SPECIAL TEAMS PREVIEW

FOOTNOTES: Portland State will have a transition in its kicking game in 2024. The Vikings have signed JR P Tony Johnson (6-5, 190) from College of the Canyons and JR K Mathias Uribe (5-9, 200) from Mt. San Antonio College... SO K Fyodor Henrichs-Tarasenkov returns after backing up in 2023... PSU will also have a new long snapper for the first time in four years with the addition of Brock Fleming (FR, 6-1, 175).
GRUBB HUB: SR RB Christian Grubb set a Portland State record last season with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, breaking the old mark of 98 yards. Grubb also had a 60-yard punt return touchdown. He and Quincy Craig are likely candidates to handle the return game in 2024.
 

THE MATURATION PROCESS

• PSU played 47 freshmen, including 24 redshirt freshmen and 23 true freshmen in 2023. The Vikings had 95 different players participate in at least one game.
• The Vikings well-documented 2023 true freshman class had an impact, particularly on defense where 15 true freshmen played in at least one game, with five getting starts (OL Isaac Perez, S Zach Wusstig, LB Michael Montgomery, NICK Jaden DaCosta and DE Elijah Eason). 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).

 

PRESEASON HONORS

Several Vikings have earned preseason recognition heading into the 2024 season.
     
SO LB Michael Montgomery was named to the Preseason All-Big Sky Conference team in a vote of league media. Montgomery was also named Preseason first team All-Big Sky by Phil Steele Magazine.
     
The Phil Steele list also included SR CB Tyreese Shakir (second team) and SO RB Quincy Craig (third team).
     
SR QB Dante Chachere was selected to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 list. Chachere is one of only 63 FCS players and nine Big Sky Conference players named to the list.
 

COACHING CHANGES IN 2024

• Co-Defensive Coordinator Mark Rhea is now coaching the linebacker position group.
• Korey Rush named Defensive Line Coach/Pass Rush Specialist.
• Robby Hauck elevated to Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach.

 

MOST CHALLENGING SCHEDULE IN PROGRAM HISTORY AWAITS

Plain and simple, the 2024 Portland State Football schedule may be the most challenging in program history. And, it may be the most challenging in the nation at the FCS level.
     
The Viking program's 12-game slate is loaded; loaded with teams that had winning records in 2023, loaded with teams with playoff appearances, and loaded with FBS opponents. In fact, seven of the Vikings' nine FCS opponents in 2024 finished 2023 nationally-ranked, including six in the top 14, and national finalist Montana.
     
PSU will play five home games and seven road games in 2024 – all against Division I programs. PSU hosts South Dakota (Sept. 14), UC Davis (Oct. 5), Montana State (Oct. 19), Idaho (Nov. 9) and Northern Colorado (Nov. 23) in contests at Hillsboro Stadium.
     
The Vikings go on the road to play at Washington State (Aug. 31), Weber State (Sept. 7), Boise State (Sept. 21), Chattanooga (Sept. 28), Idaho State (Oct. 12), Sacramento State (Nov. 2) and Montana (Nov. 16).
     
Notable are games against Washington State (Aug. 31), which is playing a hybrid Mountain West Conference schedule, and Boise State (Sept. 21), a member of the Mountain West. It will be a second meeting with each of those FBS schools in the past five seasons.
     
PSU also picks up a pair of brand new opponents in South Dakota and Chattanooga. A member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, South Dakota was 10-3 in 2023, reaching the NCAA FCS Quarterfinals. Chattanooga, from the Southern Conference, was 8-5 overall reaching the round of 16 in the FCS Playoffs.
     
The Vikings will play all four Big Sky Conference playoff teams in succession - Montana State, Sacramento State, Idaho and Montana – between Oct. 19 and No. 16. That gives PSU six (!) 2023 FCS playoff teams on its 2024 schedule who had a combined 7-6 record in the post-season.
     
Nine of the 12 opponents had winning records in 2023 with a combined record of 85-64.
 

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Has any team - ever - been scheduled to face six of the top 10 ranked teams in a preseason poll? Well, Portland State has. And the Vikings play what is no doubt the toughest schedule in school history in 2024, and likely the toughest in the nation. PSU's 12-game schedule features a pair of FBS programs (Washington State and Boise State), six of the top 10-ranked FCS schools, and eight ranked FCS schools in all... here are the preseason 2024 Hero Sports/Stats Perform rankings for FCS football: Montana (#3/#3), Montana State (#4/#5), South Dakota (#5/#4), Idaho (#7/#8), Sacramento State (#8/#7), Chattanooga (#10/#11), UC Davis (#21/NR), Weber State (#22/#15).
• PSU faces five teams in 2024 that were on the schedule in 2023 (UC Davis, Idaho State, Montana State, Montana and Northern Colorado)… PSU plays eight of 11 possible Big Sky opponents. The Vikings will miss Cal Poly, Eastern Washington and Northern Arizona in 2024 - all of whom they beat in 2023.
• PSU's two FBS-level opponents are Washington State and Boise State. PSU is 4-48 all-time when playing "up" against FBS programs. Wins have come over Hawai'i (2000), New Mexico (2006), Washington State (2015) and North Texas (2015)… this marks the 10th consecutive season that Portland State has played two FBS opponents. PSU has done so a total of 14 times, including three in 2006.
• 2024 will be the 78th season of Portland State football (1947) and 29th season as a member of the Big Sky Conference (1996).
• The Vikings are 13-8 at Hillsboro Stadium since it became PSU's full-time home venue for the 2019 season.
• Portland State has won the Dam Cup rivalry trophy game the past two years against Eastern Washington. The Vikings will hold onto the trophy for at least another year as they are not scheduled to face the Eagles again until 2025.

 
The Power Grid: PSU's 2024 Schedule - The Toughest in School History

Date	Opponent	FBS	2023 Playoffs	2023 Final Rank	2024 Preseason Rank	Bowl Game
8/31	at Washington State	x
9/7	at Weber State				#15
9/14	South Dakota		x	#4	#4
9/21	at Boise State	x				x
9/28	at Chattanooga		x	#14	#10
10/5	UC Davis			#24	#21
10/12	at Idaho State
10/19	Montana State		x	#9	#5
11/2	at Sacramento State		x	#13	#7
11/9	Idaho		x	#8	#8
11/16	at Montana		x	#2	#3
11/23	Northern Colorado

 
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