PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (0-3)
at CHATTANOOGA MOCS (0-3)

Saturday, September 28, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, Finley Stadium (20,668), Chattanooga, TN
Television: ESPN+ • Play-by-play: Pete Yanity • Analyst: Jared Singleton • Sidelines: Dave Friedman
Live Stats: www.gomocs.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
All-Time Series: 1st meeting
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Head Coach: Bruce Barnum (Eastern Washington, 1987) • PSU Record: 35-59/10th year
 
CHATTANOOGA MOCS
Head Coach: Rusty Wright (Chattanooga, 1996) • UTC Record: 30-25/6th year
 

FOURTH STRAIGHT ROAD GAME, FIRST-EVER MEETING WITH CHATTANOOGA

This week Portland State will do something it has never done before - play a game against the Chattanooga Mocs; something it has only done once before - play a football game in the Eastern Time Zone; and do something for the first time in 35 years - play a fourth straight road game - when the Vikings meet the Southern Conference foes this Saturday in Chattanooga, TN.
           
Bearing striking similarities, the two teams will meet on the final Saturday in September at Finley Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT in a game televised on ESPN+.
           
Both Portland State and Chattanooga are 0-3 on the season and desperate to get in the win column. Both have lost a pair of games to FBS opponents and one to a league opponent. The Mocs, coming off an FCS Playoff season in 2023, have fallen out of the national rankings but are still among those receiving votes (26th in the Stats Perform Poll and 28th in the AFCA Coaches Poll).
           
Chattanooga comes into the game averaging only 9.0 points and 271 yards of offense. The Vikings have been a bit better at 20.0 points and 322 yards per game.
           
The Mocs have the benefit of a week of rest while the Vikings come off a 56-14 loss at 25th-ranked FBS Boise State of the Mountain West Conference.
 

STORYLINES

• MOC TALK: Chattanooga, a member of the Southern Conference, was 8-5 overall last season. The Mocs reached the FCS playoffs, winning a first-round game over Austin Peay, 24-21, then losing to Furman, 26-7. Chattanooga was ranked ninth in this year's Stats Perform preseason poll.
• MIRROR IMAGE: Portland State and Chattanooga come into this week's game with virtually the same resume - 0-3 records, two losses to FBS schools and one loss to a conference opponent. The only difference is Chattanooga will be playing its second home game, while the Vikings will be playing their fourth straight on the road.
• THERE IS A FIRST FOR EVERYTHING: Not only has Portland State never played Chattanooga, the Vikings have never played a member of the Southern Conference.

 

NUMBERS GAME

• TOUCHDOWN MAKER: With a rushing touchdown against Boise State, SR QB Dante Chachere has 59 career touchdowns; 37 passing and 22 rushing... with his 37th passing TD at Weber State, he has tied Juston Wood for 10th all-time in PSU history... with his 22nd rushing TD he ranks 12th all-time... the 59 total TDs is tied for fourth all-time in PSU history.
• WING STOP: For the first time in his career, SO LB Peyton Wing led the Vikings in tackles with nine at Boise State. Wing made a career-high 13 stops at Weber State. With 27 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss this season he leads the Vikings in both categories.
• WHAT TIME IS IT?: The last time - and only time - Portland State played a game in the Eastern Time Zone was Nov. 25, 2000 when the Vikings traveled to play Delaware in the FCS Playoffs.
• TRAVEL LIKE IT'S 1989: The last time Portland State played four straight football road games, none of the current Vikings - and several of the coaches - were not even born yet. PSU will compete in its fourth straight road game for the first time since 1989 when it plays at Chattanooga. An entire opening month of the season on the road was set up by a cancelation of the Vikings' Sept. 14 home game with South Dakota due to a whooping cough outbreak.

 

TEAM LEADERS

• PORTLAND STATE: SR QB Dante Chachere is 36-65 passing for 362 yards, two touchdowns and one interception this season. Following a 76-yard rushing game at Boise State, he leads the team in that category with 40 carries for 162 yards (221 positive yards) and three scores. Close behind him are running backs Delon Thompson (29-149-1) and Quincy Craig (31-132-0)... Craig has the most receptions for the Vikings with 13 for 66 yards and one TD. SO TE Tanner Beaman has eight catches for 86 yards, and JR WR Branden Alvarez has seven receptions for 66 yards and two TDs...  SO LB Peyton Wing has 27 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss to lead the team in both categories. SO LB Michael Montgomery has 24 stops, two tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup... PSU is averaging 169.3 yards rushing, 152.7 yards receiving and 322.0 yards per game... the Vikings are allowing 294.0 rushing yards, 299.7 passing yards and 593.7 total yards per game... PSU has a -2 turnover ratio.
• CHATTANOOGA: Chattanooga has averaged 9.0 points and 271.0 yards per game in its first three contests. The Mocs have allowed 34.3 points and 465.3 yards per game... Chattanooga has been most effective with the pass this season, averaging 214.7 yards through the air. Quarterback Chase Artopoeus is 41-80 for 632 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. His top receiver is Sam Phillips, with 19 receptions for 330 yards and a TD... running back Reggie Davis has 47 carries for 143 yards and a score... on defense, linebacker Alex Mitchell is the top tackler with 29 on the season. Defensive back Jordan Walker has 21 tackles and two pass breakups... the Mocs defense has five sacks and three forced turnovers through three games... Chattanooga's big problem this season has been third-down efficiency. The Mocs are 4-37 on third-down conversions (11%) while allowing 22-47 third-down conversions (47%). They have also given up eight sacks and committed five turnovers.

 

QUICK SNAPS

 
OFFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State is averaging 322.0 yards of offense per game, 169.3 on the ground and 152.7 through the air... the Vikings average 20.0 points per game and have three turnovers... PSU's best offensive output was 30 points and 449 yards at Washington State (8/31).
• DANTE'S DATA: SR QB Dante Chachere has passed for 362 yards and rushed for 162 yards through the first three games. He is responsible for five touchdowns; two passing and three rushing... Chachere completed 14-25 passes for a season-high 175 yards at Washington State (8/31). He rushed for a season-high 76 yards on 13 carries (despite two sacks) at Boise State (9/21)... Chachere has 59 career touchdowns (37 passing, 22 rushing) which ties for fourth all-time at Portland State. The list: 1) Neil Lomax, 1977-80 (13 rushing, 106 passing, 119 total); 2) Davis Alexander, 2017-21 (25 rushing, 63 passing, 88 total); 3), Jimmy Blanchard, 1997-2000 (6 rushing, 63 passing, 69 total); t4) Kieran McDonagh, 2012-15  (17 rushing, 42 passing, 59 total); t4.) Dante Chachere, 2019-24 (22 rushing, 37 passing, 58 total); 6) John Charles, 1991-92, (0 rushing, 58 passing, 58 total)... Chachere needs just 97 more passing yards for 4,000 in his career.
• YOUTH SHALL SERVE: Portland State is getting most of its offensive production from a youthful group of backs. SO RB Quincy Craig has 198 all-purpose yards (132 rushing, 66 receiving)... RS FR Delon Thompson has 178 yards (149/29). He led the Vikings with 15 carries for 96 yards at Washington State (8/31)... SO TE Tanner Beaman is second in receiving with eight catches for 86 yards... RS FR Eric Denham has seven receptions for a team-high 87 yards and a touchdown... SO WR Jaylen Lynch has three starts, three receptions and 35 yards... even JR WR Branden Alvarez - while an upperclassman - has started his first three games for the Vikings, catching seven passes for 66 yards and two TDs.
• GROUND GAME: The Viking running game appears as though it will be multi-faceted once again this season. FR RB Delon Thompson (149 yards), SO RB Quincy Craig (132) and SR QB Dante Chachere (162) are the leaders.... the Vikings are averaging 169.3 yards per game on the ground... last season, PSU averaged 224.0 yards per game rushing.

 
DEFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State is allowing 294.0 rushing yards, 299.7 passing yards and 56.3 points per game... the Vikings have 12 tackles for loss, two sacks, and one forced turnover.
• WING STOP: SO LB Peyton Wing is the team leader in tackles with 27 and tackles for loss with 3.5. 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)... Wing ranks 30th in the nation in total tackles.
• 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, ranks second on the team with 24 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup.
• YOUTH SHALL SERVE, PART 2: Among Portland State's top 10 tacklers, seven are freshmen and sophomores.

 
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• FOOTWORK: It is a new blue line for the Vikings in 2024... JR K Mathias Uribe made his first two field goal attempts this season (43, 42). Seven of his 13 kickoffs have been touchbacks. Inexplicably, Uribe had two field goals blocked at Boise State.
• DON'T EVEN TRY: JR P Tony Johnson is averaging 40.3 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 10 returns this season, opponents have netted only two yards. Boise State (9/21) had four attempts for -3 yards.
• IT'S A SNAP: FR TE Kristian Ingman started the first two games at long snapper, while FR LS Brock Fleming started in game three.

 
NEW FACES ON THE PARK BLOCKS

• NEWCOMERS: 11 players started for the first time ever as Vikings in the opener at Washington State (8/31): SO C Jake Cooper, JR RT Jakob Belton, JR WR Branden Alvarez, JR WR Terence Loville, SO WR Jaylen Lynch, JR DE Jayden Brannan, JR DT Sosefo "Joe" Moeaki, SO LB Peyton Wing, SR CB Jamal McMurrin, JR P Tony Johnson and JR K Mathias Uribe... FR WR Eric Denham made his first start at Weber State (9/7)... true FR OL Pule Leatigaga made his first start at left guard against Boise State (9/21).
• I REMEMBER MY FIRST TIME: 14 players competed for the first time as Vikings at Washington State (8/31), including JR QB Will Haskell, JR WR Branden Alvarez, JR WR Terence Loville, JR RB Jacques Badolato-Birdsell, JR WR Eddy Schultz, SR OL Gavin Miller, JR OL Jakob Belton, FR TE Kristian Ingman, SO DE Cyrus Moss, SR CB Jamal McMurrin, FR LB Brandon Bryant, JR DT Sosefo Moeaki, JR P Tony Johnson and JR K Mathias Uribe... FR LS Brock Fleming played for the first time at Weber State (9/7)... FR OLs Pule Leatigaga and Shaun Torgeson played in their first game at Boise State (9/21).

 
MEANINGLESS TRIVIA

• For the fourth straight meeting with the Vikings, Weber State was nationally ranked (9/7). WSU has won three of those four games.
• PSU is 12-16 all-time in Big Sky openers, 9-9 at home, 3-7 on the road.
• 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 will play four straight road games for the first time since 1989.
• Prior to playing Chattanooga, Portland State has 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).