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Portland State University Athletics

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Tyreese Shakir tackles an opposing back
Larry Lawson
Sophomore roverback Tyreese Shakir chases down an opposing back in a game earlier this season.

Football by Mike Lund

Vikings Come Home Looking For .500 Mark Against Northern Colorado

Game 9

NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS (2-6, 1-4) at PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (3-5, 2-3)

Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, 2 p.m., Hillsboro Stadium (7,600), Hillsboro, OR
TELEVISION: None
LIVE STREAMING: ESPN+ • Play-by-Play: Matt Richert • Analyst: Scott Hermo
LIVE STATS: www.ViksLive.com
Game notes and stats in pdf
VIKINGS FACE BEARS LOOKING FOR .500 MARK IN CONFERENCE
Portland State will be looking to build on a quality win and go on a late-season push this Saturday when it hosts Northern Colorado. The Vikings come off a 38-35 road win at Eastern Washington, and if they can win again this Saturday will be at .500 in Big Sky Conference play with two weeks to go.
     
PSU (3-5, 2-3) and the Bears (2-6, 1-4) meet in a 2 p.m. game on Saturday at Hillsboro Stadium. The contest will air on ESPN+.
     
The Vikings come off an invigorating victory over the Eagles, stopping a two-game losing skid. PSU totaled 628 yards of offense, including 427 yards on the ground. Only a fourth-quarter rally by Eastern Washington made the game close.
     
The win was much-needed for the Vikings who have had a brutally hard schedule. PSU's three conference losses all came to nationally-ranked teams and the other two losses were to FBS schools. Now a .500 or better record in conference and overall is a possibility with three games to play. PSU has had back-to-back five-win seasons (5-7 in 2019, 5-6 in 2021). PSU was 4-4 in Big Sky play last season.
     
Northern Colorado comes into the game off a bye. The Bears have lost four games in a row, allowing an average of 51.3 points per game over those four.
     
This will be only the fourth time in the last 10 years that Portland State and Northern Colorado have met. It is the first time since 2019 and the first time with Ed McCaffrey as the Bears Head Coach.
 
TEAM LEADERS
  • PORTLAND STATE: SO QB Dante Chachere has completed 122-200 passes for 1,509 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Chachere is also the rushing leader with 92 carries for 465 yards and six TDs... four other Vikings have over 100 yards rushing and SO RB Jobi Malary rushed for 148 yards last week... All-Big Sky Conference SR WR Beau Kelly has 37 receptions for 535 yards and four touchdowns. SO WR Nate Bennett also has 37 catches for 397 yards, while SR WR Mataio Talalemotu has 16 catches for 302 yards and six touchdowns. His eight TDs overall lead the Vikings... SR S Broderick Harrell has a team-high 41 tackles while SR S Xavier Bell has 37 tackles and five tackles for loss... SR DT EJ Ane has a team-best five sacks while SR DE VJ Malo leads with 7.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries... PSU averages 356.3 yards of total offense and 23.5 points per game... the Vikings have allowed 456.5 yards and 36.5 points.
  • NORTHERN COLORADO: Quarterback Dylan McCaffrey has completed 127-204 passes for 1,303 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions in seven games played... Elijah Dotson leads the running game with 142 carries for 636 yards and four touchdowns. He also leads the team with 35 receptions for 205 yards and two scores... Trevis Graham has 29 catches for a team-high 394 yards and three touchdowns. Ty Arrington has 27 catches for 295 yards and three TDs...  linebacker Elijah Anderson-Taylor has a team-high 78 tackles, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Safety Jordan Knapke has 63 tackles for the Bears...  the Bears average 20.8 points and 341.5 yards per game on offense. They give up 39.0 points and 461.0 yards per game... Northern Colorado has committed 20 turnovers and has a -10 turnover ratio.
 
STORYLINES
  • Despite being conference opponents, the teams have only met four times in the past decade... PSU has won two in a row in the series, but is only 3-3 in Big Sky game at home against the Bears.
  • Northern Colorado's five all-time wins in the series are by just a combined 20 points.
  • Former Viking quarterback Neil Lomax set Portland State records for pass completions (44) and attempts (77) in a 1979 21-20 loss to the Bears. Lomax passed for 499 yards.
 
OFFENSIVE NOTES
  • The Vikings had their biggest offensive day of the season against Eastern Washington (10/29) with 628 yards, 427 on the ground and 201 through the air. The 427 rushing yards were the sixth-most in school history. The 628 yards are the most by a Viking team against a Division I opponent since gaining 682 yards against Montana State in 2015... PSU's second-highest output came against Northern Arizona (10/1), compiling 479 yards of total offense, 274 through the air and 205 on the ground... Portland State had its poorest offensive output in two seasons with only seven points in the loss to Weber State (10/15)... PSU averages 356.3 total yards per game and 23.5 points.
  • DANTE'S DATA: SO QB Dante Chachere (SASH-er-ay) totaled 724 yards of offense and accounted for 11 touchdowns in a pair of Vikings' wins (10/1 and 10/8), including 554 yards passing (36-57) and 170 yards rushing (16 carries). He completed eight TD passes (five to SR WR Mataio Talalemotu) and rushed for three scores... Chachere had 342 yards total offense (201 passing, 141 rushing) in the Vikings win at Eastern Washington (10/29)... his career highs for passing are 280 yards (Lincoln) and five touchdowns (Lincoln), and for rushing are 141 yards (Eastern Washington) and two touchdowns (Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington)... Chachere was named Big Sky Conference co-Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against NAU (272 yards passing, 3 TDs, 128 yards rushing, 2 TDs)... for the season, Chachere is completing 61% of his passes, has 1,509 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also has 92 carries for a team-high 465 rushing yards (609 positive yards) six TDs and two 100-yard games... he has 1,974 yards total offense (246.8 per game).
  • KELLY IS A HERO: SR WR Beau Kelly added a second 100-yard game (and seventh career to his resume) with six catches for 119 yards and a touchdown at Idaho (10/22). His 63-yard TD reception was his career long among 152 total... he now has team-highs of 37 catches for 535 yards and four scores. He ranks eighth in receiving yards in the Big Sky Conference... Kelly had a season-high nine receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown at San Jose State (9/1)… last season Kelly led the Big Sky Conference during the regular season in receptions (69), total yards (981) and touchdowns (10)... Kelly's career numbers are 152 receptions (4th all-time at PSU) for 2,169 yards (7th all-time) and 17 TDs (t9th)... Kelly also has the most career starts (39) and consecutive starts (32) of any active Viking.
  • NATE THE GREAT: SO WR Nate Bennett is tied for the team lead with 37 catches for 397 yards this season. His nine receptions against Weber State (10/15) matched his career high set last season against Weber State... Bennett already has 87 career receptions in 19 games.
  • MT's TDs: SR WR Mataio Talalemotu is PSU's touchdown leader with eight overall (six receiving, two rushing). He went on a pretty good run over three weeks (10/1-8-15), catching nine passes for 215 yards and six touchdowns. Talalemotu made three catches for 106 yards against NAU, then three for 83 yards and two scores against Lincoln, followed by three for 26 yards and a TD against Weber State... his three-TD day marked the first time since Sept. 26, 2013 that a Viking had caught three touchdowns in a game... Talalemotu caught three passes for 60 yards and had three rushes for 26 yards and a score at Eastern Washington... he ranks sixth in receiving TDs (6) and third in total TDs (8) in the Big Sky Conference... Talalemotu now has 111 receptions, 1,746 yards and 16 TDs in his career (11th all-time).
  • FINDING THE "ZONE": SO RB JoJo Siofele waited three years for a chance, halted previously by injuries and a global pandemic. He started and rushed 11 times at Idaho (10/22) for 42 yards and his first career touchdown. Last Saturday he rushed 11 times for 41 yards and his second TD at Eastern Washington.
  • LIKING THE RED TURF: SO RB Jobi Malary has also battled injuries, the pandemic and the depth chart in his time at PSU. But he has shown a liking for the red turf. Malary rushed 19 times for a career-high 148 yards at Eastern Washington. His previous significant playing time came in his true freshman season of 2019 when he rushed 12 times for 93 yards and a touchdown at Eastern Washington.
  • 100-YARD GAMES: SO QB Dante Chachere rushed for 141 yards and SO RB Jobi Malary rushed for 148 yards - both career highs - at Eastern Washington. It was also the first time two Viking rushers had 100 yards in the same game since Nov. 11, 2016 against Sacramento State... also compiling 100 yards was SR WR Emmanuel Daigbe, who rushed nine times for 69 yards and caught a 33-yard pass, totaling 102 yards.
 
DEFENSIVE NOTES
  • DEFENSIVE DIAMONDS: Portland State's defense held Lincoln (10/8) scoreless for 59:57 before allowing a late touchdown. It was the fewest points (6) the Vikings have allowed since a 24-0 win over Idaho on Oct. 12, 2019... the 234 yards allowed were the fewest by a Viking opponent this season... PSU currently ranks 14th in the nation with 7.2 tackles for loss per game this season... the Vikings are third in the Big Sky Conference with 19 sacks... 11 different Vikings have sacks (19 total) and 23 have tackles for loss (58 total) through eight games... PSU's defense had a stretch of 22 straight third down stops at one point this season (Northern Arizona 0-11, then Lincoln 0-11 before the Oaks finally converted one).
  • DOUBLE-DIGIT STOPPERS: SO LB Jaymason Willingham made a career-high 12 tackles, while SR S Broderick Harrell had a career-high 11 tackles in the win over Eastern Washington.
  • SPEAKING OF 100: JR ROV David Joseph became the third active Viking to pass 100 career tackles. With seven stops against Eastern Washington, Joseph now has 103 in his career (Anthony Adams, 180; Parker McKenna, 115).
  • "INITIAL" DEFENDERS: SR DT EJ Ane has 31 total tackles this season and leads the team with five quarterback sacks... SR DE VJ Malo has a team-high 7.5 TFLs this season (and 27.5 in his 20-game career to rank 11th all-time at PSU).
  • D-LINE DOMINANCE: SR DEs Jake Porter and VJ Malo and SR DTs EJ Ane and Moses Finau have combined for 85 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks this season. 
  • TURNOVER TABLE: SO ROV Tyreese Shakir has a team-high two interceptions this season. SR S Xavier Bell, JR LB Isaiah Henry, JR ROV David Joseph and SR LB Robert Holt also have interceptions. Bell, Joseph and Holt all have two in their careers... SO S Day Day Bright has one fumble recovery.
  • Portland State's defense had one of its best performances ever against an FBS-level program at San Jose State (9/1). The Vikings allowed only 288 yards in the game, making seven sacks. The most sacks PSU had in a game last season was five, and the seven sacks were the second-most in the nation by an FCS team in week one... the Viking D held SJSU to 66 yards in the second half helping the offense turn a 14-7 deficit into a 17-14 lead... PSU held four of 11 opponents under 300 yards in 2021, so far this season two have been under 300 yards.
  • SR DE Jake Porter has now played in the most games of any current Viking (43), making 29 starts.
  • SR CB Anthony Adams suffered an ankle injury at Washington and is out indefinitely. Prior to that, Adams had started 37 consecutive games in his career. He missed his first game ever at Montana. In the first two games, Adams had 15 tackles. At SJSU he had a team-high 10 tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass breakups. It was the third double-digit tackle game of his career... Adams now has 33 career pass breakups, tying former Viking Rashad Floyd (1997-2000) for the PSU career record.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
  • FOOTNOTES: SR P George Triplett, a transfer from Princeton, has punted for an average of 40.1 yards with a long of 57... of his 41 punts, seven have gone over 50 yards.
  • FOOTNOTES PART II: SO K Gianni Smith is 4-5 on field goals this season with a long of 40 yards. Smith is now 9-13 on field goals in his career. He has made 52-53 extra points in his career, including a stretch of 43 straight.
  • BLOCK PARTY: SO TE Elias Spence has been a key special teams player this season. Against Lincoln, he had three big plays on the punt block team, tackling the punter on one series, then blocking a punt on the next series. Spence's blocked punt was the first since 2018 (Jacob Bystry) for the Vikings. Later in the game, Spence blocked another punt... Spence recovered the onside kick at Eastern Washington that eventually led to the Vikings running out the clock for the win... has five tackles on special teams this season.
  • FAKE OUT: The Vikings faked a field goal for the first time in recent memory against Eastern Washington. It worked perfectly as holder SR WR Mataio Talalemotu picked up the snap and dashed through the left side of the offensive line, avoiding two tackles and scoring a touchdown on an 11-yard run.
  • SO LS Ryan Alvidrez started the 20th consecutive game of his career. He has a perfect long snapping record as a Viking.
 
LET'S OPEN UP THE RECORD BOOK
Four Vikings are having an impact on the Portland State career record book this season. 
  • SR CB All-American Anthony Adams is tied for first all-time in pass breakups (33 in 37 games) with former Viking All-American Rashad Floyd (1997-2000, 45 games). Adams is two interceptions shy of making the top 10 for picks (9).
  • SR WR Beau Kelly now ranks fourth all-time in receptions (152), he became the 10th Viking in history to reach 2,000 receiving yards in his career (2,169, 7th) and is now tied for 9th in receiving touchdowns (17)... he ranks ninth all-time in punt return yards (268).
  • SR DE VJ Malo now ranks tied for eighth all-time in career sacks with 12 in 20 career games... his 27.5 tackles for loss ranks 11th all-time.
  • SR WR Mataio Talalemotu has moved into a tie for 11th all-time with 16 career touchdown catches. He is also approaching the top 10s for receptions (116) and receiving yards (1,828).
 
BEAU KNOWS RECEIVING, PASSING, RETURNING, RUSHING...
SR WR Beau Kelly has done it all for the Vikings during his career. He had 1,111 all-purpose yards last season, gaining yards receiving, rushing and on punt returns. He was also 2-2 passing for 56 yards.
In game one against San Jose State, Kelly had 144 total yards, including 133 receiving. He has 616 total yards in eight games.
 
KELLY'S CAREER NUMBERS
  • RECEIVING: 152-2,169-17
  • RUSHING: 12-78-0
  • PUNT RETURNS: 30-268-0
  • KICK RETURNS: 1-25-0
  • PASSING: 3-5-0-103
  • TOTAL PLAYS/YARDS: 200-2,643
 
VIKINGS ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS
 
VETERANS
 
 
 
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