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Game 1
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS at NEVADA WOLFPACK
Friday, August 31, 6 p.m. • Mackay Stadium (27,000), Reno, NV

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TELEVISION: None
RADIO: 103.7 The Legend Classic Country, www.1037thelegend.iheart.com • Pregame Show: 5 p.m. • Play-by-play: Matt Richert • Analyst: Mike Lund
INTERNET: Live video stream: www.nevadawolfpack.tv • Live stats: www.nevadawolfpack.com/footballls
 
Complete notes and stats in pdf
 
THE SERIES RECORD: VIKINGS vs. WOLFPACK
All-Time Series: Nevada leads 6-2 • Nevada leads in Reno 3-1 • Nevada leads in Portland 3-1
Oct. 29, 1960: PSU 19-7 at Reno
Sept. 30, 1961: UN 41-20 at Portland
Oct. 16, 1971: PSU 21-7 at Portland
Oct. 7, 1972: UN 27-13 at Reno
Oct. 6, 1973: UN 59-0 at Portland
Sept. 28, 1974: UN 19-14 at Reno
Sept. 13, 1975: PSU 37-0 at Portland
Nov. 13, 1976: UN 35-22 at Reno
 
VIKINGS TURN THE PAGE TO 2018 WITH NEVADA MATCHUP
The Portland State Vikings look forward to a fresh start in the 2018 season as they open at the University of Nevada this Friday night in a 6 p.m. game.
     
Despite their relatively close proximity, the Vikings and Wolfpack meet for the first time in 42 years when they kickoff at Mackay Stadium. For both programs it is a chance to put disappointing seasons behind them. The Vikings, after starting 2017 with great promise, stumbled to an 0-11 season - the second winless season in program history. The Wolfpack went 3-9 last year, marking its poorest record since 2000.
     
For the Vikings, it will be the first of two games playing "up" as they travel to Oregon on Sept. 8. The games mark the start of an extremely challenging first half of the season for Portland State. After playing NAIA College of Idaho on Sept. 15, the Vikings face Big Sky powerhouses Montana State, Idaho and Montana in succession, with the latter two games coming on the road. In all, the Vikings play four of six on the road in the first half of the season.
     
PSU is 4-36 all-time against FBS programs. Head Coach Bruce Barnum led Portland State to two of those wins in 2015 over Washington State (24-17) and North Texas (66-7). Since then, the Vikings have lost four in a row to FBS teams. One of those games was against a Mountain West opponent (66-35 loss to San Jose State in 2016).
     
Nevada will be playing a member of the Big Sky Conference for the sixth straight season. Last year, Idaho State beat the Wolfpack, 30-28. Nevada defeated Cal Poly, 30-27, in overtime in 2016. The Wolfpack has also beaten UC Davis twice and Southern Utah once during that span.
     
Portland State will field a youthful squad that includes 57 true freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophomores on the 93-player roster. The Vikings have 35 returning letterwinners and 12 returning starters.
     
Nevada returns 46 letterwinners and 16 starters to its team in 2018.
     
Friday's game will be live streamed on the Mountain West Network. The radio broadcast is available at Rip City Radio 620 AM in the Portland area, and www.ripcityradio.com. Live stats can be found at www.nevadawolfpack.com/footballls.
 
STORYLINES
• Portland State and Nevada will meet for the first time in 42 years. The Wolfpack leads the all-time series, 6-2, including 3-1 in Reno.
• This is the first of two FBS opponents for the Vikings in 2018. They will also play Oregon on Sept. 8. It marks the fifth straight year that PSU will play two FBS teams in the same season and the ninth time overall (three in 2006).
• Portland State is 4-36 all-time against members of the FBS. Viking Head Coach Bruce Barnum is 2-4 against the FBS. This is the first time Portland State plays Nevada as an FBS opponent.
• Nevada had two players that were named preseason All-Mountain West Conference by league media: SR DB Dameon Baber and SR LB Malik Reed.
• Nevada lost to Big Sky Conference opponent Idaho State last year at home, 30-28. The Wolfpack is 4-1 against Big Sky teams over the last five years.
 
SCOUTING THE WOLFPACK
Nevada is led by second-year Head Coach Jay Norvell. The Wolfpack was 3-9 last season, including 3-5 in the Mountain West Conference.
     
Senior quarterback Ty Gangi returns to lead the Wolfpack offense. He threw for 2,746 yards and 25 touchdowns last season. Gangi has been named to the Manning Award, Wuerffel Trophy and Maxwell Award Watch Lists in the preseason.
     
Wide receivers McLane Mannix and Brendan O'Leary-Orange are top targets for Gangi. They combined for 96 catches, 1,396 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
     
Top running back Kelton Moore also returns. The junior carried 164 times for 855 yards and four touchowns last season.  
     
On defense, the Wolfpack will try to improve on last year when it allowed 471.3 yards and 33.9 points per game. Defensive back Dameon Baber is the top returning tackler with 94 stops in 2017. Baber also had three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
 
LAST MEETING, Nov. 13, 1976: Nevada 35, Portland State 22
Nevada overcame five turnovers with a powerful running game that totaled 280 yards, and a key special teams play, for a 35-22 victory.
     
Mike Rippee rushed 29 times for 126 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Wolfpack. Nevada blocked a punt late in the second quarter and recovered it in the endzone to build a 21-6 halftime lead it would not relinquish.
     
Portland State quarterback June Jones completed 20 of 45 passes for 266 yards and three interceptions. Running back Jeff Salta rushed for 83 yards and two touchdowns and had 89 yards receiving.
 
ON THIS DATE: Aug. 31
Portland State has only played once in its history on Aug. 31 - a 31-23 victory over Stephen F. Austin in 2002. This marks the seventh time ever that Portland State has played in the month of August. The Vikings are 3-3 all-time in August games.
 
QUICK SNAPS

WINS, LOSSES, AND THE BIG SKY
• Portland State was 0-11 in 2017, 0-5 at home, 0-6 on the road.
• 2018 will be Portland State's 26th season at the NCAA I FCS level (1978-80 (1-AA), 1996-2018). PSU is 126-153 in all games at the FCS/1-AA level.
• Having completed its 22nd season since moving back to FCS and the Big Sky Conference (1996-2017), PSU is 107-139, 69-49 in home games, 38-90 on the road.
• As a member of the Big Sky Conference (1996-2017) PSU is 70-101 all-time in league games, 42-44 at home, 28-57 on the road.
• The Vikings have nine winning records in 22 years as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
• Bruce Barnum (2015-16, 8-16 Big Sky, 12-22 overall) is the Vikings fourth Head Coach in the Big Sky Conference era. Previous coaches were: Tim Walsh (1993-2006, 42-41/90-68 all-time); Jerry Glanville (2007-09, 7-17/9-24); and Nigel Burton (2010-15, 13-27/21-36).
• The Vikings have never won a Big Sky title, but have tied for second five times (four times under Walsh and in 2015 under Barnum). PSU has made two NCAA FCS playoff appearances (2000, 2015).
• PSU's best record ever at the FCS level was 9-3 in 2015 (4-2 at home, 5-1 on the road).
 
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 3-20 over the last two seasons (and a 2015 NCAA playoff loss).
• Included in the last 23 games are an NCAA playoff loss, four losses to FBS opponents, an overtime loss, and six losses by a touchdown or less.
• The Vikings have lost 13 in a row dating to 2016. They have lost eight straight home games and seven straight road games.
 
YOUTH SHALL SERVE: Portland State has seen big turnover in skill position players from 2017.
• At wide receiver, the depth chart features all freshmen and sophomores with a couple of junior transfers mixed in.
• At quarterback, the Vikings added SO TR Danny Velasquez, giving them three sophomore quarterbacks battling to start. SO Jalani Eason started five games as a true freshman and Davis Alexander started three games as a redshirt freshman last season.
• Portland State's two-deep - as of Monday morning - included six freshmen, six sophomores, five juniors and four seniors on offense; three freshmen, five sophomores, seven juniors and seven seniors on defense.
• Portland State features 57 true freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophomores on the 93-man roster. There are 24 juniors and 12 seniors.
 
BIG PLAYS NEEDED: New defensive coordinator Payam Saadat will try to turn around the fortunes of a Viking defense that struggled last year. PSU gave up 493.3 yards and 43.0 points per game. But more than that, the Vikings produced few big plays. In 11 games, they forced only 12 turnovers and made just seven sacks of the quarterback.
 
TAUMOEPEAU EARNS PRESEASON HONORS: Portland State junior tight end Charlie Taumoepeau was named to the STATS Preseason 1st team All-America list, as well as preseason All-Big Sky Conference. Taumoepeau was a second-team All-Big Sky Conference performer last season. He had 45 receptions for 673 yards and three touchdowns on the year. It was the most receptions by a Viking tight end since PSU Hall of Famer Barry Naone had 48 in 1988... Phil Steele and College Sports Madness each named Taumoepeau second team All-American and second team All-Big Sky behind Wes Preece of UC Davis on both teams.
 
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. 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, but has assigned Matt Leunen as the new Offensive Coordinator and offensive line coach.
      Fourth-year coach AC Patterson is now the tight ends coach as well as recruiting coordinator. Evan Mozzochi, also in his fourth season, will coach wide receivers and quarterbacks.
      "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. Linebackers Coach Hansen Sekona was named Defensive Coordinator at College of San Mateo. 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 linebackers coach.
 
2018 SEASON NOTES
 
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, NAIA). The Vikings are 15-0 in games against lower division opponents since moving to Division I in 1996. PSU last played a lower division school in 2016.
• This is the 72nd season of Portland State football (1947).
• PSU faces only five teams in 2018 that were on the schedule in 2017 (Montana State, Montana, Idaho State, North Dakota, Eastern Washington).
• In the Big Sky Conference's unusual 14-team format in 2018 (Idaho has just returned in football and North Dakota has departed but remains in the scheduling rotation until 2020), Portland State will face just eight of the other 13 members. 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).
• Due to scheduling conflicts with Providence Park, Portland State will play four of its five home games at Hillsboro Stadium. PSU played the entire 2000 (4-2) and 2010 (1-3) seasons at Hillsboro due to construction at Providence Park. Including some one-off contests in other seasons, PSU is 6-7 all-time using Hillsboro Stadium as its home field.
 
A FAMILY AFFAIR
• RS FR S Anthony Adams is the brother of former Vikings WR Darnell Adams. Anthony is expected to be a key defensive back for the Vikings in seasons to come. Darnell finished his career in 2017 (99 receptions, 1,568 yards, 12 touchdowns).
• SR S Braxton Winterton was married in 2017 (Madeline).
• SR OL Josh Brown and SO DE Cody Brown are brothers who prepped at Sunset (Beaverton, OR) HS.
• SO OL Ryan Phillipo and FR OL Zach Phillipo are brother who prepped at Sheldon (Eugene, OR) HS.
• RS FR WR/QB Davis Koetter is the son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Dirk Koetter.
• RS FR WR Mataio Talalemotu is the son of Ina Talalemotu, who played in 1987-88 on Portland State's two NCAA II National finalist teams. He is also the cousin of former Viking DL Savali Talalemotu.
• RS FR DE Jake Porter's father, Jason, was a four-year letterwinner in baseball at Portland State (1991-94).
• SO K Graycen Kennedy is the son of Viking women's basketball coach Lynn Kennedy.
 
TIDBITS OF VIKING TRIVIA
• Portland State has 35 players on the roster from the state of Oregon, plus five others from just across the river and the Vancouver, WA area.
• After walking on at Portland State last year, JR TE Cameron Loos (New Mexico State transfer) was given a scholarship prior to the start of the 2017 season. Players this past season who originally walked on, but have earned scholarships include SR LB Houston Barnes, JR FB Sirgeo Hoffman and SO WR Easton Trakel.
• SO P Ben Niesner did not play high school football. He picked up punting on his own in 2016 and attended the Ray Guy Prokicker Camp, attracting collegiate attention. He ended up starting last season's finale as a true freshman.
• SO WR Emmanuel Daigbe was born in Liberia. Originally he wrestled in college at Highline and Green River CCs.
• Portland State has six players on the roster that were formerly members of FBS programs.
• Offensive Coordinator Matt Leunen (OL/TE, 2005-09), and linebackers coach Manoa Latu (S, 2010-11) are both PSU alums who played for the Vikings.
• Special Teams Coordinator and running backs coach Nick Whitworth was Bruce Barnum's first recruit when Barnum was working at Idaho State.
• Assistant coach AC Patterson's father, Andre, is a long-time NFL coach currently working with the Minnesota Vikings.
• Portland State had a pair of former players meet in the Super Bowl for the first time in history in February 2014. TE Julius Thomas ('10, Denver) and DB DeShawn Shead ('11, Seattle) both played in Super Bowl XLVIII. Shead returned to the Super Bowl in 2015 with the Seahawks. He joins Clint Didier and Ted Popson as former Vikings with Super Bowl rings. Thomas was named a Pro Bowl tight end in 2013 and 2014. In the 2014 off-season, he signed the richest tight end contract in the NFL to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Shead, a starting corner with the Seahawks in 2016, missed 2017 due to an ACL injury, but has signed with Detroit for 2018.
• Other Vikings currently on NFL rosters are LB Patrick Onwuasor (Baltimore Ravens), CB Xavier Coleman (NY Jets), LS Kameron Canaday (Pittsburgh Steelers), OL Cornelius Edison (Minnesota Vikings), OL Randin Crecelius (Baltimore Ravens) and CB Donovan Olumba (Dallas Cowboys).
 
ON THE AIR
Portland State returns to the airwaves this season on Rip City Radio 620 AM. New for the Viking program will be play-by-play man Matt Richert. He replaces long-time broadcaster Tom Hewitt, who retired this past year.
     
The Vikings will appear on television several times this season. The Sept. 8 game at Oregon will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network. The Nov. 3 home game against Idaho State will air on Eleven Sports.
     
Other games televised that are local to the opponent include Montana State (Sept. 22), Idaho (Sept. 29) and Montana (Oct. 6), all on SWX. The Oct. 27 contest at Sacramento State will be televised by the home team on CW31 in Sacramento. On. Nov. 10, the Vikings' game at North Dakota will be televised on the MidCo Sports Network.
     
All Big Sky Conference games and Portland State home game are live streamed at www.WatchBigSky.com and on Pluto TV Channel 232.
 
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. Barnum also feels it promotes team unity (and saves a few dollars in the budget). In the past three years, PSU has logged 11,842 bus miles with a "program record" of 4,906 in 2016.
     
The Americana Tour continues in 2018 as the Vikings plan some extended bus trips once again. PSU will bus round trip to Nevada (1,064 miles round trip), Oregon (218 miles), Idaho (718 miles), Montana (1,098 miles) and Sacramento State (1,158 miles). Only the game at North Dakota (charter) will include air travel. That will be a total of 4,256 bus miles for the Vikings in 2018 which, remarkably, ranks only third-most in four seasons.
     
Here is a quick log of the Americana Tour in past seasons:
• 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.
• The 2017 season was limited to just three bus trips: Oregon State, Idaho State and Eastern Washington. There was also a bus portion from San Jose, CA to Cal Poly. And, 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... the Vikings had bus travel from San Jose Airport to San Luis Obispo for the game at Cal Poly. It was 376 miles round trip and included a stop over on the Monterey Peninsula on the way down. No golf was played... the final week's bus trip from PSU to Eastern Washington was 339 miles one way, 678 round trip. That made the Vikings' Americana Tour for 2017 a total of 2,542 miles.
 
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