#10 TARLETON STATE TEXANS at PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS

Saturday, August 23, 1:35 p.m. Hillsboro Stadium (7,600), Hillsboro, OR
Television: ESPN2
Play-by-play: Jorge Sedano • Analyst: Rodney McLeod • Sidelines: Victoria Arlen
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.livestats.us

HEAD COACHES
Portland State Vikings: Bruce Barnum (Eastern Washington, 1987)
PSU Record: 38-64/11th year • Big Sky Record: 28-44 • vs. Tarleton State: 0-0 • Career Record: 38-64/11th year

Tarleton State Texans: Todd Whitten (Stephen F. Austin, 1987)
TSU Record: 114-57/16th year • vs. Portland State: 0-0 • Career Record: 139-85/21st year
 
GAME PRESENTED BY LES SCHWAB
 
An unprecedented start to the 2025 season takes place this Saturday as the Portland State Vikings host the Tarleton State Texans in a "Week 0" game at Hillsboro Stadium.
     
The Aug. 23 game is the earliest start in PSU history. The previous earliest start came on Aug. 26, 2017 at BYU (ironically, the Vikings return to play at BYU next week in a college football "Week 1" kickoff). This Saturday's 1:30 p.m. kickoff will air on ESPN2, marking the first time a PSU home game has ever aired on that network. The Vikings have appeared on national TV numerous times over the years - and routinely air on ESPN+ - but have never had a national network broadcast from home.
     
The Vikings go into the 2025 season with an almost new look. Some nine starters return, as well as three special teams starters. The Vikings will be plugging in new starters at key spots, including quarterback and linebacker, and turning over key roles to a number of redshirt freshmen and transfers.  
     
PSU comes off a 3-8 season in 2024, 3-5 in the Big Sky Conference, in a season in which it had the toughest strength of schedule in the nation according to the Massey Ratings. The 2025 season takes on a similar look with the always-challenging Big Sky Conference schedule, two FBS opponents and 10th-ranked Tarleton State open the season.
     
Head Coach Bruce Barnum begins his 11th season at the helm of the Vikings, and 16th overall after five seasons as offensive coordinator. He has 34 returning letterwinners, as well as six starters back on offense, three on defense and three on special teams. Preseason All-Big Sky Conference selections include JR TE Tanner Beaman and SO S Isaiah Green.
     
Tarleton State is located in Stephenville, TX and is a member of the United Athletic Conference featuring programs from throughout the south and southwest. Two of those schools, Southern Utah and Utah Tech, will be joining the Big Sky Conference in 2026.
     
The Texans come off an impressive 10-4 season after only recently reclassifying from NCAA Division II. They were 6-2 and tied for second place in the UAC, advancing to the NCAA FCS playoffs. Tarleton State defeated Drake in the playoffs before losing in a game at South Dakota. Todd Whitten is in his 16th season as head coach at TSU and has compiled a 114-57 record.
 

STORYLINES

• EARLIEST START: Portland State's Aug. 23 opening game is the earliest in school history. The previous earliest start was an Aug. 26, 2017 game at BYU... PSU also opens at home for the first time since 2016.
• SOS: In 2024, Portland State had the most difficult strength of schedule of any FCS team in the nation according to the Massey Ratings. 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's schedule will rival last year's in difficulty. PSU plays five teams in the FCS Preseason Top 25, including Tarleton State, and two FBS teams, including nationally-ranked BYU.
• OH, HELLO...: Tarleton State is a member of the United Athletic Conference and was an FCS playoff team in 2024. Tarleton finished last year 10-4, winning an opening-round game to Drake before losing to fourth-ranked South Dakota... the Vikings have never played TSU or a member of the UAC since it was formed... the Texans have been picked to win the UAC in 2025... quarterback Victor Gabalis (2,883 yards, 23 TDs) is a on the preseason Walter Payton Award List for National Player of the Year.
• THE WORLDWIDE LEADER: Saturday's game marks the first time an ESPN2 game has originated from a Portland State home game (as opposed to the weekly ESPN+ live streams)... Portland State was on then-ESPN3 in a home playoff game against Northern Iowa at Providence Park on Dec. 5, 2015.

 

NUMBERS GAME

• HAPPY NEW YEAR: 2025 is the 79th season of Portland State Football and the 30th as a member of the Big Sky Conference... Head Coach Bruce Barnum begins his 11th season leading the program - second-most in school history (Tim Walsh, 14 seasons) - and his 16th season overall.
• WHO IS BACK: Portland State has 34 returning letterwinners (and 50 players who have seen game action at PSU). Six starters return on offense, three on defense and all three on special teams.
• TOUCH ACTS TO FOLLOW: PSU has had only two starting quarterbacks since late in the 2017 season; Davis Alexander and Dante Chachere. That tandem combined for 18,085 yards of total offense and 166 total touchdowns over 6+ seasons and 70 total starts... Alexander is currently the starting quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League.

 

TEAM LEADERS

• PORTLAND STATE: Portland State comes off a season in which it averaged 393.0 yards of total offense and 29.3 points per game... on defense, PSU allowed 40.1 points and 527.2 yards per game... the Vikings had a -7 turnover ratio... the Vikings return their second-leading rusher in SO RB Delon Thompson (139-678-7) and leading receiver in SR WR Branden Alvarez (36-480-5)... also back are starting receivers JR WR Jaylen Lynch (16-246-0) and second team All-Conference JR TE Tanner Beaman (21-257-1)... the Vikings have a large turnover on defense. The top returning tacklers is preseason All-Big Sky selection SO S Isaiah Green (50T-3PBU-1INT)... PSU features a strong kicking game in SR K Mathias Uribe (11-12 FG) and SR P Tony Johnson (41.0).    
• TARLETON STATE: Tarleton State averaged 30.7 points and 415.8 yards per game on offense last season... on defense, the Texans allowed 378.4 yards and 24.6 points per game.... JR QB Victor Gabalis returns to lead the Texans. The Walter Payton Award candidate threw for 2,883 yards and 23 touchdowns last season... the top returning rusher is Braelon Bridges (76-334-3) and the top returning receiver is Cody Jackson (29-490-8)... the TSU defense forced 29 turnovers last season and has a significant group of returners. DB Blake Smith (76T-3INT) and LB Bam Smith (73T-5.5 TFL) are the top returning tacklers, while LB AJ Owens and DL Brandon Tolvert combined for 8.5 sacks.

 

THE SCHEDULE

The 2025 Portland State Football schedule will be one of the most unique in school history, including a home game at Providence Park. Along the way the Vikings will face a first-time "zero week" opponent, opponents from 10 different states and four time zones, departure from the mainland, and of course, the usual difficulty of four playoff opponents and two FBS-level opponents.
     
PSU will have the earliest start in school history with a zero week home game against a first-time opponent Tarleton State on Aug. 23. The sixth-ranked Texans are members of the United Athletic Conference and were an FCS playoff team in 2024. Tarleton finished the year 10-4, winning an opening-round game to Drake before losing to fourth-ranked South Dakota.
     
The Vikings then have an extremely challenging three-game road stretch, including a pair of FBS opponents. PSU plays at BYU on Aug. 30. The Cougars were 11-2 in 2024, including 7-2 in the Mountain West Conference, and winners of the Alamo Bowl, 36-14, over Colorado. BYU ended the year ranked 17th in the nation. The teams have met once previously, a 20-6 PSU loss at BYU, in 2017.
     
A trip further east comes the following week (Sept. 6) with a game at North Dakota. PSU and North Dakota are former Big Sky Conference foes, but UND moved to the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2020. North Dakota leads the all-time series 6-2. The Fighting Hawks had a 5-7 record in 2024.
     
On Sept. 13 the scenery will look completely different with Portland State playing at Hawai'i. The Warriors were also 5-7 last season, with a 3-4 mark in the Mountain West. Hawai'i leads the series with the Vikings, 5-1. The last meeting was a 49-35 Warriors win in 2021 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex on the Hawai'i campus in front of no fans due to COVID restrictions.
     
Big Sky Conference play opens with Northern Arizona at home on Sept. 27. The Lumberjacks were 8-5 in 2024, 6-2 in the Big Sky, and reached the FCS playoffs. The teams last met in 2023, a 45-21 Viking win in Flagstaff. PSU has won the last two meetings, but NAU leads the Big Sky series, 14-7.
     
Dam Cup competition returns on Oct. 4 with PSU traveling to Eastern Washington (4-8 in 2024). The Vikings have won the Dam Cup Rivalry Trophy in the past two meetings with the Eagles, and have actually held it for three years as the teams did not play in 2024. The Vikings won 38-35 at Eastern Washington in 2022, then 47-35 at home in 2023. The all-time series is tied between the programs 22-22-1, so the 2025 game will be for the Trophy and to break the all-time tie.
     
Portland State will try to avenge last season's loss to Weber State when it hosts the Wildcats on Oct. 18. WSU beat PSU 43-16 early last fall in Ogden. The Wildcats hold a 24-15 all-time edge and 14-9 Big Sky Conference edge in the series.
     
The Vikings travel to Idaho on Oct. 25 to face a program transitioning with a new head coach. The Vandals were 10-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs before they were knocked out by Montana State. Idaho leads the Big Sky series with Vikings, 4-1, including wins in the last three games. Of six Big Sky Conference matchups, this will be the fourth played in Moscow.
     
On Nov. 1, Portland State will play at Cal Poly. The Vikings and Mustangs last met in 2023, a 59-21 Viking win at Hillsboro Stadium. Cal Poly comes off a 3-8 season. The Mustangs lead the Big Sky series with the Vikings, 5-3.
     
After two games in a row on the road, PSU will have two in a row at home. Sacramento State comes to town on Nov. 8. Portland State leads the series with the Hornets, 24-14 all-time and 14-9 in Big Sky games. The Vikings picked up a 58-38 win at Hornets Stadium last November.
     
A long-awaited return to Providence Park in downtown Portland arrives on Nov. 15 when Portland State hosts no less an opponent than the Montana Grizzlies. The Vikings' former home, it marks PSU's first game in the venerable downtown stadium since Oct. 13, 2018. Montana comes off a 9-5 season in which it once again reached the FCS playoffs. The Grizzlies beat the Vikings, 28-17, in Missoula in November and have won four in a row in the series.
     
Snow could be a factor in the Vikings' regular-season finale as they travel to Northern Colorado. PSU will try to pick up a sixth straight win over the Bears. The Vikings beat UNC 45-13 in the 2024 finale and lead the all-time series 12-5.
 

SCHEDULE NOTES

• 2025 will be the 79th season of Portland State Football and the 30th as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
• The Vikings face five teams that were on the schedule in 2024: Weber State, Idaho, Sacramento State, Montana and Northern Colorado. PSU was 2-3 against that group.
• Of the non-conference opponents, PSU has never played Tarleton State, faced BYU once (0-1), North Dakota eight times (2-6) and Hawai'i six times (1-5)... PSU's 45-20 win at Hawai'i in 2000 was the program's first-ever over an FBS-level program (the Vikings now have four such wins).
• PSU's two FBS-level opponents are BYU and Hawai'i. 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 11th consecutive season that Portland State has played two FBS opponents. PSU has done so a total of 15 times, including three in 2006.
• BYU was ranked 17th in the final 2024 FBS polls and won a bowl game over Colorado... Tarleton State (13th), Northern Arizona (22nd), Idaho (7th), and Montana (10th) were all ranked in the final 2024 FCS poll and competed in the 2024 FCS playoffs.
• Portland State last played at Providence Park on Oct. 13, 2018, a 35-14 win over Northern Colorado. The Vikings last played a full season at Providence Park in 2016... that was also the last time Portland State played its first game of the season at home. Since then, PSU has opened on the road seven straight times.
• Portland State has won the Dam Cup rivalry trophy game in the last two meetings with Eastern Washington (2022, 2023). The teams did not meet in 2024.
• The Vikings will play opponents from Washington, Idaho, Utah (2), North Dakota, Hawai'i, Arizona, California (2), Montana, Texas and Colorado.

 

VIKING BACKGROUND TRIVIA

• BUY LOCAL: Portland State has 26 players on the roster from the state of Oregon, plus seven others from just across the river and the Vancouver, WA area.
• STUDENT-ATHLETES: Portland State has five players on its roster that have earned undergraduate degrees: Keegan Stancato (Business Administration: Management & Leadership), CJ Jordan (Psychology and Masters in Sports Management), Slade Shufelt (Public Health Studies: Pre-Clinical Health Sciences), Aedan Seiuli (Interdisciplinary Studies) and Gabe Downing (Business Administration: Management & Leadership).
• MORE STUDENT-ATHLETES: SO S Isaiah Green, JR LB Jaxton Helmstetler, SR DE Slade Shufelt and SO RB Delon Thompson were named Academic All-District by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team in 2024.
• STILL MORE STUDENT-ATHLETES: Fifteen returning Vikings earned Academic All-Big Sky Conference honors last season: Tanner Beaman, Davin Beason, Elijah Eason, Isaiah Green, Jaxton Helmstetler, Kristian Ingman, Tony Johnson, Tristan Lewis, Bryson Ross, Elias Sanders, Slade Shufelt, Keegan Stancato, Anthony Tena, Delon Thompson and Mathias Uribe.
• FATHER KNOWS BEST: The Vikings have a pair of players whose fathers had prominent careers in the NFL. JR LB Jordan Allen is the son of Eric Allen, a 14-year veteran of the NFL (1988-2001) who was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025. SO OL Pryce Roberts is the son of Ray Roberts, a first-round draft pick and nine-year veteran of the NFL (1992-2000).
• FAMILY AFFAIR: JR OL Braylon Cornell has had a cousin, Jake Porter, play on the Viking Football team (2018-22), another cousin play on the Viking volleyball team, Ellie Snook (2019-22), and two uncles play at PSU, Jamie Snook (basketball, 1996-99) and Jason Porter (baseball, 1991-94).
• FROM THE FIELD TO THE SIDELINE: Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Matt Leunen (OL/TE, 2005-09) is a PSU alum who played for the Vikings... Quarterbacks Coach Kieran McDonagh (2012-15) is also a PSU alum who was recruited by and played for Bruce Barnum... Shiloh Ta'ase (2019-23), a former All-Big Sky Conference lineman for the Vikings, is now the offensive tackles and tight ends coach... another All-Big Sky performer, VJ Malo (2021-22), is the new defensive ends coach.
• VIKINGS' PRESENCE IN THE NFL: Entering the 2024 season, there have been 33 former Portland State players who have appeared in regular season NFL games. The first: Tom Oberg, DB, Denver Broncos, 1968. Longest career: Neil Lomax, QB, 1981-88; Clint Didier, TE, 1982-89; and Adam Hayward, LB, 2007-14, all played in eight NFL seasons. Hayward played in the most total games (118). Highest draft pick: Neil Lomax, QB, 1981, 2nd round, 33rd pick, St. Louis Cardinals. Total draft picks: 10. Most Touchdowns: Julius Thomas, TE, 2011-17, 36 (receiving). Darick Holmes, RB, 1995-99, 9 (rushing); Neil Lomax, QB, 1981-88, 136 (passing). Head Coach: June Jones (Atlanta Falcons and San Diego Chargers, 1994-98). Super Bowl Champions: Clint Didier, TE (2, 1982, 1987, Washington); DeShawn Shead, CB (2013, Seattle); Ted Popson, TE (1994, San Francisco).
• SUPER PLAYERS: Portland State had a pair of former players meet in the Super Bowl for the first time in history in February 2014. TE Julius Thomas ('10, Denver) and DB DeShawn Shead ('11, Seattle) both played in Super Bowl XLVIII. Shead returned to the Super Bowl in 2015 with the Seahawks. He joins Clint Didier and Ted Popson as former Vikings with Super Bowl rings. Thomas was named a Pro Bowl tight end in 2013 and 2014. In the 2014 off-season, he signed the richest tight end contract in the NFL to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Thomas retired in the 2018 off-season after a seven-year career that included 71 games, 226 receptions, 2,406 yards and 36 touchdowns. Shead, who played six years in the NFL, is now an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins.
• CC6: Another Viking football legend was quarterback Chris Crawford. Crawford, a native of Portland and Sunset High School, played for the Vikings from 1985-88. He led the team to two NCAA II National Championship games in 1987 and 1988 as the Vikings went 22-5-2 in those seasons. Crawford, who wore the number 6 on the field, was later inducted into the Portland State Athletics Hall of Fame. Crawford went on to a prominent career at Nike where he was a Senior Director in charge of cleated shoes. Sadly, Crawford passed away due to complications from leukemia at the age of 51 in 2019. He is still honored by Nike though, as "CC6" is stamped on the bottom of every pair of football cleats it produces.