The Portland State Vikings return to the post-season for the first time in 15 years this Saturday when they host the Northern Iowa Panthers in a second-round NCAA FCS Playoff game. The Vikings will also be hosting their first playoff game since Nov. 18, 1995 when the program still competed at the Division II level.

Kickoff for Saturday's game comes at 7:04 p.m. at Providence Park in downtown Portland. The contest will be available on ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app. It airs in Portland on 1190 KEX and www.1190kex.com. Live stats can be found at www.GoViks.com.

PSU, 9-2 on the season and ranked fifth in the nation, and UNI, 8-4 and ranked 15th, are remarkably similar teams. Consider:
• Each team relies on the run. Northern Iowa runs the football on 67% of its plays, while Portland State runs on 72% of its plays. PSU averages 257.0 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry. UNI averages 228.8 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry.
• Portland State JR QB Alex Kuresa averages 234.3 yards of total offense per game and is responsible for 23 touchdowns. UNI quarterback Aaron Bailey averages 218.8 yards of total offense per game and is responsible for 29 touchdowns. Both were named Newcomer of the Year in their respective conferences.
• Portland State SR FS Patrick Onwuasor leads the nation with nine interceptions. UNI free safety Deiondre Hall ranks eighth in the nation with six interceptions. Onwuasor is a National Defensive Player of the Year finalist. Hall was the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
• PSU has a +16 turnover margin to rank second in the nation. UNI has a +12 turnover margin to rank seventh in the nation. The Vikings have forced 28 turnovers. The Panthers have forced 27.
• The teams have two common opponents, Eastern Washington and Cal Poly. Both PSU and UNI went 2-0 in those games. The aggregate scores? PSU 72-66, UNI 72-55.

The biggest difference is playoff experience by program. Northern Iowa is making its 18th appearance in the FCS Playoffs while Portland State is making only its second. The winner of Saturday's game will meet the winner of Montana/North Dakota State on either Dec. 11 or 12 in a quarterfinal round game. Time and location are dependent on opponents.

THE DETAILS
TV/LIVE STREAM: ESPN3, WatchESPN, www.espn3.com • Play-by-play: Shawn Kenney • Analyst: Forrest Conoly 
RADIO: 1190 KEX (AM) • Pregame Show: 6 p.m. • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Analyst: Mike Lund
INTERNET: Live stats: www.ViksLive.com
TICKETS: www.GoViks.com, 1-888-VIK-TIKS
FORECAST: Saturday, 7 p.m. low-mid 40s, rain
VIKING FOOTBALL LUNCHEON: Friday at the Old Spaghetti Factory, located at 0715 SW Bancroft. Coach Barnum and Viking players will speak and be available for questions. The luncheon is open to the public and costs $12.

DEC. 5 NCAA FCS PLAYOFF GAMES
Chattanooga (9-3) at #1 Jacksonville State (10-1), 11 a.m. PT
Citadel (9-3) at #8 Charleston Southern (9-2), 10 a.m. PT

Colgate (8-4) at #5 James Madison (9-2), 10 a.m. PT
Sam Houston State (9-3) at #4 McNeese State (10-0), 4 p.m. PT

Montana (8-4) at #3 North Dakota State (9-2), 12:30 p.m. PT
Northern Iowa (8-4) at #6 Portland State (9-2), 7 p.m. PT

William & Mary (9-3) at #7 Richmond (8-3), 9 a.m. PT
Western Illinois (7-5) at #2 Illinois State (9-2), 11 a.m. PT