITS STRIDE: Portland State's defense has shown improvement this season, particularly in run defense. PSU has given up only 357 rushing yards in the last four games (89.2) on 158 carries (2.3 ypc). In fact, six of the last nine Viking opponents have failed to run for 100 yards.

QUARTERBACK ROULETTE: Portland State had used all three of its quarterbacks at some point in each of the previous two games before starting SR QB Collin Ramirez against Weber State. That marked the first time that SO QB Kieran McDonagh had not started or played in a game (19 straight starts). Ramirez has now started the last three games, going 2-1. He has totaled 35-76 passing for 546 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

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.

THE DEFENSIVE EDGE: SR S David Edgerson leads the Big Sky Conference and ranks fifth in the nation with five interceptions. Edgerson was named Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 28 after making two interceptions against North Dakota... on Nov. 2 against Weber State, Edgerson returned a fumble 28 yards for a score, blocked a field goal and made six tackles... Edgerson had a season-high 10 tackles at Idaho State and now has 66 on the season to rank third on the Vikings.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: 
• Portland State has forced 17 turnovers in 11 games.
• Portland State ranks 11th in the nation in tackles for loss per game (7.6).
• SR S Dean Faddis has 84 tackles and a team-leading nine pass breakups this season. The last time a Viking had more pass breakups was Mitchell Fitzhugh (a school-record 15) in 2001. Faddis' nine pass breakups is tied for ninth-most in a season by a Viking.
• SR LB Jaycob Shoemaker leads the team with 93 tackles to rank seventh in the Big Sky (9.3 pg). Shoemaker also leads the Vikings with 234 career tackles.
• SR DE Bryant Long leads the team with nine tackles for loss. SO DT Junior Alexis has 4.5 sacks this season.
• The Viking defense has 22 quarterback sacks.

RED ZONE REVIEW: Portland State has allowed opponents 42 trips into the red zone this season. Only 23 times have the opponents scored touchdowns (55%). There has also been two turnovers, 10 field goals, three missed field goals and three losses of possession on downs.

OFFENSIVE LINE LEGACY: Portland State's offensive line has allowed only five sacks this season - second-fewest sacks allowed by any team in the nation... PSU gives up only 3.95 tackles for loss per game, which is eighth 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 have just three in the last four games. The Vikings have 26 giveaways in all. PSU has lost 12 fumbles on the season after having only eight fumbles lost in all of 2012. The 26 turnovers ranks 107th in the nation.

CLEAN IT UP: Portland State continues to be a heavily penalized team. The Vikings have 102 penalties for 913 yards on the season (83.0 yards per game). That ranks last in the Big Sky Conference and 118th in the nation.

DEAN'S LIST - FADDIS NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: SR S Dean Faddis has been selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 team. Faddis was selected to a team that includes eligible student-athletes from all Division I schools in most of the western United States. He now advances to the national ballot for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors... Faddis, a 6-foot, 205-pounder from Ramona, CA, has started every game this season for the Vikings. He shares the team lead with 75 tackles and also leads the team with five pass breakups. Faddis also has four tackles for loss, a sack and an interception. Faddis is majoring in Physical Activity and Exercise and has a 3.62 GPA.

VETERANS: Among Portland State's returning players, SR RB Justin Lilley has appeared in the most career games (43), followed by SR C Mitch Gaulke (38) and SR DE Bryant Long (38)… Gaulke has the most career starts (38), followed by SR OL Mitchell Van Dyk (32) and SR LB Jaycob Shoemaker (24).