PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (1-6, 1-3) at
SACRAMENTO STATE HORNETS (3-5, 1-3)

Saturday, November 2, 6 p.m., Hornet Stadium (21,195), Sacramento, CA
Television: ESPN+ • Play-by-play: Jason Ross • Analyst: Darren Arbet
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
 

HEAD COACHES

Portland State: Bruce Barnum (Eastern Washington, 1987) • PSU Record: 36-62/10th year • Big Sky Record: 26-41 • vs. Sacramento State: 1-3
Sacramento State: Andy Thompson (Montana, 2004) • SAC Record: 11-10/2nd year • Big Sky Record: 5-7 • vs. Portland State: 0-0
 

ALL-TIME SERIES

PSU leads the all-time series 23-14 • PSU leads 13-5 in Portland • PSU leads 10-9 in Sacramento
PSU leads the Big Sky series 13-9 • PSU leads 7-3 in Portland • Series tied 6-6 in Sacramento
 

PORTLAND STATE RETURNS FROM BYE WEEK TO FACE THE HORNETS

Portland State has had a week of rest and recovery from all the nicks and dings of a college football season, and will bring a refreshed approach to this week's Big Sky Conference game with Sacramento State. The Vikings and Hornets meet this Saturday in Sacramento at Hornet Stadium in a 6 p.m. game on ESPN+.
           
The two teams come with different lead-ups to the game. As mentioned, the Vikings (1-6, 1-3) have not played since Oct. 19, while the Hornets (3-5, 1-3) have played extra football each of the past two weeks, winning one in overtime against Weber State and losing one in overtime at Idaho State.
           
Although the Hornets are 3-5 this season, they come off a playoff run last year and have been in the FCS post-season each of the past four years. PSU has faced Sacramento State twice during that span (2021 and 2022) and lost both times.
           
Sacramento State is the second of four straight playoff teams from 2023 that the Vikings will face. PSU has 10th-ranked Idaho at home on Nov. 9 and eighth-ranked Montana on the road on Nov. 16. PSU concludes the season with a home game against Northern Colorado on Nov. 23.
           
PSU and SAC have a long tradition of competition from the Division II days in the Western Football Conference into the Division I era in the Big Sky Conference. Between 1983 and 2011, the teams met every year except one. However, the expanded Big Sky has meant only six matchups in the past 12 years going into this week's game.
           
Portland State leads the all-time series, 23-14, and the Big Sky series, 13-9. However the Hornets have had the edge in recent years with five wins in the last six meetings.
 

STORYLINES

• TICKETS TO SMF, PLEASE: This will be only the seventh meeting between the schools in the last 12 seasons. Oddly, it will be the fifth meeting in the past six played in Sacramento.
• COMPARING SCHEDULES: Sacramento State and Portland State have only two common opponents. The Vikings lost to Weber State and defeated Idaho State, while the Hornets beat Weber State and lost to Idaho State. 
• FREE FOOTBALL: Sacramento State has played overtime games each of the past two weeks (with one win and one loss)... the Vikings have played only one overtime game in the last 20 years (2016).
• RECENT SUCCESS: Sacramento State won Big Sky Conference titles in 2019, 2021 and 2022... last season, the Hornets did not win, but reached the NCAA playoffs, winning a first-round game at North Dakota (42-35) before losing at South Dakota (34-24)... the Hornets were ranked second in the nation when last facing the Vikings in 2022.

TEAM LEADERS

• PORTLAND STATE: SR QB Dante Chachere is 95-162 passing for 1,207 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He also leads the team in rushing with 447 yards (530 positive yards) and eight scores.... FR RB Delon Thompson is second in rushing with 76 carries for 379 yards and two TDs. SO RB Quincy Craig has 63 carries for 293 yards and one TD... Craig has the most receptions for the Vikings with 28 for 191 yards and four TDs. JR WR Branden Alvarez has 23 receptions for 285 yards and four TDs, and FR WR Eric Denham has 18 catches for a team-leading 348 yards and three touchdowns... SO LB Michael Montgomery leads the team with 59 tackles, while SO LB Peyton Wing has amassed 58 stops and a team-leading 4.5 tackles for loss. Montgomery has a sack and four pass breakups... PSU is averaging 175.9 yards rushing, 189.3 yards receiving and 365.1 yards per game... the Vikings are allowing 249.0 rushing yards, 323.3 passing yards and 572.3 total yards per game... PSU has a -3 turnover ratio.
• SACRAMENTO STATE: Sacramento State has been effective offensively and defensively this season. The Hornets average 30.5 points and 415.7 yards of offense per game. And, although Sacramento State has allowed 30.3 points per game, the Hornets have a big-play defense, leading the Big Sky in sacks (22), interceptions (9) and fumble recoveries (8). The downside is the Hornets have also committed 19 turnovers in eight games... quarterback Carson Conklin has thrown for 1,727 yards and 17 touchdown with five interceptions this season. He has a fleet of receivers, led by Jared Gipson (34-560-5), Danny Scudero (34-408-3) and Anderson Grover (30-420-4)... running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver ranks third in the Big Sky in rushing with 141 carries for 826 yards and seven touchdowns... Will Leota is the top tackler on the Hornet team with 60 and 8.5 tackles for loss. He also has two sacks and two interceptions... kicker Zach Schreiner leads the Big Sky in field goals, having converted 14 of 17.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State is averaging 365.1 yards of offense per game, 175.9 on the ground and 189.3 through the air... the Vikings average 24.6 points per game and have seven turnovers... PSU had its best offensive output of the season against Idaho State with 516 yards, including 300 rushing, and 42 points... PSU's top passing game was a 306-yard effort at Chattanooga.
• DANTE'S DATA: SR QB Dante Chachere has passed for 1,207 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 447 yards and eight touchdowns... Chachere completed 19-30 passes for a career-high 306 yards at Chattanooga (9/29) with one touchdown and two interceptions... he rushed for a career-high 202 yards and three touchdowns in the win at Idaho State (10/12)... Chachere pulled off a PSU first when he passed for 200 yards (216 with three TDs) and rushed for 200 yards (202 with three TDs) in the same game. In the game, Chachere had runs of 62, 48 and 53 yards, and a pass completion of 50 yards. Chachere was named National and Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week... he was nine yards shy of the PSU QB rushing record of 211 yards by Connor Kavanaugh... with three TD passes against ISU, Chachere has seven games of three or more in his career... Chachere has 71 career touchdowns (44 passing, 27 rushing) which is third all-time at Portland State behind Neil Lomax, 1977-80 (13 rushing, 106 passing, 119 total); and Davis Alexander, 2017-21 (25 rushing, 63 passing, 88 total)... Chachere eclipsed 4,000 career passing yards in the game at Chattanooga and now has 4,748 total. He has 6,573 yards of total offense, which is eighth all-time at PSU.
• Q RATING: SO RB Quincy Craig has battled back from a knee injury suffered in game six of 2023 to once again become the Vikings' key offense weapon. Craig has a team-high 520 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns. He is third on the team in rushing (63-293-1) and leads in receptions and receiving touchdowns (28-191-4). Craig has 36 kickoff return yards and a 28-yard pass completion for good measure... with a 10-carry, 103-yard rushing game at Chattanooga (9/28), Craig now has four 100-yard games in his career.
• YOUTH SHALL SERVE: In addition to Craig's production, Portland State's other youthful skill players are shining as well... RS FR Delon Thompson has 379 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards. He led the Vikings with 15 carries for 96 yards at Washington State (8/31) and 12 carries for 68 yards against UC Davis (10/5)... RS FR Eric Denham has 18 receptions for a team-high 348 yards and three touchdowns. He had career-highs of five receptions, 127 yards and two touchdowns in the win at Idaho State (10/12)... SO WR Jaylen Lynch has 10 receptions and 190 yards... even JR WR Branden Alvarez - while an upperclassman - has caught 23 passes for 285 yards and four TDs... SO TE Tanner Beaman missed the game with UC Davis but has 15 catches for 132 yards.
• MORE YOUTH, UP FRONT: Last season, SO OL Isaac Perez earned a spot in the starting lineup as a true freshman. Now, true FR OL Pule Leatigaga has also broken through up front. Perez and Leatigaga now start on the line side-by-side at center and guard, respectively.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State is allowing 249.0 rushing yards, 323.3 passing yards and 46.1 points per game... the Vikings have 29 tackles for loss, four sacks, and four forced turnovers... against UC Davis, the Viking defense made seven tackles for loss, two sacks, three pass breakups and forced two turnovers while allowing the fewest points (27) of the season... in the decisive second half against Idaho State, PSU's defense stopped the Bengals on six of seven series, including three three-and-outs, and two fourth-down stops.
• SWEET 16: SO LB Michael Montgomery had a career-high 16 tackles at Weber State (9/7), which was the most by a Viking in six seasons. Montgomery, named a Freshman All-American by two media outlets last year, leads the Vikings in tackles with 59, two tackles for loss, a sack and four pass breakups... he had 10 tackles against UC Davis (10/5) to tie for the team lead... Montgomery ranks second in the Big Sky in tackles per game (8.4).
• WING STOP: SO LB Peyton Wing ranks second in tackles with 58 and leads in tackles for loss with 4.5. He had a career-high 13 stops at Weber State (9/7) and led the team in tackles with nine at Boise State (9/21) and 10 at Chattanooga (9/28)... Wing ranks fourth in the Big Sky in tackles per game (8.3).
• GOING GREEN: RS FR Isaiah Green has taken over at free safety in recent games and has produced. Green had a career-high 10 tackles against Montana State (10/19) and now has 31 on the season. He also has two pass breakups and an interception.
• CAREER LEADER: SR CB Tyreese Shakir is the Vikings leader in several categories among active players... Shakir had a team-high 10 tackles and three tackles for loss against UC Davis (10/5)... he has 162 career tackles, 13 pass breakups, five interceptions and three fumble recoveries - all of which ranks first among active players. His 11 tackles for loss ranks second and three sacks ranks third.
• DOWN ON THE CORNER: SO Michael Hurst moved from his safety position to cornerback three games ago. The results have been good. Hurst had a career-high 13 tackles, including one for loss, two pass breakups and defended the final, decisive play against Idaho State (10/12)... Hurst has 24 of his 37 tackles in the last three games.
• YOUTH SHALL SERVE, PART 2: Among Portland State's top eight tacklers, six are freshmen and sophomores.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• FOOTWORK: JR K Mathias Uribe is 5-6 on field goal attempts this season (43, 42, 35, 40, 23)... 15 of his 32 kickoffs have been touchbacks... SO K Fedya Henrichs-Tarasenkov handled all three second-half kickoffs at Idaho State and all three were touchbacks.
• DON'T EVEN TRY: JR P Tony Johnson is averaging 40.4 yards per punt. He bombed a season-best 69-yarder at Weber State (9/7). Most important, Johnson's punts are not being returned with any effectiveness. In 19 returns this season, opponents have netted only 68 yards. Boise State (9/21) had four attempts for -4 yards.
• IT'S A SNAP: FR TE Kristian Ingman has started the six games at long snapper, while FR LS Brock Fleming started in game three.
• YOUTH SHALL SERVE, PART 3: FR RB Jordan Herron surprised everyone when he picked up a UC Davis (10/5) punt on the bounce and raced 40 yards up field before being tackled in his first career play as a Viking. Not a bad start as the true freshman was given the punt returner role against the Aggies.

MEANINGLESS TRIVIA

• SR OL Billy Lutui began his Portland State career in 2023 as a defensive tackle. After starting the first two games there he was moved to the offensive line. Lutui started immediately and has ever since.
• For the fourth straight meeting with the Vikings, Weber State was nationally ranked (9/7). WSU has won three of those four games.
• The Sept. 14 game with South Dakota was canceled due to a whooping cough outbreak on the Vikings team. The game has not been rescheduled.
• As a result of the Sept. 14 cancelation, PSU played four straight road games for the first time since 1989... PSU's Oct. 5 home opener is the last home opening start since 1971.
• Prior to playing Chattanooga, Portland State had never played a member of the Southern Conference. And it is only the second time in history that PSU has played a game in the Eastern Time Zone (Delaware, 2000).
• Portland State traveled 7,994 miles before making the 14-mile jaunt to Hillsboro Stadium for its home opener.
• Portland State has now played Idaho State 48 times in its history – the most of any opponent all-time… PSU leads the Big Sky Conference series with the Bengals, 14-13... PSU has faced Montana 47 times prior to a Nov. 16 matchup in Missoula.
• SR CB Travis West started his career as a cornerback at Portland State. This year, as a senior, he was moved to wide receiver. In six games he caught three passes and ran with the ball once for a total of 57 yards. Against Montana State, West moved back to cornerback and started the game, making two tackles.