complete spring prospectus in pdf

The task of rebuilding begins for Portland State football when spring practice opens on April 4. The challenge is great but the Vikings have done it before. Less than three years removed from an NCAA Playoff appearance, fourth-year Head Coach Bruce Barnum has already turned the program around once in his tenure.
     
A team that was beset by injuries two seasons ago and youthful throughout the past two years due to a change in recruiting philosophy, PSU looks ahead to a 2018 season that is as challenging as ever.
     
"I like the vibe of this team heading into spring. We had to fix that as we had become a dysfunctional family," said Barnum. "I like where we are at now, from the bottom up - the buy-in, the new outlook. That sounds a little unusual going into our fourth season, but it's not. We had a lot of youth in our program that has now been through a couple of years.
     
"I am anxious to get that new look on the football field. This program is not where it needs to be. An 0-11 season should never happen. We have taken steps to fix things that I am very confident in. I look forward to seeing the results. Spring is the start of that."

2018 Spring Practice Schedule
Wed, April 4            8-9:30 a.m.
Thurs, April 5          8-9:30 a.m.
Fri, April 6               8-9:30 a.m.
Mon, April 9            8-9:30 a.m.
Tues, April 10         8-9:30 a.m.
Thurs, April 12        8-9:30 a.m.
Fri, April 13             8-9:30 a.m. (scrimmage)
Mon, April 16          8-9:30 a.m.
Tues, April 17         8-9:30 a.m.
Thurs, April 19        8-9:30 a.m.
Fri, April 20             8-9:30 a.m. (scrimmage)
Tues, April 24         8-9:30 a.m.
Thurs, April 26        8-9:30 a.m.
Sat, April 28            Spring Game, 11 a.m.
Mon, April 30          8-9:30 a.m.
 
All practices and scrimmages at Stott Community Field
 
2018 SPRING PREVIEW
 
THE NUMBERS
      Portland State returns 39 letterwinners and 14 starters from 2017. There are three returning starters on offense, seven on defense and three on special teams.
      The Vikings are still quite young. Among the 79 players on the roster entering spring, there are 11 seniors, 16 juniors, 23 sophomores, 20 redshirt freshmen and nine true freshmen.
 
SEEKING STARTERS ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE
      PSU returns only one full-time starter on the offensive line from 2017; SO RG Korbin Sorensen (6-6, 290). However, two players return with starts. SR OT Josh Brown (6-5, 285) started the last five games of last season, while SR C Garrett Stauffer (6-4, 295) has started five games at center, but missed all but one game of last season due to injury.
      "Offensive line has been a bright spot offensively as long as I have been here, and still is. We appear to be more lean and athletic than in the past. That will be fun to watch," said Bruce Barnum. "We are likely to add one or two more (transfers) after spring is over because of a large group leaving this past year."
      Among those expected to compete for starting roles are SR OT Peter Fisherkeller (6-5, 280, 20 games experience), JR OL Spencer Reed (6-3, 265, transfer), JR OL Sione Taumoe'anga (6-2, 315, transition from DL), SO OL Tommy Laverde (6-5, 285) and RS FR OLs Tyson Pauling (6-5, 320) and Brady Brick (6-4, 260).
      "We brought in Spencer Reed to compete to start. The guys that are already here have shown great strides. Two of the freshman - Brady Brick and Tyson Pauling - what they have done with their bodies and with their skills in the off-season, I think they are going to fit right into the mix," Barnum said.
 
YOUTH BEHIND CENTER
      A pair of sophomores will get a majority of the snaps at quarterback during spring drills as Jalani Eason (5-11, 185, 5 starts) and Davis Alexander (5-11, 195, 3 starts) return. Eason opened the 2018 season starting as a true freshman. He was a more run-oriented quarterback (222 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 69-141-6-803-6TD), while Alexander started late in the season and showcased a big arm (90-157-3-1,233-5TD).
      RS FR Davis Koetter (6-2, 195) also steps in the competition at quarterback this spring.
      "All three of those guys will challenge. Koetter is working just as hard and they are three I have confidence in," Barnum said.
 
CROWDED BACKFIELD
      Portland State returns seven players at running back spread evenly over the classes. Sophomore Jason Talley (6-2, 230) led a "by committee" backfield last year with 97 carries for 388 yards and six touchdowns. He will be challenged by returning senior Andre Petties-Wilson (6-1, 195, 19-141-1), junior Carlos Martin (5-11, 200, 34-112-1) and sophomore Antwone Williams (5-8, 170, 19-59-0). Junior Chase Morrison (5-10, 205, 6-19-1) is also back along with RS FR Bishop Mitchell (5-9, 180) and Amon Milliner (5-8, 185).
      "We are "by committee" again, but there is a leader in that group: Carlos Martin. He is everything you want in a football player. He is an over-achiever. He is tough. He is on every special team. He loves the game of football. So, I need him to lead that group and give them a spark," said Barnum.
      "We have some pups in that group and we are curious how good they are going to be. There is speed and there is size. There is everything you need in a 'committee.' "
 
RECEIVERS: EXPERIENCED AND.... NOT SO MUCH
      Perhaps the deepest and most talented position on the team is at tight end where the Vikings return five letterwinners and a redshirt.
      Junior Charlie Taumoepeau (6-3, 240) was a starter at tight end, putting up big numbers in 2017 with 45 receptions for 673 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 15.0 yards per catch and had the most receptions by a tight end at PSU since Viking Hall of Famer Barry Naone's 48 catches in 1988.
      Senior Cole Ford (6-4, 245), junior Cameron Loos (6-2, 235) and sophomores Daniel Giannosa (6-8, 260) and AJ Ruffin (6-5, 250) have all played significant snaps.
      Head Coach Bruce Barnum plans to adjust some of the offensive scheme to take better advantage of his group of tight ends.
      "I see tight end being one of our strengths in both the run game and the pass game. That group will be on the field together a lot. It will be tough to personnel against them," he said.
      On the outside the Vikings have a host of young players but not a lot of experience at wide receiver. Of the eight returners on the roster, five are redshirt freshmen, three are sophomores, and only SO Easton Trakel (5-9, 180) has caught a pass, with two receptions.
      "The young guys are very talented, they just don't have the experience. It is time for them to go. They are done with their redshirt year," Barnum said of the group joining Trakel. "The personality there is outstanding, and they are a group of winners. George (McCorley) will be on the outside and he can cut and jump. Mataio (Talalemotu) can play inside and outside. Beau (Kelly) is an inside scatterbug. I just need to make sure in the weight room they get durable enough to last the season."
      The Vikings signed JR Isaiah Woods (6-1, 210), a talented wide receiver formerly from the University of Washington, to help remedy some of the inexperience. As a freshmen in 2015, Woods played in 13 games for the Huskies, making 13 receptions. His athleticism will be a great add to the receiving corps.
      "We brought in Isaiah Woods for a reason," Barnum said. "He is seasoned and experienced at a high level. So we hope he steps in and has an impact. That is why you take transfers so they can step in and compete right away. "
      Two other NLI signees, Emmanuel Daigbe (6-1, 200) and Jordan Hill (6-4, 180), have increased the receiving group to 11.
 
LOTS OF GUYS UP FRONT, BUT WHERE WILL THEY PLAY?
      Nine players return on the defensive line, six with playing experience. One thing that can be counted on is JRs Kenton Bartlett (6-3, 255) and Anthony Del Toro (6-2, 295) and SO Semise Kofe (6-1, 300) will all play inside. After that, the other three returning letterwinners, SRs Larry Ross (6-3, 230) and Dallas House (6-2, 265) and SO Noah Yunker (6-4, 245) have all played on the edge and with their hand on the ground.
      Ross, Bartlett and Del Toro are all returning starters, while House has played in 22 career games with five starts. That gives the Vikings a solid level of experience with which to begin.
      Redshirts SO Cody Brown (6-3, 225) and FR Jake Porter (6-4, 245) and Boogie Davis (6-3, 250) are all defensive ends looking for a chance to break through.
      "I have a lot of confidence in the interior - the inside - of our defensive line. Del Toro, Bartlett, Semise are all in shape - strong and fast," Barnum said. "What we are addressing there is edge rushers. I wasn't happy with our edge rushers (last season). That has been one of our focuses of the off-season - finding guys on the edge that can rush the passer. That could be a guy you see there now, it could be a linebacker, it could be a newcomer."
 
IT IS PRONOUNCED juh-KETT, NOT JACK-et
      SR LB Kasun Jackett (6-2, 225) is the man in the middle for the Vikings at linebacker. While he led the team with 91 tackles last season, new defensive coordinator Payam Saadat is looking for Jackett to step up and be more of a difference-maker in 2018. Jackett has the size and athleticism to get the job done, and could be the key to a more opportunistic group this season (PSU had only seven sacks and 12 forced turnovers in 2017).
      Joining Jackett is a fairly experienced group at linebacker. SOs Nicolas Ah Sam (6-0, 205), Dylan Hanley (6-2, 225), Steffen Jacobsen (6-2, 210) and Avery Jones (6-3, 195) all came into the program with high expectations for their contributions. Now with a year behind them, their progress will be vital to the team.
      SR Sam Bodine (6-2, 230) is the most experienced player in the middle of the defense with 22 games and 12 starts on his resume.
      "That position has become even more a question of speed (in the new defense)," said Barnum. "I am glad we have some guys that can run there. We have worked on that in the off-season, making sure we have the speed there we need."
      RS FR Markus Sullivan (6-4, 230) and RS JR Houston Barnes (6-0, 190) round out the group of eight heading into spring practice.
 
CROWDED BACKFIELD PART II
      Portland State lists 16 players as defensive backs on its spring roster, however only four have playing experience.
      SR S Artuz Manning (5-11, 185) is the most experienced player on the defense with 30 career games and 21 starts. In nine games last year, he had 57 tackles, four tackles for loss, six pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble. The coaching staff is hoping for even more production in his final season, as well as leadership on the field.
      Another SR S, Braxton Winterton (6-3, 215), and JR CBs Maxwell Howell (6-1, 190) and Montre Brown (6-1, 185) will be counted on to step up as well.
      There are six redshirts back providing a lot of depth, but who remain untested. FR Anthony Adams (6-0, 175), Ryan Swanson (6-0, 190), Robert Holt (6-2, 200) and Jared Reed (6-0, 175) are part of the youth movement made by Bruce Barnum and his coaching staff two years ago. SO Sam Inos (5-11, 190) is battling for playing time off a redshirt season. Three junior transfers, Ryan Lesch (6-1, 200), Romeo Gunt (5-10, 190) and Deon Crayon (6-2, 175), arrive in the fall.
      "I need to have the fastest backfield in the Big Sky to be successful with what we are doing," Barnum said. "We needed another corner, and think we have that with Deon Crayon, and we think Lesch is going to really help at safety. The youth that we have in the back end needs to come to fruition now. So, that will be a really competitive area this spring and next fall."
 
SPECIAL COMPETITION
      JR LS Riley Shackelford is back after two solid seasons in the most under-appreciated role on the team. But he is the only thing about the Viking specialist group that is set. SO K Graycen Kennedy returns after nine starts, but he will be challenged immediately by freshman signee Cody Williams. Williams, who can also punt, may get into the conversation at that position with SOs Hayden Cowden and Ben Niesner. Cowden was the regular starter in 2017, but Niesner saw field time late in the season.
 
SIDELINE CHANGES
      Portland State saw changes in its coaching staff during the off-season. The most significant was the hiring of Payam Saadat as Defensive Coordinator following the release of Malik Roberson. Saadat has served as a Defensive Coordinator at Cal Poly (2006-08), Army (2009-13) and Central Washington (2014-15).
      "Payam Saadat is very knowledgeable. He is very much a player's coach. I don't know if I have ever heard him raise his voice," said Barnum. "He is a teacher that cares about kids and is very knowledgeable about the type of defense we are going to run now."
      Offensive Coordinator Steve Cooper left the Portland State program after 10 seasons to take a role with the University of Nebraska. Head Coach Bruce Barnum will resume play calling on offense and adjust his staff in the spring for position coverage.
      "The offense will be different," Barnum said. "Losing Steve (Cooper) to Nebraska, I am stepping back into the (offensive) room. You are going to see a lot more like when I was a coordinator from 2010-15. That will be new to this group of guys."
      Also leaving was Offensive Line Coach Adam Kleffner to take on a role at Missouri. Defensive Line Coach David Lose moved on to his alma mater, Oregon State, to take a coaching position there.
      Former Viking safety Manoa Latu was added to the coaching staff as a defensive assistant.
 
SCHEDULE NOTES
• Year in and year out Portland State football has one of the most challenging Football Championship Subdivision schedules in the country, and 2018 will be no different. The Vikings open the season with a pair of FBS opponents, Nevada and Oregon, and open Big Sky Conference play against formidable Big Sky Conference opponents Montana State (home), Idaho (road) and Montana (road).
• This will be the ninth time that Portland State has played at least two FBS level programs in the same season (the Vikings played three in 2006).
• Portland State will play a lower division school this season (College of Idaho). The Vikings are 15-0 in games against lower division opponents since moving to Division I in 1996.
• This is the 72nd season of Portland State football (1947).
• PSU faced only five teams in 2017 that were on the schedule in 2016 (UC Davis, Idaho State, Cal Poly, Weber State, Eastern Washington). The Vikings went 2-3 against those teams.
• In the Big Sky Conference's unusual 14-team format in 2018 (Idaho has just returned in football and North Dakota is departing in 2020), Portland State will face just eight of the other 13 members. Only five of those teams were on PSU's schedule in 2017. The Vikings will miss Weber State, Southern Utah, Northern Arizona, UC Davis and Cal Poly in 2018. In addition, the Vikings play Sacramento State for the third straight time on the road and host Northern Colorado for the second straight time (though both instances do not occur in consecutive seasons).
• The University of Idaho is rejoining the Big Sky Conference as a football-playing member in 2018.
 
2018 SCHEDULE PREVIEW
      The 2018 Portland State football schedule will have a similar look to past seasons as the Vikings attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2017 campaign.
      The front end will be particularly challenging with four of six games on the road to start the season, including FBS opponents Nevada and Oregon, and the first three Big Sky Conference games against traditional league powers Montana State, Idaho (returning to the league) and Montana.
      The non-conference schedule has a regional flavor as the Vikings open at the University of Nevada, followed by a game at the University of Oregon, then host College of Idaho.
      The Vikings and the Wolfpack played eight times between 1960 and 1976, but have not met on the gridiron in over 40 years. Nevada, a member of the Mountain West Conference, comes off a 3-9 season in 2017. The Wolfpack leads the all-time series with the Vikings, 6-2. The teams will open the season on Sept. 1 in Reno at Mackay Stadium.
      Portland State travels to Eugene to meet the Ducks on Sept. 8. It will be the first time PSU has played at Oregon since 2010. The Ducks leads the all-time series, 4-0, including a pair of shutouts (2002 and 2010). Oregon was 7-6 this past season, losing to Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl.
      The Providence Park home opener comes on Sept. 15 as Portland State hosts a first-ever meeting with College of Idaho. C of I is an NAIA member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference. The Yotes come off a 6-5 season. They played a Big Sky Conference school in 2017, losing 41-14 to Northern Colorado.
      Montana State comes to town the following Saturday to open Big Sky Conference play. The Bobcats were 5-6 in 2017, but 5-3 in Big Sky play. They beat the Vikings, 30-22, in Bozeman and lead the all-time series, 20-10.
      That game marks a challenging start to PSU's conference schedule. The following two weeks the Vikings are on the road at Idaho (Sept. 29) and Montana (Oct. 6).
      Idaho is making its return to the Big Sky after 22 seasons at the FBS level. Most recently, the Vandals competed in the Sun Belt Conference. Idaho was 4-8 last season, 3-5 in the Sun Belt, and is the first program to move from the FBS to the FCS level in NCAA history.
      The Vandals had a successful history against the Vikings in its previous incarnation as a member of the Big Sky Conference (pre-1996). PSU played at Division II during that era. Idaho leads the all-time series, 11-1, with all games played between 1970 and 1997.
      Portland State returns to Missoula for the first time since 2013 and will be seeking a first-ever Big Sky win at Washington-Grizzly Stadium (0-9). The Griz beat PSU 45-33 last season at Hillsboro Stadium. Montana was 7-4, 5-3 in the Big Sky in 2017. The Griz lead the all-time series, 30-12, and the Big Sky series, 16-3.
      On Oct. 13 the Vikings have their only home game over a span of five weeks hosting Northern Colorado. They did not meet in 2017, but played an instant classic in 2016 at Providence Park. Unfortunately, the Bears won that game in overtime, 56-49. UNC was 3-7 overall in 2017, 2-6 in Big Sky games. PSU leads the all-time series, 7-5.
      After seven straight weeks of football, the Vikings will get a bye on October 20.
      Portland State plays at Sacramento State on Oct. 27. It marks the third straight time the Vikings have played the Hornets in Sacramento (2014 and 2016). PSU lost each of those games by a touchdown, but lead the all-time series, 22-12, and the Big Sky series, 12-7. Sacramento State comes off one of its best seasons in recent memory, going 7-4/6-2 in 2017.
      The Vikings will seek some revenge at home on Nov. 3 when they host Idaho State. A team PSU has dominated in recent years had the last laugh in Pocatello last October, beating the Vikings, 59-30. ISU finished the year at 4-7 overall. The Bengals lead the all-time series, 24-18-1. The Vikings lead the Big Sky series, 12-10. PSU had won six of seven meetings with ISU prior to last season.
      Portland State's final road trip of the season will also be the final conference meeting with North Dakota (3-8, 2-6) as a conference member. The Vikings play in what could be snowy Grand Forks on Nov. 10. Fortunately, the Fighting Hawks play indoors at the Alerus Center. Following a 48-21 win over PSU in 2017, UND holds a 5-2 all-time series lead, 3-1 in Big Sky games.
      The season finale will be the annual Dam Cup meeting with Eastern Washington on Nov. 17. The Vikings will host the Eagles in Providence Park trying to end a two-game losing streak in the rivalry. Eastern was 7-4 last season, 6-2 in the Big Sky. They lead the Big Sky series, 14-8, while the Vikings lead the all-time series, 20-19-1.     
      In the Big Sky Conference's unusual 14-team format in 2018 (Idaho has just returned in football and North Dakota is departing in 2020), Portland State will face just eight of the other 13 members. Only five of those teams were on PSU's schedule in 2017. The Vikings will miss Weber State, Southern Utah, Northern Arizona, UC Davis and Cal Poly in 2018. In addition, the Vikings play Sacramento State for the third straight time on the road and host Northern Colorado for the second straight time (though both instances do not occur in consecutive seasons).
 
2018 PORTLAND STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 1, at Nevada
Sept. 8, at Oregon
Sept. 15, College of Idaho
Sept. 22, Montana State*
Sept. 29, at Idaho*
Oct. 6, at Montana*
Oct. 13, Northern Colorado*
Oct. 20, bye
Oct. 27, at Sacramento State*
Nov. 3, Idaho State*
Nov. 10, at North Dakota*
Nov. 17, Eastern Washington*
 
* Big Sky Conference game
Game times TBA
Televised games TBA
Home games at Providence Park