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Game 9
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (0-8, 0-5) vs. CAL POLY MUSTANGS (0-8, 0-5)
Sat., Nov. 4, 6:05 p.m. • Alex G. Spanos Stadium (11,075), San Luis Obispo, CA
Complete notes and stats in pdf

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TV: None
RADIO: Rip City Radio 620 AM, www.ripcityradio.com • Pregame Show: 5 p.m. • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Analyst: Mike Lund
INTERNET: Live video stream: Pluto TV Channel 232 (www.pluto.tv) • Live stats: www.gopoly.com
 
THE SERIES RECORD: VIKINGS vs. MUSTANGS
All-Time Series: Cal Poly leads 12-11 • The series is tied 6-6 in Portland • Cal Poly leads 6-5 in San Luis Obispo
Big Sky Series: Cal Poly leads 3-1 • The series is tied 1-1 in San Luis Obispo • Cal Poly leads 2-0 in Portland
 
Western Football Conference games (NCAA II)
Oct. 2, 1982: CP 22-0 @ Portland
Nov. 12, 1983: CP 16-7 @ San Luis Obispo
Oct. 13, 1984: PSU 29-0 @ Portland
Nov. 9, 1985: CP 34-21 @ San Luis Obispo
Nov. 1, 1986: PSU 66-7 @ Portland
Oct. 31, 1987: PSU 31-7 @ San Luis Obispo
Sept. 17, 1988: PSU 21-3 @ Portland
Oct. 7, 1989: PSU 55-26 @ San Luis Obispo
Sept. 22, 1990: CP 36-23 @ Portland
Nov. 16, 1991: PSU 55-35 @ San Luis Obispo
Nov. 14, 1992: PSU 45-31 @ Portland
 
Oct. 30, 1993: PSU 21-17 @ Portland
Oct. 31, 1998: PSU 41-34 @ Portland
Oct. 30, 1999: PSU 42-28 @ San Luis Obispo
 
Big Sky Conference games
Oct. 20, 2012: CP 37-25 @ San Luis Obispo
Sept. 26, 2013: CP 38-34 @ Portland 
Sept. 20, 2014: CP 42-14 @ San Luis Obispo (NC)
Oct. 24, 2015: PSU 38-35 @ San Luis Obispo
Oct. 15, 2016: CP 55-35 @ Portland
 
VIKINGS AND MUSTANGS ARE TWO TEAMS WITH SAME NEED
Somebody is going to get well on Saturday night in San Luis Obispo and the Vikings need to make sure it is them.
           
A pair of 0-8 teams will square off in a Big Sky Conference game when Portland State meets Cal Poly. It is a position with which neither program is familiar or happy. Portland State is just two seasons removed from a Top-10 ranking and the NCAA post-season, while the Mustangs went to the FCS playoffs last year.
           
So when the dust settles on the Alex G. Spanos turf, someone will walk away smiling. Unfotunately, someone will still be wearing a donut.
           
Portland State has to view the game as particularly important, as the final two opponents of the season - Weber State and Eastern Washington - are both nationally-ranked and vieing for a Big Sky Conference title.
           
PSU and Cal Poly are a pair of "run-first" teams but have seen injuries dismantle their attacks somewhat. The Mustangs have lost preseason All-American Joe Protheroe to injury, while the Vikings have lost leading rusher Za'Quan Summers for the season as well. Turnovers may be a big factor as Cal Poly has committed 18 this season (including 13 fumbles), while the Vikings have 17. Portland State (22.2 point per game) and Cal Poly (19.2) rank at the bottom of the scoring offense list in the Big Sky Conference.
           
The game will kick off at 6:05 p.m. It airs on Rip City Radio 620 AM in Portland and www.ripcityradio.com. A live stats link is available at the www.gopoly.com website.
 
STORYLINES
• This is the third time in four years that PSU has traveled to Cal Poly.
• Cal Poly Coach Tim Walsh has a 7-1 record in the Portland State/Cal Poly series. He was 3-0 as head coach with PSU against Cal Poly, and is now 4-1 with Cal Poly against PSU.
• The Mustangs led all of FCS with 343.5 rushing yards per game last year - the fourth straight year they led the nation. 
• Former Portland State Head Coach Tim Walsh (1993-2006) has been the head coach at Cal Poly since 2009. He compiled a 90-68 record overall at PSU, leading the Vikings to the post-season four times (1993, 1994, 1995, 2000). 
• Cal Poly Offensive Coordinator Jim Craft played for Walsh at Portland State (1996-99). Craft was also an assistant coach at PSU for eight years.
• Both schools were members of the Division II Western Football Conference from 1982-1992 where PSU held a 7-4 advantage over CP.
 
LAST MEETING, Oct. 15, 2016: ^#19 Cal Poly 55, Portland State 35
Cal Poly proved to be nearly unstoppable, rolling up 462 rushing yards and 658 yards of total offense. The Mustangs never had to punt and committed only one turnover in the game. They held the ball for 38:45 of the game.
           
Three Mustang backs rushed for more than 100 yards, including 158 yards and two touchdowns from Kyle Lewis.
           
Portland State's usually potent rushing game managed only 72 yards on 23 carries. Quarterback Alex Kuresa passed for 275 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for two TDs as well.
           
John Norcross had 15 tackles, Beau Duronslet made 12, Tyler Foreman 11 and Sam Bodine 10 for an overworked Viking defense.
 
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
Like the Vikings, Cal Poly is still looking for its first win of the 2017 season. Injuries have been the biggest factor in the Mustangs failures this season - the most significant of which was the loss of All-American running back Joe Protheroe in game two. As a result, Cal Poly's triple-option running game production has dropped dramatically. After averaging 343.5 yard rushing per game last season, the Mustangs are down to 230.8 per game this season.
           
Jared Mohammed has led the running game with 746 total yards and two touchdowns. He ranks third in the Big Sky in rushing (93.2 per game).
           
Khaleel Jenkins has thrown eight touchdown passes, but Jake Jeffrey has taken over at quarterback. The passing game is limited, but when the Mustangs do complete a pass it is usually a big play. Despite an average of only seven completions per game, they go for 18.5 yards per catch and there have been 10 touchdowns (one for every 5.5 completions). JJ Koski (17-336-3) and Kyle Lewis (16-417-5, 26.1 average) have the majority of the receptions. 
           
Still, Cal Poly is last in total offense (358.1) per game in the Big Sky Conference.
           
The Cal Poly defense has forced 14 turnovers and has allowed a respectable 29.1 points per game (4th in the Big Sky), while ranking fifth in total defense (413.5). Linebacker Mason Montgomery is the leading tackler with 77 on the season. RJ Mazolewski has 59 stops and six tackles for loss. 
 
PLAYOFF OPPONENTS THE REST OF THE WAY
Portland State's schedule gets no easier over the final weeks of the season as the Vikings play four straight opponents that played in the 2016 FCS Playoffs - North Dakota, Cal Poly, Weber State and Eastern Washington. While North Dakota (3-6) and Cal Poly (0-8) haven't had the same success in 2017, Weber State (6-2) and Eastern Washington (5-3) are nationally-ranked and on pace for another post-season appearance.
 
ON THIS DATE: Nov. 4
Nov. 4 has been a good date for Portland State to play on the road, with Big Sky Conference wins at Montana State (31-24, 2000) and at Northern Arizona (34-26, 2006). The Vikings have not lost a game on Nov. 4 since 1978 and are 4-2 dating back to 1957 (previous game dates not available).
 
QUICK SNAPS
 
SOME NUMBERS THAT NEED ERASING: Portland State went 9-2 in the regular season in 2015. Since that time it has been a rough road as the Vikings are 3-17. 
• Included in the last 20 games are an NCAA playoff loss, four losses to FBS opponents, an overtime loss, and five losses by a touchdown or less.
• The Vikings have lost 10 in a row dating to last season. They have lost seven straight home games and five straight road games.
• PSU's last 0-8 start was in 1981.
 
A BETTER START, THE SAME RESULT: The Vikings had struggled all season in the first half of games, getting out-scored significantly early. But PSU jumped to a 14-0 lead on North Dakota and played from ahead for the entire first half. Unfortunately, North Dakota made some big plays late in the third quarter, scoring three touchdowns and breaking open a 14-13 game. 
 
CLOSE GAMES, AND THEN...: For three straight weeks Portland State has been in a one-point game near the mid-point only to see things get away from them. On Oct. 14, the Vikings trailed Northern Arizona 14-13 mid-way through the third quarter only to see the Lumberjacks score four straight touchdowns over the next 12 minutes of play. On Oct. 21 at Idaho State, the Vikings were down 17-16 in the second quarter, but the Bengals scored four TDs from that point on through the middle of the third to break it open. PSU led 14-13 last Saturday mid-way through the third quarter against North Dakota, but the Fighting Hawks scored three TDs in a row, including a punt return and interception return to break it open.
 
TRUE FRESHMEN FEATURED ON 2017 VIKINGS: A total of nine true freshmen have played this season. Included are QB Jalani Eason, RB Antwone Williams, LB Dylan Hanley, TE AJ Ruffin, RB Jason Talley, K Noah Brosio, P Hayden Cowden, DT Semise Kofe and LB Nicolas Ah Sam.
• In all, PSU has played 30 underclassmen (true freshmen, redshirt freshmen, sophomores).
• The offensive backfield currently features three true freshmen (Eason, Talley, Williams), a redshirt freshman (QB Davis Alexander), and three sophomores (RBs Carlos Martin and Chase Morrison and QB Cade Smith).
• Last season, Portland State played six true freshman on defense, in part due to numerous injuries, and a total of eight overall.
 
INJURED AND OUT: Injuries have begun to play a major role in the Portland State team's struggles. Against North Dakota, the Vikings missed a host of key players.
• Three key starters are injured and out for the year: SR LT Randin Crecelius, JR C Garret Stauffer and SR RB Za'Quan Summers.
• Also missing on Saturday were starters SR WR Darnell Adams, SR CB Chris Seisay and SR S Artuz Manning. SR LB Beau Duronslet did not start, though he did play in the game. Other key players that were out included SR ST/RB Mitch Thompson, JR TE Cole Ford, JR DT John Jackson and FR LB Steffen Jacobsen. 
• Last year, Portland State lost 131 games to injury among 29 players. A testament to the number of injuries last season and accummulating injuries this season is that the longest stretch of consecutive starts by an offensive or defensive player is 10, by SR OL Justin Outslay.
 
EASON BEHIND CENTER... ALEXANDER GETS A CHANCE: Portland State's quarterback two-deep features a true freshman and a redshirt freshman. FR QB Jalani Eason made a return to the starting lineup at Idaho State and performed well. He completed 19-38 passes for a career-high 256 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. And despite two sacks, he had 34 rushing yards for a total of 290 yards. It was Eason's fourth start of the season. He also started against North Dakota and had 167 yards of total offense... RS FR QB Davis Alexander saw his first significant action playing the last 16 minutes against North Dakota. He completed 7-10 passes for 67 yards and an interception. He also scored his first rushing touchdown on an eight-yard scamper... it is expected that those two will mature and compete for the starting role over the coming seasons.
• In his five starts, Eason has completed 69 of 141 passes for 803 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions.
• The dual-threat quarterback has also rushed for 217 yards on 47 carries, with two touchdowns. He has 281 positive rushing yards.  
• This is not the first time that Head Coach Bruce Barnum has started a true freshman at quarterback. In 2012, Kieran McDonough became the starter at PSU. He went on to have a solid season, completing 171-314 passes for 2,187 yards, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. McDonough also rushed 89 times for 406 yards and nine touchdowns. 
 
KRAGHT-Y PERFORMER: In his Portland State career, Josh Kraght has been the epitome of the do-it-all player for the Vikings. He began as a quarterback, earning three starts at the position as a freshman. The last two seasons he played slot receiver and punt returner while remaining a backup QB. Kraght has played slot receiver again this year as well as quarterback. On Sept. 2 against Oregon State Kraght nearly led the Vikings to a win in the fourth quarter, scoring a go-ahead touchdown with 2:43 remaining on a five-yard run. For the game, he had three receptions for 82 yards and touchdowns of 42 and 37 yards. He added eight carries for 50 yards and a TD. And, he completed 4-9 passes for 59 yards. That's a total of 191 yards and three TDs.
• Kraght started the next three games at QB but has since moved back to receiver. In his three starts he had 962 yards of total offense, 718 passing yards, career-highs in rushing and passing, and accounted for four TDs.
• His line for 2017 includes 11 receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns, 47 rushing plays for 307 yards and two touchdowns, and 71-143 passing for 793 yards and three touchdowns. That is a total of 1,287 yards and seven touchdowns.
• In 2016, Kraght led the team with 36 receptions for 518 yards and a touchdown. He had eight rushing plays for 47 yards and a touchdown, 11 punt returns for 64 yards, and completed 3-5 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.
For his career, Kraght has been a quadruple threat:
• He has completed 124-247 passes for 1,439 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions.
• Kraght has rushed 100 times for 585 yards and five touchdowns. 
• Kraght has 63 career receptions for 932 yards and four touchdowns.
• He has 28 punt returns for 153 yards.
• In total, he has accounted for 3,109 yards and 15 touchdowns.
 
OLD MAN RIVER KEEPS ON FLOWING: Head Coach Bruce Barnum likes to call SR WR Darnell Adams "Old Man River." Why? Well, Adams is in his sixth season at Portland State, and will turn 24 years old on Nov. 15. In the off-season Adams was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA due to losing two seasons to injury (2013 - knee; 2016 - foot). He missed the game with North Dakota due to injury and hopes to return this week. For the most part, Adams has been healthy this season. And he has produced:
• Adams has 29 receptions for 372 yards and four touchdowns. 
• In consecutive weeks against Montana and Montana State he tied his career high for receptions (9) twice, and set new career highs for yards - 115, then 118. 
• Among current players, Adams is PSU's career leader in receiving with 84 catches for 1,235 yards and 11 touchdowns in 41 career games played.
 
THE COMMITTEE: Portland State's running game under Bruce Barnum has eclipsed 2,000 yards in all eight seasons and averaged over 200 yards per game in all eight seasons. It has usually been done without a "big" back, but rather "by committee." This year, the committee is in session again.
• For only the third time this season the Vikings were held under 200 yards when it had just 73 against North Dakota. However, Portland State is still averaging 202.4 rushing yards per game, ranking third in the Big Sky and 23rd in the nation.
• The loss of SR RB Za'Quan Summers (knee) has had an impact on the running game, but PSU has used a variety of backs (and quarterbacks) to get its yardage. 
• Seven different Vikings are averaging double figures in rushing yards per game. SR RB Za'Quan Summers was the leader, averaging 64.3 yards before going down with a knee injury. 
• Eight different Viking rushers have scored touchdowns.
• The Vikings had a season-high 305 rushing yards against Northern Arizona.
• JR RB Andre Petties-Wilson who has made the switch from wide receiver has the longest play from scrimmage for the Vikings this season with a 77-yard TD run at Idaho State.
 
AWESOME DAWSON: SR WR/KR Kahlil Dawson had a big day against Montana, returning a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. He had 162 yards on kick returns and also caught two passes for 33 yards. 
• Dawson has three kick returns for touchdown in his career - one in each of the last three seasons. 
• Dawson totaled 248 return yards at Idaho State with nine kick returns for 217 yards and one punt return for 31 yards.
• With 1,876 kick return yards in his career, Dawson ranks second all-time at PSU. He has a career average of 23.5 yards.
• Dawson ranks fifth in the Big Sky and 26th in the nation in all-purpose yards (123.6) with positive yards in rushing, receiving, punt returns and kick returns.
 
JUST CALL HIM MR. FIRST DOWN: SO TE Charlie Taumoepeau is one of the Vikings' top receivers this season with 28 catches for a team-high 399 yards and two touchdowns. 
• Taumoepeau had career-highs of six receptions for 73 yards at BYU. He then went for a career-high 92 yards and two touchdowns at Montana State.
• All 13 of his receptions in the first three games went for first downs. In all, 23 of his 28 catches have been first downs.
 
DEFENSIVE NOTES: 
• Making his first start of the season against North Dakota, SR S Malik Cyphers had a team-high 11 tackles.
• Another player making his first start, SO CB Maxwell Howell had five tackles and his first career interception.
• JR S Braxton Winterton also had an interception and JR DE Larry Ross recovered a fumble against North Dakota.
• JR LB Kasun Jackett has taken over the team lead with 65 total tackles this season.
• SR LB Beau Duronslet has 47 tackles this season. Duronslet is the Vikings' active career leader in tackles with 232. With an interception and a fumble recovery (both leading to Viking scores) against OSU, Duronslet now has five takeaways in his career. He was named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week for Sept. 2.
• SR CB Chris Seisay intercepted two passes against Montana. He had a third pick taken away after the Vikings were flagged for a penalty. He now has four interceptions in the 14 games he has played cornerback for the Vikings.
• JR S Artuz Manning has 49 tackles this season, an interception, four tackles for loss and a team-high six pass breakups. His 5.4 solo tackles per game ranks 24th in the nation... Manning has 108 career tackles in 28 games. He missed the game with North Dakota due to injury.
• SR DE Davond Dade made four tackles, with two for losses, including a sack, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry against BYU, earning Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• The Vikings have 27 pass breakups, including six by SR CB Donovan Olumba and Manning, and five by SR CB Chris Seisay.
• FR LB Nicolas Ah Sam became the second true freshman (QB Jalani Eason) to earn a start, when he lined up against Northern Arizona. Ah Sam made four tackles, two for losses and a sack. He also started against Idaho State and North Dakota.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES: 
• Portland State started three freshmen on special teams with P Hayden Cowden, PK Noah Brosio and KO Thomas Ciobanasiu in the first game. FR K Graycen Kennedy played at Oregon State, attempting a 46-yard game-tying field goal with three seconds left. It was wide right by only a few feet. 
• Kennedy has become the starting kicker since game three. He converted his first two field goals - 28 and 29 yards - against Northern Arizona. 
• Cowden has averaged 38.2 yards on punts. He had a 70-yarder against BYU and was named Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. Cowden boomed a 76-yarder at Montana State.
• SR RB Mitch Thompson was a second team All-Big Sky Conference selection on special teams last season making 12 tackles. He has four special teams tackles this year and 25 over the past three years. 
 
GET ON THE BUS: THE AMERICANA TOUR
            Portland State Football Coach Bruce Barnum is renowned for taking his team on the bus to as many road games as possible. He calls it "The Americana Tour." It has made for some long bus rides, but Barnum often lets his team out to see the sights. He also feels it promotes team unity (and saves a few dollars in the budget). In the past two years, PSU has logged 9,300 bus miles.
            Alas, this season's bus trips will be limited to just three, with drives to Oregon State, Idaho State and Eastern Washington. There is also a bus portion from San Jose, CA to Cal Poly. 
            Portland State's trip to Corvallis was a mere 168 miles round trip. 
            The Americana Tour bus trip to Pocatello, ID was 660 miles one way, 1,320 miles round trip. The Vikings made a stop in Pendleton and toured the Pendleton Rodeo Museum and Hall of Fame, as well as a stop along the Snake River.
            This week's bus travel from San Jose Airport to San Luis Obispo is 376 miles round trip.
            That will increase the bus total to 1,864 miles this year.
 
• Coach Barnum led his first "Americana Tour" in 2015, which included bus rides to Pullman, WA, Pocatello, ID, San Luis Obispo, CA, and Cheney, WA. In all, the Vikings logged 4,394 bus miles and approximately 80 hours round trip to those four destinations (PSU also flew on two road trips). The Americana Tour included such things as dozens of on-bus movies, a stop to buy a lottery ticket on the way home from beating Washington State, a practice on Boise State's blue turf, a sight-seeing trip to Alcatraz (in which equipment manager Mike Haluska was left on the island… but soon retrieved), and a midnight McDonald's run at a lonely truck stop in eastern Oregon. In addition to the economy of the bus trips, Barnum contends the time together draws the Viking team closer. 
• The 2016 Americana Tour included round trips to San Jose, Seattle and Sacramento (twice). There was also a return bus ride from Ogden, UT and a shorter trip from Las Vegas to Cedar City... the trip to San Jose was a total of 1,340 miles. It included a stop off at Oregon Wildlife Safari and the obligatory In-and-Out Burger visitation in Medford... on the trip to Southern Utah, PSU flew into Las Vegas, took in the Criss Angel Show at the Luxor Hotel and made another midnight In-and-Out run... while traveling to Weber State, PSU visited Temple Square and the Hogle Zoo... after a pair round trips to Sacramento (UC Davis and Sacramento State), PSU had accumulated 4,906 bus miles for the season.