#15 NORTHERN ARIZONA LUMBERJACKS (3-1) vs.
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (0-4)

Saturday, Sept. 27, 2 p.m., Hillsboro Stadium (7,600), Hillsboro, OR
Television: ESPN+ • Play-by-play: Matt Richert • Analyst: Scott Hermo
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.livestats.us
Game Sponsored by Al's Garden
 

HEAD COACHES

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS: Bruce Barnum (Eastern Washington, 1987)
PSU Record: 38-68/11th year • Big Sky Record: 28-44 • vs. Northern Arizona: 2-2 • Career Record: 38-68/11th year
NORTHERN ARIZONA LUMBERJACKS: Brian Wright (Wooster, 1994)
NAU Record: 11-6/2nd year • Big Sky Record: 6-2 • vs. Portland State: 0-0 • Career Record: 11-6/2nd year
 

PORTLAND STATE OPENS BIG SKY CONFERENCE PLAY AT HOME

Portland State will look at its Big Sky Conference opener this Saturday with 15th-ranked Northern Arizona as a new season. And in fact it is, as Big Sky play begins this week and leads to post-season possibilities for all 12 teams involved. The Vikings and Lumberjacks meet in a 2 p.m. game at Hillsboro Stadium that can also be seen on ESPN+. This week's game is sponsored by Al's Garden.
     
The Vikings come off a brutal non-conference slate with an 0-4 record. PSU faced three nationally-ranked opponents (combined record 13-4) - including FBS BYU - with its lone unranked foe being Hawai'i of the Mountain West Conference.
     
It was a tough go, but the Vikings can start fresh with Big Sky play this week at home. PSU had a chance to rest last week with a bye, and it was needed as a number of early-season injuries have not helped the Vikings cause.
     
Portland State comes off its best defensive performance against Hawai'i, allowing the FBS team just 23 points and 357 yards - the fewest of the season for an opponent. PSU hopes to be a little healthier on offense where it has struggled, in part due to injuries, in part due to youth and in part due to turnovers. SO QB John-Keawe Sagaopolutele appears to have won the starting role behind center and has thrown for 335 yards in the past two games. An improved running game would provide balance to an offense that has moved the ball between the 20-yard lines but otherwise been challenged to find the end zone.
     
The Vikings take a two-game winning streak against NAU into Saturday's matchup. But that means little as the teams have not played since 2023. The Lumberjacks have responded to second-year coach Brian Wright, who led them to the playoffs last year and a 3-1 start and national ranking this year.
     
Ty Pennington is one of the few returning starting quarterbacks in the Big Sky and he has been productive, averaging over 270 yards with eight TDs passing through four games.
     
Northern Arizona is PSU's fourth nationally-ranked opponent in five games and seventh nationally-ranked opponent in the last eight home games dating back to the end of 2023.
     
Portland State will play at Eastern Washington next week in a Dam Cup rivalry game.
 

STORY LINES

• STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: Northern Arizona is the Vikings' fourth nationally-ranked opponent in five games... this season's schedule currently includes seven nationally-ranked opponents and two FBS teams... among PSU's last eight home opponents, seven were nationally-ranked (including NAU), five of which were in the top 10... 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. 
• BIG BIG SKY: Bruce Barnum is 2-2 all-time against Big Sky Conference opponent Northern Arizona which is remarkable since he is in his 11th season at PSU... the teams met annually from 1996-2012, but only five times since then due to the expanded size of the league... the Vikings have won the last two meetings (2022, 2023).
• MAKING NEW FRIENDS: Second-year NAU Head Coach Brian Wright faces the Vikings for the first time as the teams did not play last season.
• THE LAST 47 YEARS: The all-time series between the schools dates back to 1978. Northern Arizona leads the all-time series, 18-7, and the Big Sky Conference series, 15-7.

 

NUMBERS GAME

• SACK LUNCH: PSU has six defensive sacks in the past two games including 2.5 sacks by JR DE Spencer Elliott.
• FLY SWATTERS: The Vikings defense made eight pass breakups at Hawai'i with three from FR NICK Pierce Walker and two by SO CB Dionte Thornton.
• STEPPING UP: A plethora of injuries to Viking receivers has forced some backups into expanded roles. JR WR Zachary Dodson-Greene took advantage of his opportunity to start at Hawai'i, making nine receptions for 78 yards. It was the most catches by a Viking receiver in 20 games.

 

TEAM LEADERS

• PORTLAND STATE: Portland State is averaging 5.8 points and 196.5 yards of total offense per game... PSU is allowing 465.5 yards per game, including 287.8 yards rushing, and 46.0 points... the Vikings have nine turnovers and have forced three turnovers... SO QB John-Keawe Sagapolutele has started the last two games and is 40-66 for 392 yards, four interceptions and one touchdown this season... SO RB Delon Thompson has 36 carries for 82 yards and a score, but has played in only three games. FR QB Tyrese Smith has 22 carries for 82 yards as well... JR WR Zachary Dodson-Greene has 12 receptions for 91 yards and JR WR Jaylen Lynch has 10 catches for 92 yards and a score... SO S Isaiah Green leads the team with 35 tackles. JR LB Jaxton Helmstetler has 29 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble return for touchdown... the Vikings have six total sacks with 2.5 from JR DE Spencer Elliott... SR P Tony Johnson is averaging 40.5 yards per punt... SR K Mathias Uribe is 1-4 on field goals.
• NORTHERN ARIZONA: The Lumberjacks have jumped out to a 3-1 record on the season with remarkably similar offensive and defensive stats. NAU averages 35.0 points and allows 35.3 points. The 'Jacks total 408.0 yards of offense per game and allow 408.5 yards of offense per game... quarterback Ty Pennington has led the offense with 1,085 passing yards through four games. He completes 63% of his passes, has eight touchdowns and just one interception... his main target has been Kolbe Katsis, who has 19 receptions for 388 yards and three scores... Seth Cromwell is the leading rusher with 49 carries for 225 yards and four TDs... Travis Arena has five of the team's eight sacks on the season and he leads NAU with 36 tackles.

 

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State is averaging 196.5 yards per game, 56.5 on the ground, 140.0 through the air... the Vikings have nine total turnovers... the Vikings put up a season-best 20 points at North Dakota. They are 13-49 on third down, 0-7 on fourth down and have missed three field goals.
• 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 back-to-back games, completing 61% of his passes for 392 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. Sagapolutele faced his former team, Hawai'i, on Sept. 13, completing 23-35 passes for a season-high 189 yards... FR QB Tyrese Smith has played in all four games with one start. He has a team-best 22 rushing plays for 82 yards.
• GET OFF DELON: As expected, SO RB Delon Thompson got the bulk of the rushing for the Vikings in the opener against Tarleton State. He had 17 carries for 55 yards. He also caught two passes for 20 yards. Unfortunately, a thumb injury has impacted him since, causing him to miss a game and see limited action in the other two. He has 31 carries for 82 yards this season... in his 16-game career, Thompson has 184 rushing plays for 797 yards and nine 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, Branden Alvarez, Terence Loville, Chance Miller) and top back Delon Thompson also missing a game.
• 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, caught nine passes for 78 yards at Hawai'i. It was the most receptions by a Viking in 20 games... he now leads the team with 12 catches for 91 yards.
• WRECKING CRU: FR QB Cru Newman may yet play at quarterback this season. In the meantime, he will do other things. Newman has 14 kick returns for 242 yards, three punt returns for 18 yards, six receptions for 48 yards and one rush for 11 yards. That makes a team-leading 319 all-purpose yards.

 

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State has allowed 465.5 yards per game, including 287.8 on the ground and 177.8 through the air... the good news is the Vikings played their best in their most recent game against Hawai'i, holding the Rainbow Warriors to 357 yards, including 107 on the ground... the Vikings have forced and recovered three fumbles and have six sacks.
• GREEN DAY: SO S Isaiah Green made a career-high 15 stops against BYU (8/30) and leads the team with 35 tackles this season. He ranks fifth in the Big Sky Conference with 8.8 tackles per game... Green is PSU's top returning tackler with 50 as a redshirt freshman in 2024.
• ACTION JAXTON: JR LB Jaxton Helmstetler made a career-high nine tackles in consecutive weeks against BYU and North Dakota. He has 29 for the season. 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.
• SACK HAPPY: Helmstetler's TD would not have been possible without the strip sack by SR DE Jayden Brannan. It was one of four sacks made by the Vikings against North Dakota. That is the most sacks since the Vikings had seven at San Jose State in the 2022 season-opener - a span of 35 games. PSU added two more sacks at Hawai'i... JR DE Spencer Elliott was in on two sacks as he recorded a career-high 10 tackles at North Dakota. He added another sack at Hawai'i.
• NO FLY ZONE: Portland State allowed 250 passing yards to Hawai'i's Run-and-Shoot attack. 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.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• FOOTWORK: SR K Mathias Uribe (11-12 on field goals last season) is 1-4 on field goals this season - though two of them have been from 50+ yards. His 54-yarder attempt against Tarleton State hit the left upright and bounced away. His 37-yard attempt was wide left. A 57-yard try at BYU was blocked... Uribe's .917 field goal percentage last season was a PSU record.
• PLACEMENT POLICY: JR P Tony Johnson is averaging 40.5 yards per punt with 22 tries this season... six have been placed inside the 20 with a season-high 63-yarder at BYU.
• 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 260 return yards, while Miller has 58 return yards. They also both play slot receiver for the Vikings and have combined for five receptions.

 

MORE FUN FACTS AND MEANINGLESS TRIVIA

• TOUGH SCHEDULE: Counting this week, seven of Portland State's last eight home opponents were ranked nationally ranked, including four in the top 10: UC Davis (9th), Montana State (3rd), Idaho (9th), Tarleton State (10th)... four of the first five opponents this season have been nationally-ranked; Tarleton State (10th), BYU (20th FBS), North Dakota (20th), Northern Arizona (15^th).
• 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.