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Game 4
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (1-2) vs. EASTERN OREGON MOUNTAINEERS (1-2)
Saturday, September 21, 2:05 p.m. • Hillsboro Stadium (7,200), Portland, OR
TELEVISION: None
LIVE VIDEO AND AUDIO: Pluto TV Channel 532, www.pluto.tv, www.WatchBigSky.com • Pregame Show: 1:45 p.m. • Play-by-play: Matt Richert • Analyst: Mike Lund
LIVE STATS: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats in pdf

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GAME WEEK ACTIVITIES
BRUCE BARNUM ON THE RADIO AND TV: Viking football Coach Bruce Barnum can be heard and seen every Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. on Rip City Radio 620 AM and NBC Sports Northwest on Comcast Cable Systems. Barnum joins Chad Doing and Travis Demers on the Rip City Drive... on Thursdays Coach Barnum can be heard on John Canzano's Bald-Faced Truth Show, 750 The Game, at 1 p.m.

EVERY WEDNESDAY: Vikings Football With Bruce Barnum. Barny reviews and previews Viking football games with Mike Lund. The video is available at www.GoViks.com and on Vikings Social Media.

VIKING FOOTBALL LUNCHEONS: Portland State Athletics next football luncheon take places on Oct. 4 at the Old Spaghetti Factory, located at 0715 SW Bancroft. Coach Barnum and Viking players will speak and be available for questions. The luncheon starts at noon and is open to the public. Cost is $15... on Oct. 11 the luncheon will be replaced by a TopGolf Tournament and luncheon at TopGolf in Hillsboro.

SALUTE TO SERVICE DAY: This Saturday all active fire, police, emergency, military personnel and veterans get free admission to the game. Their guests receive a 20% discount on tickets by using the code 2019SERVICE when purchasing online at www.GoViks.com/Tickets. Wear gray and get a free Vikings camo hat to the first 200 in attendance. 

TICKETS: Season Tickets, Mini-Plans, and Single Games can be purchased by visiting GoViks.com/Tickets or calling 1.888.VIK.TIKS (1.888.845.8457).

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VIKINGS WRAP UP NON-CONFERENCE SLATE THIS WEEK
Portland State will complete its non-conference schedule this Saturday with a home game against Eastern Oregon. The Vikings, 1-2, have seen vast differences in competition so far this season, playing at SEC Arkansas, hosting Division II Simon Fraser, then going to #22 (FBS) Boise State. Eastern Oregon, also 1-2, is an NAIA program offering yet a different challenge.
     
The Vikings come off a 45-10 loss in Boise against a powerhouse Broncos program. Still, they have fared well, being very competitive against their FBS opponents, and taking care of business in a game they were expected to dominate. PSU figures to be a heavy favorite again this week against the Mountaineers and seek refinement in their game before moving on to the all-important Big Sky Conference play.
     
The game with Eastern Oregon is the second of four at home in a six-game stretch. PSU must take advantage of this run leading through the first three weeks of conference play. The Big Sky schedule appears to get progressively more challenging as the last three games of the season should be against nationally-ranked opponents (Montana, UC Davis, Eastern Washington).
     
The Vikings and Mountaineers have met only once in the past 55 years. That game was a 57-17 win by the Vikings in 2013. The programs were formerly co-members of the old NAIA Oregon Collegiate Conference (1950s and early 1960s).
     
Eastern Oregon comes into the contest off a 35-10 home loss to Montana Tech. However, Eastern Oregon's win came at nationally-ranked Southern Oregon two weeks ago (24-21).
     
Saturday's game will be live streamed on Pluto TV Channel 532, www.pluto.tv and www.WatchBigSky.com with a 2:05 p.m. kickoff. The pregame show begins at 1:45 p.m. Live stats are available www.ViksLive.com.
 
STORYLINES
• Portland State and Eastern Oregon were conference opponents in the old NAIA Oregon Collegiate Conference from 1950 to 1964. During that era, PSU had three shutouts of EOU, including a 2-0 game in 1962. The Mountaineers had one shutout. The schools did not play again until 2013. Portland State leads the all-time series, 10-5-1.
• Eastern Oregon is now a member of the NAIA's Frontier Conference. They are led by 12th-year Head Coach Tim Camp and were 6-4 last season.
• Eastern Oregon is Portland State's second lower division opponent of 2019. This marks the first time PSU has played two lower division schools since 2013, with EOU also being one of those. The Vikings beat NCAA II Simon Fraser on Sept. 7, 70-7. The Vikings are now 17-0 in games against lower division opponents since moving to Division I in 1996.  
 
LAST MEETING, Aug. 29, 2013: Portland State 57, Eastern Oregon 17
In a game of big offense, Portland State prevailed. The Vikings rolled up 672 yards despite losing four fumbles on the way to an easy win. PSU led 36-0 at halftime and rolled on from there.
 
Running backs Shaquille Richard and DJ Adams each had 107 rushing yards as the Vikings totaled 405 on the ground overall. Adams scored three touchdowns. Roston Tatum caught three passes for 159 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown.
     
The Mountaineers moved the ball as well, with 438 yards, but had five turnovers in the game. One turnover, an interception, was returned 64 yards by Aaron Sibley for the opening touchdown.
     
Jeremy Lutali had 11 tackles to lead the Vikings.
 
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
Eastern Oregon has opened its season with a challenging schedule. The Mountaineers lost at 15th-ranked College of Idaho, 48-12, then won in the closing seconds at 20th-ranked Southern Oregon, 24-21.Last week Eastern Oregon lost 35-10 at home to Montana Tech.
     
EOU averages 304.0 yards and 15.3 points per game while allowing 381.3 yards and 34.7 points per game. The Mountaineers have thrown the football on 60% of their offensive plays and average over 212 yards passing per game. However, quarterback Kai Quinn has thrown seven interceptions against just two touchdowns.
     
Isaiah Thomas is the team's top receiver with 13 catches for 134 yards.
     
Defensive back Haziel Ledezma is the team's top tackler with 19 through three games. Linebacker Isaiah Cranford has 18 tackles and three tackles for loss. Defensive end Sage DeLong has four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
 
QUICK SNAPS
 
VIKINGS START WELL THEN BOISE STATE TAKES OVER
Boise State asserted itself in the second quarter and took control of the game against Portland State last Saturday. The Broncos led just 14-10 midway through the second quarter before getting its offense rolling and pulling away to a 45-10 win. Boise State out-gained the Vikings 491 to 244 in the game. The Bronco defense, which has not allowed a second-half point so far this season, was able to get to Viking quarterbacks for six sacks and make 10 tackles for loss. PSU was also hindered by 12 penalties in the game but did not turn the ball over.
     
SO K Cody Williams hit on a 26-yard field goal for an early lead. The kick was set up by a 52-yard option run by SO WR Beau Kelly. Later in the first quarter, JR QB Davis Alexander found a streaking SO WR Mataio Talalemotu down the middle of the field and the sophomore wide receiver took it in for a 50-yard score. After that, Boise State's defense held the Vikings at bay. SR S Ryan Lesch had eight tackles to lead the Vikings, and intercepted a pass in the second quarter.
 
20 OR LESS
Portland State gave up a season-high 45 points to Boise State, but the defense has still had a good start to the season... PSU allows 333.0 yards and 24.0 points per game. Some highlights:
• The Vikings have held eight of the last 12 opponents to 20 points or less.
• PSU leads the Big Sky Conference and ranks fourth in the nation in sacks with 12. The Vikings had three at Boise State... SR DT Kenton Bartlett (3) and SR DE Shawn Richard (2.5) are team leaders.
• SO S Anthony Adams leads the Big Sky Conference and ranks second in the nation with seven pass breakups. Adams has 14 in his 14-game career.
• PSU has four takeaways this season. SR S Ryan Lesch picked off a pass at Boise State. SO LB Robert Holt had his first career interception against Arkansas. FR CB Greg Oliver (interception) and FR LB David Joseph (FR for touchdown) had takeaways against Simon Fraser.
• The Vikings held their first two opponents to 7-30 conversions on third down (23%). Boise State managed 8-15, 53%).
• SR ROV Romeo Gunt had a career-high 15 tackles - fourth-most tackles in the nation for the weekend - in the game against Arkansas. Gunt was named Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week... he currently leads the Vikings with 19 tackles. He is tied for the Big Sky Conference lead.
• Portland State set two new school records against Simon Fraser. The -65 rushing yards allowed broke the previous mark of -21 by Western Washington in 1981; the 20 tackles for loss broke a mark of 18 set against Humboldt State in 2013. Fifteen different players were involved in the TFLs. PSU made eight sacks, led by three from SR DT Kenton Bartlett, nine pass breakups and forced two fumbles. SO S Anthony Adams broke up four passes and blocked a field goal for good measure. The defense even scored a touchdown when FR LB David Joseph pounced on a fumble in the end zone. The ball had been knocked loose on a quarterback sack by SO LB Robert Holt.
• The Vikings held Simon Fraser to -23 total yards over the last three quarters of the game. The seven points allowed were the fewest since a 66-7 win over North Texas on Oct. 10, 2015 – 42 games ago.
 
A LOOK AT THE OFFENSE
Portland State's offense has averaged 373.3 yards and 31.0 points through three games. The Vikings had only 244 yards and 10 points at Boise State, but they were facing an FBS team ranked 22nd in the nation. In addition All-American SR TE Charlie Taumoepeau was not available to play due to a hamstring issue.
• Through three games, JR QB Davis Alexander is 39-69 for 506 yards, four TDs and two interceptions... in 16 career starts, Alexander is 247-451 for 3,457 yards, 20 TDs and 11 interceptions.
• SO WR Mataio Talalemotu led the Vikings with five receptions for 78 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown reception, at Boise State... for the season he leads the team with 13 receptions for 215 yards and two TDs... for his career, he has 35 receptions for 617 yards and four TDs and two 100-yard games.
• MONEY MAN: SO WR Davis Koetter has 10 career receptions, six this season, for 264 yards and four touchdowns. Of Koetter's 10 career receptions, four have gone for touchdowns... he averages 26.4 yards per catch. This season, his average is 23.8 yards per catch which ranks 13th in the nation. In fact, his 20-yard catch at Boise State hurt his average.
• Portland State has run a "by committee" backfield with six players at 50+ rushing yards, but none over 100 through three games... twelve different Vikings have rushed for positive yards and PSU averages 162.0 yards rushing per game.
• Portland State is 4-6 on fourth down conversions (67%) which is tied for the best in the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings are 7-8 in the redzone (6 TDs, 1 FG).
• After having six turnovers in the first two games, the Vikings had a clean slate at Boise State with none. PSU already has 40% of its total for all of 2018 (15).
• The Vikings' 70 points against Simon Fraser were the most since a 77-10 win over Idaho State in 2012. The Vikings amassed 646 yards of total offense (300 rushing/346 passing). Seven different players contributed 10 total touchdowns.
 
YELLOW HANKIES HURTING
Portland State had 12 penalties at Boise State for 95 yards. One penalty, away from the play, took a touchdown off the board for the Vikings. For the season, PSU has 29 penalties for 278 yards. They give up the most penalty yards in the Big Sky (92.7 per game).
 
CHARTING CHARLIE
All-American tight end Charlie Taumoepeau missed the game at Boise State due to hamstring tightness. He is expected to return this week. Through the first two games he was a focus of opposing defenses. Taumoepeau made seven receptions for 94 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown at Arkansas.
• For his career, Taumoepeau now has 88 receptions for 1,496 yards (17.0) and 10 touchdowns.
• In his last 23 games played, Taumoepeau has 82 catches for 1,418 yards and nine scores.
• A consensus second team All-American last year, Taumoepeau was named preseason All-American by no less than four news outlets and is on the Walter Payton Award Watch list for the top offensive player in all of NCAA I FCS football.
 
KICKING UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF
SO K Cody Williams is picking up where he left off last season. At Arkansas the second-year kicker was 2-2 on field goals, hitting from 50 and 47 yards... he is now 3-4 on the season.
• For his career, Williams is 14-18 on field goals, 46-46 on extra points... of his four career misses, all have come from 42 yards or longer.
• Williams' 50-yarder at Arkansas was his second from 50+ in his career in two attempts. His long was a 52-yard game-winner at Montana in 2018 with four seconds left in the game (22-20).
• Williams has two of the 15 50+ yard field goals in school history. Only five players have two or more in their careers.
 
VERY SPECIAL TEAMS
Portland State special teams are off to a good start in the 2019 season. Some notes:
• JR P Seth Vernon, in his first season as a Viking, is averaging 42.8 yards with three in excess of 50 yards. Vernon's average is the best by a Viking since 2014 when All-American Kyle Loomis averaged 46.0... Vernon ranks fourth in the Big Sky Conference and 22nd in the nation.
• The Vikings are 3-4 on field goals and 12-12 on extra points this season.
• SO WR Beau Kelly is averaging 10.3 yards per punt return, ranking 21st in the nation.
• SO S Anthony Adams blocked a field goal against Simon Fraser... PSU had five blocked kicks/punts last season.
 
OREGONIAN INFLUENCE
Portland State's defense has a decidedly Oregon flavor to it - at least among its starters. The seven players lined up closest to the ball on the first snap against Arkansas were all Oregonians. They included: SO DE Jake Porter (West Linn), JR DT Semise Kofe (Portland), SR DT Anthony Del Toro (Grants Pass), JR DE Noah Yunker (Bend), FR LB Zack Mandera (Roseburg), JR LB Nicolas Ah Sam (Springfield) and SO S Anthony Adams (Newberg).
• PSU started three Oregonians on offense and played 19 Oregonians in all among the 36 on the roster and the 57 players that got into the game.