#9 UC DAVIS AGGIES (4-1, 1-0) at
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (0-4, 0-1)

Saturday, October 5, 1 p.m., Hillsboro Stadium (7,600), Hillsboro, OR
Television: ESPN+ • Play-by-play: Matt Richert • Analyst: Scott Hermo
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Game presented by OnPoint
 
PSU leads the all-time series, 11-7 • PSU leads 6-4 in Portland • PSU leads 5-3 in Davis
PSU leads the Big Sky series, 3-2 • Series is tied 1-1 in Portland • PSU leads 2-1 in Davis
 
HEAD COACHES
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS: Bruce Barnum (Eastern Washington, 1987)
PSU Record: 35-60/10th year • Big Sky Record: 25-39 • vs. UC Davis: 1-3
 
UC DAVIS AGGIES: Tim Plough (UC Davis, 2007)
UCD Record: 4-1/1st year • Big Sky Record: 1-0 • vs. Portland State: 0-0
 

AND FINALLY... A HOME GAME FOR THE VIKINGS

A home football game has been a long time coming - and much needed - for the Portland State Vikings. PSU will (finally) play UC Davis in a home game at Hillsboro Stadium this Saturday. The Oct. 5 home opener is the latest for the Viking program since 1971.
           
PSU hosts the Aggies in a 1 p.m. kickoff that can be seen on ESPN+ and is presented by OnPoint Community Credit Union. The Vikings will also be going after a first win (0-4, 0-1) following four road games, and a first win after losses in the last three meetings with UC Davis. The ninth-ranked Aggies (4-1, 1-0) come off a 28-26 victory over previously fourth-ranked Idaho and have won four in a row overall.
           
Portland State's long and winding road to this point in the season has included nearly 8,000 total travel miles, but no victories. A pair of formidable FBS teams (Washington State, Boise State), a nationally-ranked conference opponent (Weber State) and a 2023 FCS playoff team (Chattanooga) have been part of the journey. A game against top-10 South Dakota on Sept. 14 was canceled due to a whooping cough outbreak, leading to the late home opener for the Vikings.
           
And of course it gets no easier this week as Portland State plays another ranked opponent. Among PSU's remaining seven games, five of the opponents are nationally-ranked, with four in the Top 10.
           
The Aggies have been climbing the national rankings the past two seasons and are led by 2023 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and All-American running back Lan Larison and talented quarterback Miles Hastings.
           
PSU's defense, which has already faced some of the nation's best, will have a formidable challenge in stopping those two and the Aggies. The Vikings offense comes off a productive week of 30 points and 453 yards.
 

STORYLINES

• DISTANT COUSINS: Although the Aggies have been Big Sky members since 2012, the two schools have only met in five Big Sky games over 12 seasons. Two other meetings were designated as non-conference games... the schools met as Division II rivals in the 1992 playoffs, a 42-28 Viking victory.
• HE'S NO NEWCOMER: New UC Davis Head Coach Tim Plough is a former Aggie quarterback and assistant coach. However, he has faced the Vikings nine times. Plough was 1-2 against PSU as a player, 4-2 as an assistant coach.
• BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: With Portland State's original home opener against South Dakota canceled, this week's new home opener will be the latest for the Vikings since 1971. PSU's first home game that season came on Oct. 16 against Nevada.

 

NUMBERS GAME

• TOUCHDOWN MAKER: Accounting for three more touchdowns at Chattanooga, SR QB Dante Chachere now has 62 career touchdowns; 38 passing and 24 rushing. That ranks fourth-most in Portland State history... with his 38 passing TDs he ranks 10th all-time and with 24 rushing TDs he ranks 9th all-time.
• Q RATING: SO RB Quincy Craig's Q rating as a college football player is growing. Craig had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season at Chattanooga, totaled 141 all-purpose yards, and had a rushing and receiving touchdown. Craig leads the Vikings in rushing (235), receptions (17) and ranks second in touchdowns (3).
• WING STOP: SO LB Peyton Wing leads the Big Sky Conference in tackles per game (9.3), ranking 19th in the nation.
• BIG SKY STARTS: Portland State is 15-12 in Big Sky Conference home openers, 22-5 in season home openers... Portland State 13-8 at Hillsboro Stadium since becoming its full-time home venue in 2019.

 

TEAM LEADERS

• PORTLAND STATE: SR QB Dante Chachere is 55-95 passing for 668 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions this season. He ranks second on the team in rushing with 203 yards (262 positive yards) and five scores.... SO RB Quincy Craig leads the team in rushing with 41 carries for 235 yards and one TD. FR RB Delon Thompson also plays a big role with 38 carries for 161 yards and a TD... Craig has the most receptions for the Vikings with 17 for 90 yards and two TDs. SO TE Tanner Beaman has 11 catches for 110 yards, JR WR Branden Alvarez has 10 receptions for 137 yards and two TDs, and FR WR Eric Denham has 10 catches for a team-leading 176 yards and a touchdown...  SO LB Peyton Wing has 37 tackles and four tackles for loss to lead the team in both categories. SO LB Michael Montgomery has 33 stops, two tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup... PSU is averaging 166.3 yards rushing, 191.0 yards receiving and 357.3 yards per game... the Vikings are allowing 263.3 rushing yards, 323.8 passing yards and 587.0 total yards per game... PSU has a -3 turnover ratio.
• UC DAVIS: The Aggies feature perhaps the top running back in the Big Sky Conference in Lan Larison. However, they are currently last in rushing yards per game (92.0) and first in passing yards per game (275.4). Still, Larison is fifth in rushing with 106 carries for 439 yards and four touchdowns... quarterback Miles Hastings has completed 125-192 passes for 1,330 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions... CJ Hutton is the top receiver with 25 catches for 290 yards. Larison has 20 receptions for 250 yards and three more scores... the Aggies defense has been good, giving up just 350.2 yards per game. UC Davis has a league-best eight interceptions and leads the Big Sky in defensive pass efficiency. With a total of 13 forced turnovers in five games, the Aggies have a +5 turnover ratio... linebacker David Meyer leads the team with 46 tackles and two interceptions. Defensive back Kavir Bains has 27 tackles, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and seven pass breakups... the Aggies led the Big Sky in kick return average (28.6) and field goals made (10-11).

 

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State is averaging 357.3 yards of offense per game, 166.3 on the ground and 191.0 through the air... the Vikings average 22.5 points per game and have five turnovers... PSU's best two offensive outputs were 30 points and 449 yards at Washington State (8/31), and 30 points and 463 yards at Chattanooga (9/28).
• DANTE'S DATA: SR QB Dante Chachere has passed for 668 yards and rushed for 203 yards through the first four games. He is responsible for eight touchdowns; three passing and five rushing... 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 season-high 76 yards on 13 carries (despite two sacks) at Boise State (9/21)... Chachere has 62 career touchdowns (38 passing, 24 rushing) which is 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); 4.) Dante Chachere, 2019-24 (24 rushing, 38 passing, 62 total)... Chachere eclipsed 4,000 career passing yards in the game at Chattanooga and now has 4,209 total. He has 5,790 yards of total offense, which is ninth 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 339 all-purpose yards. He leads the team in rushing (41-235-1) and receptions (17-90-2). Craig has a 14-yard kickoff return 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 14 played in his career.
• YOUTH SHALL SERVE: In addition to Craig's production, Portland State's other youthful backs are starting to shine as well... RS FR Delon Thompson has 161 rushing yards and 29 receiving yards (190). He led the Vikings with 15 carries for 96 yards at Washington State (8/31)... SO TE Tanner Beaman is second in receiving with 11 catches for 110 yards... RS FR Eric Denham has 10 receptions for a team-high 176 yards and a touchdown... SO WR Jaylen Lynch has four starts, seven receptions and 101 yards... even JR WR Branden Alvarez - while an upperclassman - has started his first four games for the Vikings, catching 10 passes for 137 yards and two TDs.
• 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 has started two at guard and two at center, while Leatigaga has started the last two at guard.

 

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State is allowing 263.3 rushing yards, 323.8 passing yards and 53.5 points per game... the Vikings have 14 tackles for loss, two sacks, and two forced turnovers.
• WING STOP: SO LB Peyton Wing is the team leader in tackles with 37 and tackles for loss with four. 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 19th in the nation in total tackles and leads the Big Sky in tackles per game (9.3).
• 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 33 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup... Montgomery ranks fourth in the Big Sky in tackles per game (8.3).
• 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 is 3-5 on field goal attempts this season (43, 42, 35), while his two misses were blocked (both at Boise State). Eight of his 19 kickoffs have been touchbacks.
• DON'T EVEN TRY: JR P Tony Johnson is averaging 41.2 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 11 returns this season, opponents have netted only two yards. Boise State (9/21) had four attempts for -4 yards.
• IT'S A SNAP: FR TE Kristian Ingman has started the three 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)... four Vikings made their first career starts at Chattanooga (9/28): FR RB Delon Thompson, JR WR Chance Miller, FR DE Nate Richter and FR S Isaiah Green.
• 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)... FR CB Bryson Ross played in his first career game at Chattanooga (9/28).
• BEAM ME UP: Four Vikings who joined in 2024 via the transfer portal are in the starting lineup: JR OL Jakob Belton (Colorado State), JR WR Branden Alvarez (San Jose State), JR DT Joe Moeaki (San Jose State) and SR CB Jamal McMurrin (Missouri State)... JR WR Terence Loville (San Jose State) was also a starter in game one, but has been out since with a hand injury... Portland State has 20 players on its roster that previously were at other Division I schools, 13 of those were FBS-level schools.

 

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 has traveled 7,994 miles before making the 14-mile jaunt to Hillsboro Stadium for its home opener.