Complete notes and stats in pdf

Game 9
IDAHO STATE BENGALS (5-3, 3-1) vs. PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (3-5, 2-2)
Saturday, November 1, 2014, 4:35 p.m. • Providence Park (18,627), Portland, OR
 
TELEVISION: None
RADIO: Rip City Radio 620 AM (KPOJ), www.ripcityradio.com • Pregame Show: 3:30 p.m. • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Analyst: Mike Lund
INTERNET: Live video stream: www.WatchBigSky.com • Live stats: www.vikslive.com, www.viksmobile.com
 
THE SERIES RECORD: Vikings vs. Bengals
All-Time Series: Idaho State leads 23-15-1 • Portland State leads 10-9 in Portland • Idaho State leads 14-5-1 in Pocatello
Big Sky Series: Portland State leads 10-8 • Idaho State leads 6-3 in Pocatello • Portland State leads 7-2 in Portland
 
Big Sky Conference games
Nov. 16, 1996: ISU 31-12 @ Portland
Nov. 15, 1997: ISU 26-24 @ Pocatello
Sept. 26, 1998: ISU 43-41 @ Portland
Oct. 9, 1999: PSU 52-13 @ Pocatello
Oct. 14, 2000: PSU 59-21 @ Portland
Oct. 13, 2001: ISU 23-17 @ Pocatello
Nov. 2, 2002: PSU 27-24 @ Portland
Nov. 1, 2003: ISU 30-20 @ Pocatello
Nov. 6, 2004: PSU 42-21 @ Portland
Nov. 5, 2005: ISU 36-34 @ Pocatello
Oct. 14, 2006: PSU 34-13 @ Portland
Oct. 20, 2007: ISU 38-20 @ Pocatello
Oct. 25, 2008: PSU 36-13 @ Portland
Nov. 14, 2009: ISU 41-34 @ Pocatello
Oct. 2, 2010: PSU 38-3 @ Portland
Oct. 1, 2011: PSU 42-35 @ Pocatello
Oct. 6, 2012: PSU 77-10 @ Portland
Nov. 9, 2013: PSU 38-31 @ Pocatello
 
LAST YEAR, Nov. 9, 2013: Portland State 38, Idaho State 31
Portland State's running game was dominant against the Bengals for the third year in a row, totalling 395 rushing yards in a 38-31 win. It was the fifth-best rushing performance in school history.
     
Quarterback Collin Ramirez got it going with a 77-yard touchdown run in the Vikings' first series and they never trailed. DJ Adams led the running game with 201 yards and two scores as PSU controlled the ball for more than 39 minutes. Ramirez scrambled for 117 yards and two TDs.
     
Idaho State's Justin Arias passed for 315 yards and four touchdowns in the game. But, the Viking defense got the job done when it needed to, holding the Bengals to just two of 12 conversions on third down.
           
The PSU offense finished the day with 539 yards and no turnovers.
 
VIKINGS, SEEKING TWO STRAIGHT, HOST SURGING BENGALS
A pair of teams coming off Big Sky Conference road wins will match up at Providence Park this Saturday as the Portland State Vikings host the Idaho State Bengals. PSU defeated Weber State, 30-17, in Ogden, while ISU downed Northern Colorado, 46-12, in Greeley last Saturday. Both teams will look to continue their successful ways when they meet in a 4:35 p.m. game.
     
Saturday's game is not televised but it will be available via live stream at www.WatchBigSky.com. It also airs on Rip City Radio 620 AM and www.ripcityradio.com. The pregame show starts at 3:30 p.m. Live stats can be found at www.vikslive.com and www.viksmobile.com.
     
The Vikings got a much-needed road win at Weber State, ending a five-game road losing streak. PSU had a complete performance with solid contributions on offense, defense and special teams. Now 2-2 in the Big Sky (3-5 overall), the Vikings stand in seventh place in the 13-team league. Portland State is 2-1 at home this season.
     
Idaho State has been surging, winning five of its last six games, and is the surprise team in the Big Sky Conference. The Bengals are 5-3 overall, 3-1 in league play, and in the Big Sky Championship conversation. ISU had won just six games in its previous three seasons combined.
     
PSU has had tremendous success against the Bengals in recent years, maintaining a four-game winning streak in the series. The Vikings have won seven straight home games over the Bengals, who last beat PSU in Portland during the 20th century (1998). The Vikings won at Pocatello last season, 38-31, behind 395 rushing yards (201 from DJ Adams).
     
Over the last three meetings with Idaho State, PSU has averaged 422.7 rushing yards and 52.2 points per game.
     
Saturday will be Coke Zero $5 Kids Day. All kids get into the game for $5.
     
Following Saturday's game, PSU is on the road for two weeks (Montana State, Sacramento State, then closes out the regular season with a Friday, Nov. 21 home contest against top-10 ranked Eastern Washington.
 
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE
These are not the Idaho State Bengals you remember from recent seasons....
     
Fourth-year Head Coach Mike Kramer has his team rolling this year with a 5-3 record, 3-1 in the Big Sky Conference. The Bengals have won five of their last six games, with the only loss a 56-53 decision at top-10 Eastern Washington.
     
This year, the Bengals big passing game is finally accompanied by an outstanding running attack. ISU averages 220.6 yards per game on the ground to go with 359.2 per game passing for a remarkable 579.8 yards of total offense per contest. Idaho State leads the nation in passing offense, ranks second in total offense and sixth in scoring offense (42.3 ppg). Moreover, in four league games, the Bengals have averaged 49.8 points.
     
In just eight games, running back Xavier Finney has rushed for 1,147 yards and 12 touchdowns. He leads the Big Sky in both categories. Quarterback Justin Arias has completed 218 of 350 passes for 2,761 yards, 27 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
     
Madison Mangum is the top receiver on the ISU team with 51 catches for 735 yards and six touchdowns. KW Williams has 42 catches for 576 yards and eight scores. 15 different players have caught passes for the Bengals.
     
On the defensive side, the Bengals give up 464.3 yards per game, including 316.0 yards passing per game. Linebacker Mario Jenkins has 80 tackles and four takeaways to lead the defense. He also has a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss. Defensive end Austin Graves leads ISU with 6.5 sacks. Idaho State has forced 16 turnovers while commiting only nine. The defense has a total of 26 sacks.
 
STORYLINES AND SERIES HISTORY
• Portland State has won four straight games in the series and seven straight against the Bengals at home. ISU has not won in Portland since 1998.
• In the last three meetings between the schools, Portland State has rushed for 1,268 yards, an average of 422.7 yards per game. The Vikings set a school record with 436 rushing yards in a 2011 victory at Idaho State. In 2012, the Vikings broke that mark with 437 rushing yards in a 77-10 win. Last year, the Vikings gained 395 yards on the ground in a win at Pocatello. Those are three of the top five rushing performances in PSU history.
• Portland State has scored 34 or more points in the last six meetings and nine of the last 10 overall.
• Bengal Coach Mike Kramer has faced the Vikings 16 times with three different schools (6-10 overall).
• The teams have met 39 times in the last 49 years.
• ISU Offensive coordinator Don Bailey was a quarterback at Portland State in 1989-90.
 
LAST WEEK: VIKINGS COMPLETE EFFORT RESULTS IN 30-17 WIN
     It all finally came together with offense, defense and special teams as Portland State defeated Weber State, 30-17, at Stewart Stadium.
      The Viking defense forced three turnovers and made two fourth-down stops of the Wildcats' offense. PSU's running game led a 475-yard offensive effort. And, Jonathan Gonzales added three more field goals to complete an all-around victory.
      The difference in the game for the Vikings after two close losses the last two weeks? "Takeaways, strictly the takeaways," said Burton. "We ended drives (by Weber State). Fourth-down stops count as takeaways as well. And we protected the football ourselves. We didn't lay it down in crucial situations and that was a win."
      Portland State mixed up the running game, with wide receiver fly sweeps, quarterback option runs and the usual array of running back carries, gaining 303 yards on 62 totes.
      Quarterback Kieran McDonagh was responsible for all three touchdowns, throwing for two scores and rushing for the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter.
      Steven Long led the ground game again, carrying 21 times for 118 yards. McDonagh added 62 yards and a score on 17 carries. He completed 14-23 passes for 172 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
      Jeremy Lutali led the defense with eight tackles, including one for loss. Aaron Sibley had seven stops. Darien Washington made a fumble recovery and Chevy Walker added a key fourth-quarter interception.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE: VIKING QUICK NOTES

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES: The 1980s Tom Cruise high school football flick was not exactly a classic, but in the end (of course) Cruise made all the right moves on the field and off. Portland State did the same last Saturday at Weber State, playing well in every phase of the game. The Vikings forced three turnovers and made two defensive stops on WSU's fourth-down plays. The offense rushed for over 300 yards, had 475 yards total and did not commit a turnover. And the kicking game was excellent with SO K Jonathan Gonzales making 3-3 field goals and SR P Kyle Loomis averaging 47.5 yards per punt. What was the Vikings' "right move" off the field? They won the game that concluded at 4 p.m. then hustled to the airport in Salt Lake City for a 6:50 p.m. flight home.
 
THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT: With 371 rushing yards over the past two weeks, FR RB Steven Long has taken over the team lead with 486 rushing yards on the season... Long had a breakout game on Oct. 18 despite a 21-17 Viking loss to Northern Arizona. The (generously listed) 5-foot-7 inch, 180-pound Long rushed 16 times for 253 yards and one touchdown. He had three runs in excess of 60 yards and set up all three Viking scores with big runs. Long had a TD run of 62 yards, as well as runs of 66 and 61 yards in the game... Long's rushing total of 253 yards was the ninth-most in a single game in PSU history and the most by a freshman this year at the FCS level. With three receptions for 44 yards, Long had 297 all-purpose yards... Long started at Weber State and carried the ball 21 times for 118 yards... on the season, he is averaging 8.1 yards per carry!
 
IN CONTROL: Portland State dominated possession against Weber State, running 86 plays and holding the pigskin for more than 40 minutes in the contest. That was a big turnaround for a team that ranked near the bottom of the nation in TOP at just over 25 minutes going into the contest.
 
TURNOVER MARGIN: Giveaways and takeaways have been a point of contention for the Vikings this year with too many of the former (13) and not enough of the latter (6) going into the game at Weber State. PSU had forced only one turnover in its previous four contests, but got three takeaways against the Wildcats - a season high. Those contributed to 10 Viking points. Meanwhile, the offense had a clean slate, running 86 plays without a miscue. That trimmed the turnover margin to just -4 for the season.
 
RUNNING BACKS ARE BACK: Portland State's running game is evolving as the season continues. The combination of SR RB Shaquille Richard and SO RB Nate Tago rushed for 317 yards in the games against UC Davis and North Dakota. In the last two games, FR RB Steven Long has 371 yards all by himself... PSU ran for 303 yards against Weber State after a season-best 336-yard rushing effort against NAU... Long now leads the Vikings with 486 rushing yards, followed by Richard (479) and Tago (270). QBs Paris Penn and Kieran McDonagh have combined to rush for 348 yards... five different Vikings have rushing touchdowns this year, led by four from McDonagh.
 
REACHING 100: SR LB Corey Crowder and JR CB Aaron Sibley each reached 100 career tackles last Saturday. Sibley is now at a team-leading 105 in his career. Crowder has exactly 100... also closing in on 100 is SR WR Kasey Closs. In just two seasons, he has 96 career catches. Closs caught 63 passes to lead the Vikings last year and has a team-high 33 catches so far this season. Closs has an outside shot at reaching Portland State's career top-10s in both receptions and receiving yards by the end of the season. He would need 27 more catches and 403 more yards.
 
GREAT RUN DEFENSE (MINUS ONE): Portland State's run defense has been solid for the past three seasons. And, if the Vikings didn't have to face Cal Poly's triple-option offense it would be the best run defense in the Big Sky Conference. On Sept. 20, the Vikings gave up a whopping 470 rushing yards to the Mustangs. In the seven games other than Cal Poly, PSU has allowed 591 rushing yards (84.4 ypg) on 206 carries (2.8 ypc)... for the season, the Vikings allow 132.6 rushing yards per game, good for second best in the conference.
 
WELL, THEY DO CALL IT "FOOT"BALL: Portland State players lead the Big Sky Conference in punting (Kyle Loomis, 46.5) and field goal kicking (Jonathan Gonzales, 11-16 FGs).
 
BACK WHERE HE BELONGS: 2013 consensus 1st team All-American SR P Kyle Loomis is the oldest Viking (he turned 27 on Sept. 30). But the All-American proves he is aging well, averaging 46.5 yards per punt this season to lead the Big Sky Conference and rank second in the nation (Cory Carter, Texas Southern, 46.7). Loomis has 22 punts of 50 yards or better and 21 punts downed inside the 20-yard line... Loomis averaged 46.5 yards per punt last year to lead the nation and set a new PSU record.
 
YOU'LL GET A KICK OUT OF THIS: Through four games this season, Portland State's kicking game had produced only 4-20 field goal attempts over the previous 16 games (dating to the start of 2013). But, in the last four weeks Jonathan Gonzales has made 10-12 attempts and played a prominent role in the Viking offense. Gonzales was 3-4 on field goals against UC Davis, including a 53-yarder, which tied for second longest field goal in school history. At UND, Gonzales made kicks of 45, 23 and 37. The 37-yarder, which came in the fourth quarter and closed the Viking deficit to 17-16, was tipped at the line. But Gonzales had enough on it to clear the cross bar and produce three points... Gonzales made 1-2 against Northern Arizona, with the miss just wide right from 56 yards... he hit all three field goals at Weber State (41, 45, 18)... Gonzales is now 11-16 kicking field goals this year to rank first in the Big Sky Conference, and 15th in the nation... his 11 field goals made ties for ninth best in season in school history.
 
KIERAN MAKES THE TOP 10: JR QB Kieran McDonagh has moved into Portland State's top 10 passing lists for yards, touchdowns, completions and total offense. Here is a look at his numbers:
 
YARDS PASSING
   1.   Neil Lomax, 1977-80 13,220
   2.   Jimmy Blanchard, 1997-00  8,455
   3.   Chris Crawford, 1985-87 7,543
   4.   Drew Hubel, 2007-11 6,678
   5.   Terry Summerfield, 1981-85            6,501
   6.   Tim Von Dulm, 1969-70 5,967
   7.   June Jones, 1975-76 5,798
   8.   Juston Wood, 1999-02 5,653
   9.   John Charles, 1991-92 5,563
10.   Kieran McDonagh, 2012-14            5,355
 
TOUCHDOWN PASSES
   1.   Neil Lomax, 1977-80 106
   2.   Jimmy Blanchard, 1997-00  63
   3.   John Charles, 1991-92 58
   4.   Tim Von Dulm, 1969-70 51
   5.   Chris Crawford, 1985-88 48
   6.   Drew Hubel, 2007-11_ 44
   7.   June Jones, 1975-76_ 41
   8.   Juston Wood, 1999-02 37
t9.   Kieran McDonagh, 2012-14            36
  t9.   Terry Summerfield, 1981-85            36
 
PASS COMPLETIONS
    1.   Neil Lomax, 1977-80 938/1,607
    2.   Jimmy Blanchard, 1997-00  618/1,038
   3.   Chris Crawford, 1985-88 588/954
   4.   Terry Summerfield, 1981-85            527/928
   5.   Drew Hubel, 2007-11 506/897
   6.   Tim Von Dulm, 1969-70 500/924
   7.   Juston Wood, 1999-02 414/724
   8.   Kieran McDonagh, 2012-14            400/754
   9.   June Jones, 1975-76 375/658
10.   John Charles, 1991-92 340/527
 
TOTAL OFFENSE
   1.   Neil Lomax, 1977-80 13,345
   2.   Jimmy Blanchard, 1997-00  8,509
   3.   Chris Crawford, 1985-88 7,258
   4.   Drew Hubel, 2007-11 6,439
   5.   Kieran McDonagh, 2012-14            6,301
   6.   Terry Summerfield, 1981-85            6,046
   7.   Charles Dunn, 1997-00 (RB)           6,007
   8.   Juston Wood, 1999-02 5,681
   9.   June Jones, 1975-76 5,590
10.   Tim Von Dulm, 1969-70 5,501
     
VETERANS: SR RB Shaq Richard has the most playing experience on the Viking team, competing in 40 career games. SR DE Brandon Tobias is second on that list with 36 games played, followed by SR LB Corey Crowder (34) and SR OL Cornelius Edison (34)... players with the most career starts are Edison (31), JR QB Kieran McDonagh (28), JR LS Kameron Canaday (25) and JR CB Aaron Sibley (23). Edison has started 31 games in a row.
 
TOUREEN GETS ANOTHER YEAR: WR Alex Toureen was granted an extra year of eligibility last week by the Big Sky Conference. Toureen was a freshman in 2011, but was injured in the third game of the season, missing the remainder of the year. Toureen, who is now effectively a junior, has 22 receptions for 299 yards and one touchdown this season. He has played in 29 career games, totaling 41 receptions, 582 yards and five touchdowns.
 
2014 HIGHLIGHT REEL
PENN ULTIMATE: SO QB Paris Penn was the lone star in a difficult offensive day for the Vikings at Oregon State (8/30). Penn rushed for a career-high 112 yards on nine carries, scoring touchdowns on runs of 58 and 11 yards in the first half. That gave the Vikings to a 14-13 halftime lead.
 
OFFENSE OPENS UP: The Vikings were able to open things up against Western Oregon (9/6), totaling 507 yards in a 45-38 win. The Vikings rushed for 285 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 7.5 yards per carry. SR RB Shaq Richard ran 14 times for a career-high 151 yards and a touchdown. He had a career-high 70-yard run on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter. JR QB Kieran McDonagh (166 yards, 2 TDs passing; 41 yards, 1 TD rushing) and SO QB Paris Penn (56 yards, 1 TD passing/58 yards, 1 TD rushing) were a very effective combo under center with a combined 321 yards and five touchdowns. SR WR Kasey Closs had six catches for 109 yards and two TDs. He caught a 48-yard Hail Mary touchdown from McDonagh on the final play of the first half, and a 36-yard TD from Penn in the fourth quarter. Closs has five 100-yard games in 14 career starts at PSU.
 
YOU'LL GET A KICK OUT OF THIS: There is no way around it. Portland State's kicking game had been a sore subject since the start of the 2013 season. PSU was 3-16 kicking field goals last year (and missed four extra points), and 1-4 kicking field goals this year (4-20 in the 16 games). So, imagine the surprise when Head Coach Nigel Burton ran Jonathan Gonzales on the field in the first quarter against UC Davis (10/4) for a 53-yard attempt. Gonzales, who had been 1-4, booted the ball right down the middle to open the scoring. He went on to make 3-4 field goals in the game, including two in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Gonzales 53-yarder ties for second-longest field goal in Portland State history.
 
WHOA, AGGIES!: Portland State's defense played a vital role in the 23-14 Big Sky Conference-opening win over UC Davis (10/4). The Vikings held the Aggies to 240 total yards and 14 points - the fewest allowed this season. The run defense gave up just 44 yards in the Vikings' 23-14 win.
 
THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT: FR RB Steven Long had a breakout game despite a 21-17 Viking loss to Northern Arizona (10/18). The (generously listed) 5-foot-7 inch, 180-pound Long rushed 16 times for 253 yards and one touchdown. He had three runs in excess of 60 yards and set up all three Viking scores with big runs. Long had a TD run of 62 yards, as well as runs of 66 and 61 yards in the game... the 66-yard run in the second quarter set up a five-yard touchdown run by Nate Tago a few plays later.. a 24-yard run in the third quarter set up a Jonathan Gonzales field goal a few plays later... his 62-yard third-quarter touchdown run was probably his play of the game. Long was trapped four yards behind the line of scrimmage on a broken counter play, but escaped and broke away for the score... Long's rushing total of 253 yards was the ninth-most in a single game in PSU history and the most by a freshman this year at the FCS level. With three receptions for 44 yards, Long had 297 all-purpose yards.
 
A COMPLETE VICTORY: It all finally came together with offense, defense and special teams as Portland State defeated Weber State, 30-17 (10/25). The Viking defense forced three turnovers and made two fourth-down stops of the Wildcats' offense. PSU's running game led a 475-yard offensive effort. And, Jonathan Gonzales added three more field goals to complete an all-around victory. Portland State gained 303 yards on 62 running plays. JR QB Kieran McDonagh was responsible for all three touchdowns, throwing for two scores and rushing for the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter, and had 234 yards of total offense. FR RB Steven Long led the ground game again, carrying 21 times for 118 yards. JR LB Jeremy Lutali led the defense with eight tackles, including one for loss. JR S Darien Washington made a fumble recovery, while SO CB Xavier Coleman and SO CB Chevy Walker each had interceptions.