PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (0-8, 0-4)
at CAL POLY MUSTANGS (3-5, 1-3)

Saturday, Nov. 1, 2 p.m., Alex G. Spanos Stadium (11,075), San Luis Obispo, CA
Television: ESPN+
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.livestats.us
 

HEAD COACHES

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS: Bruce Barnum (Eastern Washington, 1987)
PSU Record: 38-72/11th year • Big Sky Record: 28-48 • vs. Cal Poly: 3-3 • Career Record: 38-72/11th year
CAL POLY MUSTANGS: Paul Wulff (Washington State, 1990)
CP Record: 9-21/3rd year • Big Sky Record: 36-40 • vs. PSU: 5-5 • Career Record: 71-101/15th year
 

VIKINGS SEEKING INITIAL VICTORY AS THEY HEAD TO CAL POLY

The Portland State Vikings continue their quest to get in the win column this week with a Big Sky Conference game against Cal Poly. The Vikings and Mustangs meet up in a Saturday afternoon game at Alex G. Spanos Stadium that can be seen on ESPN+.
     
PSU had been playing better in recent weeks before getting overwhelmed by Idaho's passing game last week in a 45-6 loss. The Vikings are now 0-8 on the season, 0-4 in Big Sky games.
     
Cal Poly comes into the contest off three straight losses and is 3-5 on the season, 1-3 in Big Sky games. A closer look at the Mustangs schedule tells a slightly different story though. The losses were to three top-10 teams in UC Davis, Montana and Montana State. And the most recent win was at Sacramento State when the Hornets were still nationally-ranked.
     
The struggles for both CP and PSU have been similar. They rank 11th and 12th, respectively, in rushing offense in the Big Sky Conference. The Mustangs have been more effective in the passing game (255.9 ypg) as compared to the Vikings (199.5). However, the Vikings have thrown 13 interceptions and the Mustangs have thrown 12.
     
One might think an effective rushing attack and limiting turnovers will be the key to winning this Saturday's contest.
     
The Vikings will be playing their sixth road game in nine starts this season. PSU's most recent trip to Cal Poly was a 49-42 loss in 2022. However, the Vikings won the last matchup, 59-21, in 2023 at Hillsboro Stadium.
 

TEAM LEADERS

• PORTLAND STATE: Portland State is averaging 12.5 points and 284.4 yards of total offense per game... the Vikings average 84.9 yards rushing and 199.5 yards passing... PSU is allowing 459.0 yards per game, including 265.0 yards rushing, and 42.3 points... the Vikings have 17 turnovers and have forced seven turnovers... SO QB John-Keawe Sagapolutele has started the last six games and is 104-183 for 1,075 yards, nine interceptions and three touchdowns this season... FR QB Tyrese Smith has played significant time at quarterback as well. He is 21-39 passing for 330 yards, one TD and two interceptions. Smith ranks second on the team in rushing with 42 carries for 173 yards and two scores... SO RB Delon Thompson has 112 carries for 297 yards and three TDs this season, including a season-high 88 yards against Northern Arizona... JR WR Zachary Dodson-Greene has 29 receptions for 258 yards and a touchdown... SO TE Kristian Ingman has 16 catches for a team-high 292 receiving yards... SO S Isaiah Green leads the team with 72 tackles, has two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. FR S Pierce Walker has 49 tackles, two for losses and a team-high five pass breakups... JR LB Jaxton Helmstetler has 45 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and a fumble return for touchdown... the Vikings have 13 total sacks with 4.5 from JR DE Spencer Elliott, who has also forced two fumbles... SR P Tony Johnson is averaging 40.7 yards per punt... SR K Mathias Uribe is 8-11 on field goals, including making his last eight in a row.
• CAL POLY: The Mustangs average 26.0 points and 358.1 yards of offense per game... the majority of the offense comes in the passing game at 255.9 yards per game... Cal Poly has thrown 12 interceptions but has not lost a fumble this season... four quarterbacks have seen action led by Bo Kelly, who is 63-112 for 706 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions... the top receiver is Michael Briscoe with 34 catches for 617 yards and seven touchdowns. His seven TDs leads the Big Sky and ranks sixth in the nation... linebacker Mikey D'Amato tops the defense with 95 tackles this season. He also has 5.5 sacks. D'Amato leads the Big Sky in tackles and ranks fifth in the nation at 11.9 per game... the Mustangs defense allows 30.3 points and 417.9 yards per game. It has forced nine turnovers and made 18 sacks.

 

STORYLINES

• TAKE IT TO THE HOUSE: Always a high-scoring affair, the winner between Portland State and Cal Poly has had at least 34 points in all 11 Division I meetings... the 59 points scored by PSU in 2023 (52 in the first half) was the most by either team at the Division I level.
• FAMILIAR FOE: Cal Poly Head Coach Paul Wulff has faced the Vikings with three different schools. He was 4-4 vs. PSU while Head Coach at Eastern Washington, 1-0 while at Washington State, and is 0-1 while at Cal Poly.
• FAMILIAR FOE, PART II: Both schools were members of the Division II Western Football Conference from 1982-1992 where PSU held a 7-4 advantage over Cal Poly.
• SOS: For the second year in a row, Portland State has the most difficult schedule in the nation according to the Massey Ratings. In 2024, PSU played five nationally-ranked FCS teams and two nationally-ranked FBS teams. Four of the FCS teams were in the Top 10... this season, PSU has played four nationally-ranked teams so far, including two in the top 10, and two FBS teams (one ranked).

 

NUMBERS GAME

• EIGHT IN A ROW: SR K Mathias Uribe made two more field goals at Idaho and has now made his last eight attempts. He missed his first three attempts of the season (two of which were over 50 yards)... Uribe is 19-23 in his career on field goals, which ranks as a PSU career record for percentage (.826). He already holds the season record from last year (11-12, .917).
• 1,000: SO RB Delon Thompson passed 1,000 rushing yards in his 20th career game last Saturday at Idaho. Thompson now has 1,012 career rushing yards.
• RUN TO WIN: Coach Bruce Barnum has always said you must "run to win." So, to understand the Vikings' record this season, look no further than running game statistics. The Vikings rank last in the Big Sky in rushing (84.9 ypg) and last in rushing defense (265.0 ypg)... that said, the Vikings rushed for 135 yards at Idaho, their most in any game this season.

 

OFFENSIVE NOTES

•  THE NUMBERS: Portland State is averaging 284.4 yards per game, 84.9 on the ground, 199.5 through the air... the Vikings have 17 total turnovers... PSU had season-highs of 339 passing yards, 469 total yards and 27 points at Eastern Washington (10/4). The Vikings matched it with 27 points against Weber State (10/18)... PSU had a season-high 135 rushing yards at Idaho (10/25).
• QUARTERBACK SAGA(POLUTELE): PSU had three different starters at quarterback in the first three games of the season. Now Coach Bruce Barnum has determined that SO QB John-Keawe Sagapolutele is his man. JKS has started six games in a row. He had a season-high 302 passing yards and a touchdown at Eastern Washington (10/4)... for the season, he is completing 57% of his passes for 1,075 yards, three touchdowns and nine interceptions... Sagapolutele faced his former team, Hawai'i, on Sept. 13, completing 23-35 passes for 189 yards... FR QB Tyrese Smith has played in all eight games without a start. He was 9-14 passing against Weber State for 170 yards, a TD and an INT, 7-13 passing at Idaho for 141 yards and an interception. He has 42 rushing plays for 173 yards and two TDs.
•  GET OFF DELON: As expected, SO RB Delon Thompson is the key back for the Vikings this season. Unfortunately, he has been slowed by a broken right thumb that occurred in the first game of the season. He missed one game and saw limited action in two others... Thompson had 17 carries for a season-high 88 yards against Northern Arizona (9/27)... Thompson leads the team with 112 carries for 297 yards and three touchdowns. He has caught 13 passes for 97 yards... in his 20-game career, Thompson has 260 rushing plays for 1,012 yards and 11 touchdowns... last season, Thompson posted a career-high 117 yards on 22 carries with one score at Montana (11/16).
• PERSONNEL IS AN ISSUE: PSU has been hindered with four of its top five receivers missing games already this season (Tanner Beaman (out for season), Branden Alvarez (out for season), Terence Loville, Chance Miller) and top back Delon Thompson also missing a game. PSU has also lost wide receiver Eddy Schultz (who had been second in receptions at the time of his injury) for the season.
• THAT SAID... LOCAL BOY DOES GOOD: JR WR Zachary Dodson-Greene has stepped into the void of injuries in the Vikings receiving corps. ZDG, a transfer from Montana State who hails from nearby Salem, grabbed 10 passes for 83 yards at Eastern Washington (10/4). It was the first 10-catch game by a Viking in four seasons... Dodson-Greene also caught nine passes for 78 yards at Hawai'i (9/13)... he now leads the team with 29 catches for 258 yards and a touchdown.
• CATCHING UP: SR WR Terence Loville had career-highs of seven receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown at Eastern Washington (10/4). It was the first 100-yard game by a Viking since last season... SO TE Kristian Ingman has taken over capably in the absence of Tanner Beaman, catching 16 passes for a team-high 292 yards (18.1 pc). He moonlights as the team's occasional long snapper... in all, 15 players already have receptions for the Vikings this season.
• WRECKING CRU: FR WR/KR/QB Cru Newman is doing it all for the Vikings. He has 25 kick returns for 443 yards, three punt returns for 18 yards, 14 receptions for 138 yards and five rushes for 29 yards and is 1-1 passing for five yards. Newman has a team-leading 628 all-purpose yards.

 

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State has allowed 459.0 yards per game, including 265.0 on the ground and 194.0 through the air... the Viking defense played its best game against FBS Hawai'i (9/13), holding the Rainbow Warriors to 357 yards, including 107 on the ground, and 23 points - fewest in all categories this season... the Vikings have forced and recovered five fumbles, have two interceptions, 13 sacks and 22 pass breakups.
• GREEN DAY: SO S Isaiah Green made a career-high 15 stops against BYU (8/30) and leads the team with 72 tackles this season. He ranks fourth in the Big Sky Conference with 9.0 tackles per game... Green is PSU's top returning tackler after making 50 as a redshirt freshman in 2024.
• ACTION JAXTON: JR LB Jaxton Helmstetler made a career-high nine tackles in consecutive weeks against BYU (8/30) and North Dakota (9/6). He has 45 for the season as well as four tackles for loss and two sacks... at North Dakota, he posted nine stops, two tackles for loss, a sack, a quarterback hurry, and returned a fumble 70 yards for a touchdown. It was PSU's first FR TD in four years.
• SPENCER FOR HIRE: JR DE Spencer Elliott has been emerging as a top pass rusher. He made two sacks at Eastern Washington (10/4) and now has 4.5 on the season, ranking fourth in the Big Sky. That is already the most sacks by a Viking in three seasons... Elliott has 27 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two quarterback hurries.
• NO FLY ZONE: The Vikings held Eastern Washington (10/4) to an opponent season-low 128 passing yards. Weber State (10/18) totaled only 150 yards passing... Portland State allowed 250 passing yards to Hawai'i's Run-and-Shoot attack (9/13). That wasn't a bad total and it took the Rainbow Warriors 45 attempts to get it. Noticeably, the Vikings broke up eight passes, including three by FR NICK Pierce Walker and two from SO CB Dionte Thornton... the Vikings have 22 pass breakups this season with five each from Walker and SO CB Bryson Ross.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• FOOTWORK: SR K Mathias Uribe is 8-11 on field goals this season, including making his last eight in a row. Two of his three misses have been from 50+ yards this season... Uribe was 11-12 on field goals last season and his .917 field goal percentage was a PSU record... now at 19-23 in his career (.826), Uribe is on pace for a career percentage record as well.
• PLACEMENT POLICY: JR P Tony Johnson is averaging 40.7 yards per punt with 38 tries this season... 11 have been placed inside the 20-yard line, nine fair caught with only three touchbacks. Johnson unleashed a career-long 75-yard punt at Eastern Washington (10/4).
• YARD BOYS: RS FRs Cru Newman and Andre Miller are both from Portland and have their own yard care business in the summer to make a little extra cash; C and D Landscaping. Now they are teaming up as kick return partners for the Vikings. Newman has 461 return yards, while Miller has 58 return yards. They also both play slot receiver for the Vikings and have combined for 21 receptions for 250 yards.
• JORDAN RULES: RS FR Jordan Herron was inserted as a punt returner and running back against Northern Arizona (9/27). That was a good move as Herron delivered an electric 57-yard punt return for touchdown - the first by a Viking in two seasons.  

 

MORE FUN FACTS AND MEANINGLESS TRIVIA

• TOUGH SCHEDULE: Seven of Portland State's eight home opponents between the start of 2024 and Sept. 27, 2025 were nationally ranked, including four in the top 10: UC Davis (9th), Montana State (3rd), Idaho (9th), Tarleton State (10th)... so far, four opponents this season have been nationally-ranked; Tarleton State (10th), BYU (20th FBS), North Dakota (20th), Northern Arizona (15th)... PSU had the most difficult strength of schedule in 2024 according to the Massey Ratings. So far this season, PSU once again has the most difficult strength of schedule.
• BYE-BYE: Due to the Week 0 game with Tarleton State, Portland State will have two byes this season: Sept. 20 and Oct. 11.
• SUMMER FOOTBALL: There were a number of milestones in the home opener against Tarleton State: 1) The temperature at kickoff was 96 and crossed 100 degrees by late in the third quarter, making it the hottest home game on record in Portland State history; 2) The August 23 date was the earliest start in school history; 3) It was Portland State's first opener at home since the 2016 season; 4) The Vikings were playing 10th-ranked Tarleton State for the first time in school history; 5) The last time a Portland State team was shut out by an FCS program was a 14-0 loss at Montana State on Oct. 7, 2006.
• FREQUENT FLYER MILES: On the Vikings' run of three straight road games, Aug. 30-Sept. 13, they cross one time zone and back, two time zones and back, then three time zones and back, playing at BYU, North Dakota and Hawai'i successively. It will be a total of 8,906 air miles (RTs of 1,332; 2,424; and 5,206). The transition from North Dakota to Hawai'i in consecutive games is five time zones... PSU will have played in four different time zones in the first four games of the season.
• CROWDED: The announced attendance of 64,494 at BYU was the largest crowd for a Portland State game in history. The previous largest was 61,082 for a game at Cal in 2006... PSU's largest all-time home crowd is 26,102 in a game against Oregon State in 1983.
• YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN: SO QB John-Keawe Sagapolutele didn't have to wait long to play his former team. A transfer from Hawai'i to Portland State in the off-season, JKS started against the Rainbow Warriors, completing 23-35 passes for 189 yards and one interception.
•  I REMEMBER YOU: Despite being long-time Big Sky Conference opponents, PSU and Northern Arizona have only played six times in the last 13 seasons.
•  QUARTERBACKS EVERYWHERE: Portland State has FR QB Cru Newman playing kick returner and slot receiver. FR QB Tyrese Smith has played at quarterback and running back. JR TE Brooks Ferguson is a former quarterback converted to tight end. He has four receptions, but also threw the first pass of his PSU career at Eastern Washington (10/4), a 37-yard completion to SO TE Kristian Ingman, on a trick play.
• ONE MAN WRECKING CRU: RS FR WR/QB/KR Cru Newman did it all against Weber State (10/18). He returned five kicks for 91 yards, completed one pass attempt for five yards, rushed twice for 12 yards and caught three passes for 50 yards. He had 153 all-purpose yards and did I mention he also made a tackle?