#2 MONTANA GRIZZLIES (10-0, 6-0)
at PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (1-9, 1-5)

Saturday, Nov. 15, 2 p.m., Providence Park (25,218), Portland, OR
Television: KPXG 22.2 • Live Stream: ESPN+ • Play-by-play: Trey Bender • Analyst: Jordan Tripp
Radio: Rip City Radio 620 AM • Play-by-play: Preston Hiefield
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.livestats.us
 

HEAD COACHES

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS: Bruce Barnum (Eastern Washington, 1987) • PSU Record: 39-73/11th year • Big Sky Record: 29-49 • vs. Montana: 2-6 • Career Record: 39-73/11th year
MONTANA GRIZZLIES: Head Coach: Bobby Hauck (Montana, 1988) • UM Record: 148-41/13th year • Big Sky Record: 85-22 • All-Time vs. PSU: 10-2 • Career Record: 164-90/19th year        
 

VIKINGS RETURN TO PROVIDENCE PARK FOR FIRST TIME IN 7 YEARS

A highly-anticipated matchup for a variety of reasons, the Portland State Vikings will host the second-ranked Montana Grizzlies this Saturday in a Big Sky Conference game at Providence Park. The Vikings and Grizzlies kick off at 2 p.m. in a game that can be seen on ESPN+, KPXG 22.2 in Portland, and heard on Rip City Radio 620 AM. Saturday's game is sponsored by Mesher Supply.
     
Saturday's contest will be the final home game of the season for the Vikings (1-9, 1-5) as they will honor their senior class. It is also the annual matchup with the powerhouse Griz (10-0, 6-0), who have once again proven to be one of the best teams in the nation. But, rising above that, it will be the first time Portland State has played at Portland's downtown stadium since the 2018 season following more than 50 years as its home field and nearly 80 years since the Vanport Extension Center Vikings first played in the facility.
     
In addition, the return of Portland State coaching legend Mouse Davis will also take place. Davis will be honored at the game as an endowment in his name is being established by PSU Athletics. The 93-year old Davis will be surrounded by a number of his former players from Portland State's legendary Run-and-Shoot era of 1975-80 when the Vikings, behind Davis and quarterbacks June Jones and Neil Lomax, changed the face of football through his unique passing game.
     
A myriad of circumstances has moved Portland State Football to Hillsboro Stadium, but the university and the Portland Timbers worked to find a one-off date this season in which the Vikings could "come home."
     
Then, there is the football.
     
Portland State will have the monumental task of taking on and finding a way to beat the undefeated Griz. PSU's last win over Montana was 2018 in Missoula (22-20). The Vikings' last home win over Montana came at Providence Park in 2015 (35-16).
     
On the other side, Montana will be looking to complete its undefeated march to the post-season and a shot at a national championship at the Division I FCS level.
 

TEAM LEADERS

• PORTLAND STATE: Portland State is averaging 16.4 points and 309.6 yards of total offense per game... the Vikings average 106.3 yards rushing and 203.3 yards passing... PSU is allowing 460.5 yards per game, including 265.8 yards rushing, and 42.5 points... the Vikings have 22 turnovers and have forced 11 turnovers... SO QB John-Keawe Sagapolutele has started eight games and is 126-222 for 1,399 yards, 12 interceptions and four touchdowns this season... FR QB Tyrese Smith has played significant time at quarterback as well. He is 30-52 passing for 443 yards, two TDs and two interceptions. Smith ranks second on the team in rushing with 68 carries for 248 yards and four scores... SO RB Delon Thompson has 160 carries for 561 yards and seven TDs this season, including a season-high 184 yards against Cal Poly (11/1)... JR WR Zachary Dodson-Greene has 32 receptions for 260 yards and a touchdown. SR WR Terence Loville has 23 receptions for a team-high 399 yards and a score... SO S Isaiah Green leads the team with 89 tackles, has 3.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. FR S Pierce Walker has 62 tackles, two for losses and five pass breakups... JR DB Carsten Mamaril has team highs of three interceptions and seven pass breakups... JR LB Jaxton Helmstetler has 59 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and a fumble return for touchdown... the Vikings have 16 total sacks with 5.5 from JR DE Spencer Elliott, who has also forced two fumbles... SR P Tony Johnson is averaging 39.8 yards per punt... SR K Mathias Uribe is 11-14 on field goals, including making his last 11 in a row.
• MONTANA: The Grizzlies have been impressive across the board. Montana averages 39.9 points and 468.8 yards per game on offense to lead the Big Sky in both categories. The Griz allow 23.4 points and 400.3 yards and lead the Big Sky with 13 interceptions on defense... Keali'i Ah Yat has passed for 2,784 yards and 21 touchdowns, both of which lead the Big Sky... wide receiver Michael Wortham leads the Big Sky in all-purpose yards with 1,622. He has 54 receptions for 779 yards and seven touchdowns... if that weren't enough, Eli Gillman is the top rusher in the Big Sky with 167 carries for 1,048 yards and 14 TDs... on defense, Elijawah Tolbert has made a team-best 62 tackles... the Griz have 25 total sacks and have forced 17 turnovers.

 

PROVIDENCE PARK PRIMER

• The last time PSU played at Providence Park was Oct. 13, 2018, a 35-14 win over Northern Colorado. The Vikings last played a full season at Providence Park in 2016.
• Portland State called Providence Park its home from 1967 through the 2018 season with the exception of the 2000 and 2010 seasons due to renovation projects. During that span it was formerly named Multnomah Stadium, Civic Stadium, PGE Park and JELD-WEN Field.
• PSU first played football in old Multnomah Stadium in 1949, but did not return until a game on November 25, 1965 against the University of Montana. PSU (then PSC) played Lewis and Clark and Idaho State at the Stadium in 1966, then began playing all of its home games there in 1967. The exception was a game against Weber State that year which was played at Wilson High School.
• Portland State used Hillsboro Stadium as its home field in 2000 and 2010, due to the renovations to Providence Park, then four games in 2018. The Vikings became a full-time tenant at Hillsboro for the 2019 season to present.
• The Viking program has a long history at Providence Park: Mouse Davis, June Jones and Neil Lomax made the Run-and-Shoot and Portland State football famous there during the 1970s; PSU hosted 15 NCAA Division II playoff games at Civic Stadium between 1987 and 1995. During those seasons under Coach Pokey Allen and Coach Tim Walsh, PSU ranked among the leaders in Division II attendance and set the playoff attendance record of 21,079 against Texas A&I; the first 23 season of PSU's Big Sky era took place there; and PSU hosted an FCS playoff game against Northern Iowa at the stadium in 2015 under Bruce Barnum following its best Division I season ever (9-2).

 

STORYLINES

• THEY'RE NUMBER TWO: Montana comes into this week's game ranked second in the nation. The Grizzlies are the highest ranked opponent for the Vikings since 2022 when PSU played two #2 teams - Montana on Sept. 24, then Sacramento State on Nov. 11.
• FAMILIAR FOE: Portland State has played more all-time games against Montana (48) than any other member of the Big Sky Conference.
• FAMILIAR FACE: Former Portland State linebacker Peyton Wing now plays for the Grizzlies. He led the Vikings with 93 tackles last season.
• 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... Montana will be PSU's fifth nationally-ranked opponent this season, including the third in the top 10. PSU has also played two FBS teams (one ranked).

 

NUMBERS GAME

• LOVIN' T-LOVE: SR WR Terence Loville had five receptions for 106 yards and two rushes for eight yards last week against Sacramento State. It was Loville's second 100-yard receiving game of the season... after struggling through injury challenges in the first half of the season, he now has a team-high 399 receiving yards, with 364 coming in the last five weeks. He averages a team-best 17.3 yards per catch.
• 11 IN A ROW: SR K Mathias Uribe made a 31-yard field goal against Sacramento State extending his consecutive field goals made streak to 11. He missed his first three attempts of the season (two of which were over 50 yards)... Uribe is 22-26 in his career on field goals, which ranks as a PSU career record for percentage (.846). He already holds the season record from last year (11-12, .917)... his 22 career field goals rank 10th in school history.
• SWISS ARMY KNIFE: FR WR/KR/QB Cru Newman entered another stat category last week with a fumble recovery against Sacramento State. So far this season, Newman has caught passes (22-234), run with the ball (8-53), passed the ball (1-2, 5 yards), returned kicks (32-595), returned punts (3-18), made tackles (2) and recovered a fumble (1)... Newman leads the team with exactly 900 all-purpose yards.

 

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State is averaging 309.6 yards per game, 106.3 on the ground, 203.3 through the air... the Vikings have 22 total turnovers... PSU had season-highs of 339 passing yards at Eastern Washington (10/4), 242 rushing yards, 502 total yards and 40 points at Cal Poly (11/1).
• QUARTERBACK SAGA(POLUTELE): PSU had three different starters at quarterback in the first three games of the season. SO QB John-Keawe Sagapolutele has now started eight 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 1,399 yards, four touchdowns and 12 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 10 games without a start. He is 30-52 passing for 443 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has 68 rushing plays for 248 yards and four TDs.
• GET OFF DELON: As expected, SO RB Delon Thompson is the key back for the Vikings this season. Unfortunately, he was 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 posted a career-best 26 carries for 184 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Cal Poly (11/1). He added three receptions for 54 yards and a score as well in that game... Thompson leads the team with 160 carries for 561 yards and seven touchdowns. He has caught 17 passes for 161 yards and a score... in his 22-game career, Thompson has 308 rushing plays for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns... Thompson has two career 100-yard games with a 22-carry, 117-yard effort last year at Montana (11/16).
• PERSONNEL IS AN ISSUE: PSU has been hindered with six receivers missing significant time this season (Tanner Beaman (out for season), Branden Alvarez (out for season), Terence Loville, Chance Miller, Eddy Schultz (out for the season), Brooks Ferguson (out for the season) and top back Delon Thompson also missing a game.
• LOVIN' T-LOVE: SR WR Terence Loville has finally gotten healthy the past five games and been PSU's top receiver over that span. Love had five receptions for 106 yards and two rushes for eight yards last week against Sacramento State (11/8). It was Loville's second 100-yard receiving game of the season... after struggling through injury challenges in the first half of the season, he now has a team-high 399 receiving yards, with 364 coming in the last five weeks. He averages a team-best 17.3 yards per catch.
• CATCHING UP: Other players stepping up in the receiving group include: JR WR Zachary Dodson-Greene who has a team-best 32 receptions for 260 yards and a score. He 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)... SO TE Kristian Ingman has taken over capably in the absence of Tanner Beaman, catching 19 passes for 309 yards (16.3 pc). He moonlights as the team's occasional long snapper with two tackles and a fumble recovery - the second of his career... in all, 15 players have receptions for the Vikings this season.
• WRECKING CRU: FR WR/KR/QB Cru Newman is doing it all for the Vikings. He has 32 kick returns for 595 yards, three punt returns for 18 yards, 22 receptions for 234 yards, eight rushes for 53 yards and is 1-2 passing for five yards. Newman has a team-leading 900 all-purpose yards to rank 11th in the Big Sky Conference.

 

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State has allowed 460.5 yards per game, including 265.8 on the ground (which ranks last in the Big Sky) and 194.7 through the air (which ranks second in the Big Sky)... 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 seven fumbles, have four interceptions, 16 sacks and 28 pass breakups.
• GREEN DAY: SO S Isaiah Green made a career-high 15 stops against BYU (8/30) and leads the team with 89 tackles this season. He ranks third in the Big Sky Conference and 27th in the nation with 8.9 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) and against Sacramento State (11/8). He has 59 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 5.5 on the season, ranking seventh in the Big Sky. That is the most sacks by a Viking in three seasons... Elliott has 34 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, a pass breakup 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... JR CB Carsten Mamaril is becoming the Vikings' top pass defender. He has team-highs of three interceptions and seven pass breakups this season. Mamaril ranks fifth in interceptions in the Big Sky and sixth in passes defended (10). Mamaril was named National Defensive Player of the Week after the win at Cal Poly (11/1) when he had two interceptions and three pass breakups.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• FOOTWORK: SR K Mathias Uribe is 11-14 on field goals this season, including making his last 11 in a row over the last six games. 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 22-26 in his career (.846), Uribe is on pace for a career percentage record as well.
• PLACEMENT POLICY: JR P Tony Johnson is averaging 39.8 yards per punt with 44 tries this season... 16 have been placed inside the 20-yard line, 11 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 595 return yards, while Miller has 75 return yards. They also both play slot receiver for the Vikings and have combined for 29 receptions for 346 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.