Game 3

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (0-2) vs. NORTH AMERICAN STALLIONS (0-2)

Saturday, Sept. 16, 1 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

---

VIKINGS COME HOME FOR TWO GAMES, INCLUDING BIG SKY OPENER

The view changes for the Portland State Vikings in several ways this week as they move away from their FBS road competition to a more user-friendly schedule.
     
The Vikings will host their home opener this Saturday against North American University, then host the Big Sky Conference opener a week from Saturday against Cal Poly. Both games are at Hillsboro Stadium, kickoff at 1 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.
     
Those two contests start a stretch of four of the next six at home. That will be a welcome sight for the Vikings after a pair of rugged FBS road contests and losses at nationally-ranked Oregon, and Wyoming.
     
PSU saw some positive signs at Wyoming. Despite a 31-17 loss, the Vikings got their offense going and saw a youth-infused defense buckle down in the second half and limit the Cowboys' ball movement.
     
The Vikings enter this week's game at 0-2. They will face a first-time opponent in North American University from Stafford, TX as their final non-conference game. The Stallions compete at the NAIA level. PSU has never lost a game to a lower division program since moving to Division I and the Big Sky Conference in 1996 (20-0).
     
NAU is a bit of an unknown, but come into the game at 0-2 as well with losses to Wayland Baptist and Texas Wesleyan.
     
Next week's game will be the most important of the season by that point as the Vikings open Big Sky play against Cal Poly. Any shot at the post-season will come through success in league play. PSU would also like to avenge a season-ending 49-42 loss to the Mustangs last year.
     
The Cal Poly game begins eight consecutive contests against Big Sky teams. Other Big Sky home games include Idaho State, Eastern Washington (October) and Montana (November). Big Sky road games are at Montana State (September), Northern Arizona (October), UC Davis and Northern Colorado (November). Teams currently nationally ranked are Montana State (3rd), Montana (12th) and UC Davis (16th).
 

STORYLINES

• This is the 77th season of Portland State football (1947) and 28th season as a member of the Big Sky Conference... PSU is 21-5 in home openers since joining the Big Sky (there was no game in 2020).
• North American is Portland State's only lower division opponent. The program competes at the NAIA level. The Vikings are 20-0 in games against lower division opponents since moving to Division I in 1996.
• The Vikings are 10-6 at Hillsboro Stadium since it became PSU's full-time home venue for the 2019 season.

 

TEAM LEADERS

• PORTLAND STATE: JR QB Dante Chachere has completed 27 of 52 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns and one interception... FR RB Quincy Craig has rushed 20 times for 96 yards in two games... SR WR Jermaine Braddock leads the team with eight receptions for 69 yards. JR WR Nate Bennett has six catches for 54 yards... after two games, SO LB Parker McKenna has a team-high 15 tackles... SR CB Isaiah Avery has an interception and a fumble recovery, both coming against Wyoming... PSU is averaging 272 yards and 12.0 points per game... the Vikings have given up 550.0 yards and 56.0 points to a pair of FBS programs.
• NORTH AMERICAN: Quarterback Jesper Korkalainen has completed 25 of 60 passes for 334 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions through two games... Derrodrick Hadnot is the team's leading rusher with 16 carries for 76 yards... Colbi Clark (7-102-1) and Nathanail Green (7-97-0) are the top two receivers... defensive backs Korrye Williams and Mason Jenkins each have nine tackles to lead the Stallions... NAU averages 253.5 yards of total offense and 12.0 points per game... the Stallions allow 57.5 points, but only 386.5 yards of offense per game... NAU has been hurt by six turnovers and 22 penalties through the first two games. 

 

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• Portland State is averaging 272.0 yards and 12.0 points after two games... the Vikings have committed three turnovers.
• DANTE'S DATA: JR QB Dante Chachere completed 22-38 passes for 214 yards, a touchdown and an interception at Wyoming. He also rushed for a two-yard score... Chachere has 249 passing yards and two TDs through the first two games... his 200-yard game was the seventh in his 13 career starts. His career high is 280 yards... Chachere has 2,217 career passing yards and 21 touchdowns passing... he has 807 career rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
• NATE THE GREAT: JR WR Nate Bennett caught four passes for 44 yards at Wyoming. He now has 103 career receptions in 24 career starts.
• MAC IS BACK: SR WR Maclaine Griffin has nursed a leg injury throughout preseason camp and has been unable to practice. He finally saw practice time last week and his return at Wyoming was big. Griffin caught three passes for 61 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown and a 40-yarder.
• AND IN OTHER WIDE RECEIVER NEWS...: SR WR Jermaine Braddock was a big factor at Wyoming, making seven receptions for 71 yards. He also completed a wide receiver option pass for 40 yards.
• Q RATING: RS FR RB Quincy Craig leads the team with 20 rushes for 96 yards through two games. At Wyoming he had 12 carries for 54 yards and six receptions for 55 yards, totaling 109 all-purpose yards.
• I AM IRON MAN: SR OL Shiloh Ta'ase played in his 39th career game, while starting his 32nd game. He leads the current Viking roster in both categories.

 

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• The Viking defense has allowed 550.0 yards and 56.0 points against two FBS opponents.
• NOTES FROM WYOMING: Portland State allowed 371 yards to Wyoming, making seven tackles for loss, one sack and forcing two turnovers... SR CB Isaiah Avery picked up both takeaways with a fumble recovery in the first quarter and an interception in the second quarter... SR DT Dino Kahaulelio and JR DE Kennedy Freeman each had two tackles for loss.
• BACK WHERE HE BELONGS: SO LB Parker McKenna is Portland State's career tackles leader among active players. He led the team in tackles in 2021, then a knee injury limited him to four games and a redshirt season last year. Now he is back on top of the Viking defense with 15 tackles after two games... McKenna has 137 tackles in his career.
• HIT MAN: FR LB Michael Montgomery got significant playing time in the second half against Oregon and he made the most of it. The true freshman from Seattle had 14 tackles - the most by a Viking since Romeo Gunt had 15 in the 2019 season-opener at Arkansas... Montgomery's 14 tackles were the most by any player in the Big Sky Conference on the opening weekend of games.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• FOOTNOTES: Through two games, SR P George Triplett is averaging 42.7 yards per punt... JR K Gianni Smith is 3-3 on extra points and 1-1 on field goals with a 45-yarder against Wyoming... Smith is 69-70 on extra points and 11-15 on field goals in his career... JR LS Ryan Alvidrez made his 24 consecutive start and has not missed a snap in his career.

 

YOUTH SHALL SERVE

Portland State has played 15 redshirt freshmen and seven true freshmen so far this season. That is 22 freshmen among the 62 players who have competed. The Vikings well-documented true freshman class has had an impact, particularly on defense where six true freshmen have played with S Zach Wusstig getting that start at Wyoming.
     
The true freshman group was rated the best National Letter of Intent class in the Big Sky Conference and third-best at the FCS level after the Feb. 1 signing date by 247Sports.com (18 freshmen, three JCs).
 

WIDE RECEIVER U

The graduation of a pair of PSU Top 10 all-time wide receivers Beau Kelly (156-2,288-18) and Mataio Talalemotu (127-2,008-18) following the 2022 season would have seemed to leave the Vikings thin on the outside in 2023. Nothing could be further from the truth. PSU returns three very talented receivers in JR Nate Bennett, SO Darien Chase and SR Maclaine Griffin. The Vikings have added San Jose State transfer SR Jermaine Braddock, giving JR QB Dante Chachere a solid top four of wide receivers to throw to.
 
Wide Receiver Career Totals
Nate Bennett: 2021: 50-616-4; 2022: 47-517-0; 2023: 6-54-0; Total: 103-1,177-4
Darien Chase: 2021: 54-579-4, 2022: injured; 2023: 3-33-0; Total: 57-612-4
Maclaine Griffin: 2-12-0 (Boise State); 2022: 14-175-3; 3-61-1; Total: 19-248-4
Jermaine Braddock: 70-869-6 (San Jose State), 2023: 8-69-0; Total: 78-938-6