Vikings Look to Play Complete Game at Idaho State Saturday

KICKOFF
Beginnings will be on the mind of the Portland State football team this week in the leadup to the Vikings' game against Idaho State Saturday at 3 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. MT.

The Vikings have been strong at the beginning of games this season. They have scored first in five of their first seven games and have built a two-touchdown lead or more in four of those five games. That includes last Saturday, when the Vikings sandwiched two picture-perfect drives around a fourth-down defensive stop to jump out to a 14-0 lead on the Lumberjacks.

The Bengals began the year 4-0, including a 29-17 win over an FBS team in Utah State. But they have lost their last three games. They've been close in all three games, losing by seven points or less each time, but the losses have dropped them from as high as 12th in the national polls to out of the top 25 entering Saturday.

Portland State head coach Chris Fisk will also surely check in with his beginnings as he returns to his hometown of Pocatello, Idaho, for the first time as the Vikings' head coach.

Fisk's return will be all the sweeter if his Vikings can extend a strong beginning to the end of the game. While the Vikings jumped out on NAU, they couldn't hold off a high-powered Lumberjacks offense, which outscored the Vikings 38-11 after the team's opening two drives.

A strong running game Saturday against the Bengals would certainly help. The Vikings have appeared to turn a corner on the ground over their last three games. Starting with a season-high 248 yards in their win over Weber State, the Vikings have totaled 598 rushing yards over their last three games. That's more than double what they had in their first four games when they totaled only 297 yards.

Junior running back Delon Thompson has led the charge. He rushed for a career-high 213 yards on 23 carries against Weber State. He went over 100 yards again last Saturday at Northern Arizona when he finished with 19 carries for 127 yards. That included a 63-yard rush in the final two minutes of the game that represents the Viking offense's longest play from scrimmage this season.

Thompson moved up to 13th in career rushing yards during the game at Northern Arizona. He needs only seven more rushing yards to reach 2,000 in his career. If he goes for 118 or more yards Saturday, he'll move up to 10th all-time at Portland State.

Opposing teams have been able to run the ball on the Bengals this season. Four of their seven opponents have rushed for 200 or more yards. Otherwise, the Bengals have a stout defense that leads the Big Sky Conference in passing yards allowed (175.3 per game), tackles for loss (6.3 per game), first downs allowed (139) and defensive touchdowns (2). The Bengals also rank second in the conference in scoring defense and total defense, allowing 22.6 points and 376.1 yards per game.

Freshman defensive end Trehsyn Fesili ranks 12th in the Big Sky with 0.43 sacks per game. Senior linebackers Nathan Reynolds and Jacob Perez, meanwhile, lead the Bengals with 9.1 and 7.6 total tackles per game, respectively. Reynolds ranks second in the Big Sky and 20th in the FCS as a result.

Offensively, the Bengals have been a strong passing team. They rank third in the Big Sky and ninth in the FCS with 286.3 passing yards per game. Quarterback Jordan Cooke had been a big part of that but didn't finish the Bengals' latest game against Weber State. Davis Harsin finished the game instead, going 14-for-27 for 145 yards and a touchdown.

Whether it's Cooke or Harsin at quarterback against the Vikings, they'll have weapons available to them. Fifth-year wide receivers Chedon James and Julian Mason rank 1-2 for the Bengals with 67.3 and 61.7 receiving yards per game, respectively. Mason leads the Bengals with five receiving touchdowns, a total that ranks him fourth in the Big Sky and 24th in the FCS. Sophomore wide receiver Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio is also averaging 24.14 yards per reception, ranking him first in the Big Sky and second in the FCS.

The Viking defense can help slow down the Idaho State passing attack by forcing turnovers. That was a winning formula at Weber State where despite giving up 700 yards of total offense, the Vikings won behind six forced turnovers.

The Vikings got another hot start at Weber State, leading by as many as 21 at 28-7 in the second quarter. And while the Wildcats came back to tie it late, the Vikings finished that game with a winning field goal as time expired. They'll look to do the same in Coach Fisk's hometown Saturday.

GAME DETAILS
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (2-5, 2-2) vs. IDAHO STATE (4-3, 1-3)
INFO: Saturday, Oct. 24, 3 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. MT, Pocatello, Idaho (Findlay Toyota Field)
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: GoViks.com/LiveStats
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE:

The Idaho State Bengals won their first four games of the season, including a win over an FBS team in Utah State, 29-17. The Bengals rose as high as 12th in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and 14th in the AFCA Coaches Poll as a result. But the Bengals have lost three straight games since, all by a single score. The Bengals lost 38-31 to Northern Arizona on Oct. 3, then fell 25-24 to Cal Poly on Oct. 10 and 27-20 to Weber State on Oct. 17. The Bengals fell out of both national polls after their loss to Weber State.
The Bengals represent a strong defensive team. They lead the Big Sky Conference in passing yards allowed per game (175.3), passing efficiency defense (107.2), tackles for loss per game (6.3), red zone defense (0.731), first downs allowed (139) and defensive touchdowns (2). They also rank second in the conference in scoring defense and total defense, allowing 22.6 points and 376.1 yards per game. Teams have been able to run the ball on the Bengals at times, however, as they rank eighth in the Big Sky with 200.9 rushing yards allowed per game.
Offensively, the Bengals air the ball out. They rank third in the Big Sky and ninth in the FCS with 286.3 passing yard per game. Quarterback Jordan Cooke ranks third in the Big Sky in passing efficiency (145.6), as well as fifth in both passing yards per game (241.0) and passing touchdowns (15). Cooke started but did not finish the Bengals' latest game against Weber State, however. Davis Harsin finished the game instead, going 14-for-27 for 145 yards and a touchdown.
Fifth-year wide receiver Chedon James leads the team with 67.3 receiving yards per game, ranking him ninth in the Big Sky and 44th in the FCS. Fellow fifth-year wide receiver Julian Mason ranks 14th in the conference with 61.7 receiving yards per game. James and Mason also lead the Bengals with 5.57 and 5.00 receptions per game, respectively, ranking them seventh and ninth in the conference. Mason leads the Bengals with five receiving touchdowns, ranking him fourth in the Big Sky and 24th in the FCS.
Sophomore wide receiver Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio has been a big-play receiver for the Bengals. He leads the Big Sky and ranks second in the FCS with 24.14 yards per reception.
Sophomore running Tytan Mason leads the Bengals with 56.8 rushing yards per game. The Bengals rank ninth in the Big Sky with 133.4 rushing yards per game as a team.
Freshman defensive end Trehsyn Fesili was one of 30 freshmen named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List Tuesday. He ranks 12th in the Big Sky with 0.43 sacks per game.
Senior linebacker Nathan Reynolds leads the Bengals with 9.1 total tackles per game, ranking him second in the Big Sky and 20th in the FCS. Jacob Perez, another senior linebacker, ranks second on the team and 11th in the Big Sky with 7.6 total tackles per game.
Sophomore kicker Mason Lindberg leads the Big Sky with 1.86 field goals made per game. He also ranks second in the conference and eighth in the FCS in scoring with 9.3 points per game.

SERIES NOTES:

The Bengals lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 27-20-1. The Vikings lead the Big Sky series between the two teams, however, 14-13.
The Vikings won the teams' latest meeting, 42-38, on the road in 2024. They won behind an all-time performance from quarterback Dante Chachere who became the first Viking ever to record 200 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in the same game. Chachere passed for 216 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 202 yards and three touchdowns.
The Bengals' last win over the Vikings came at Hillsboro Stadium, 38-24, in 2023.

QUICK STORYLINES

HOT START FIZZLES AT NAU: The Vikings scored touchdowns on their first two drives at Northern Arizona last Saturday off of two picture-perfect drives. At the end of their second drive, they were out-gaining NAU 155-to-35 while they had held the ball for nearly 14 of the first 17 minutes of the game. But NAU outscored the Vikings 38-11 from there to win, 38-25.
BACK-TO-BACK DUBS: The Vikings won their first game under head coach Chris Fisk with a 44-41, walk-off victory over Weber State on Sept. 26. After a bye week, they followed with a 30-14 win over Utah Tech on Oct. 10. They were the Vikings' first back-to-back conference wins since 2022.
FIRST HOME WIN SINCE 2024: The Vikings snapped a seven-game home losing streak with their win over Utah Tech. The Vikings were 0-5 at home last season and had dropped their opening two home games this season.
STARTING FAST: The Vikings have scored first in five of their seven games this season. In four of those games, they have built as much as a two-touchdown lead on their opponent. Those leads have come over UC Davis (21-0 at halftime), Weber State (28-7 in 2nd Quarter), Utah Tech (23-0 in 2nd Quarter) and Northern Arizona (14-0 in 2nd Quarter). The Vikings are averaging 7.9 points per game in the first quarter this season. That's nearly double what they averaged in the first quarter last season, which was 4.5 points per game.
IMPROVING RUNNING GAME: Through four games, the Vikings had rushed for 297 total yards and never more than 111 in any game. Over their last three games, the Vikings have rushed for 598 yards and never less than 168. The Vikings turned it around at Weber State on Sept. 26, when they rushed for a season-high 248 yards. Junior running back Delon Thompson recorded his first 200-yard game against the Wildcats, rushing for 213 yards on 23 carries and three touchdowns.
DRAMATIC FIRST WIN: The Vikings made their new head coach sweat out his first win as the Vikings beat Weber State on a 41-yard field goal from Joshua Hossmann Lees as time expired against Weber State. It was the program's first win on a last-second play since Oct. 15, 2005, when the Vikings beat a ninth-ranked Montana State team. Coincidentally, that game also ended 44-41, and was also won on a last-second field goal. Eric Azorr hit a 40-yard to deliver the win for the Vikings.
BEND DON'T BREAK DEFENSE: Northern Arizona totaled 495 yards of offense against the Vikings last Saturday, which was actually under the per-game average for Portland State opponents. The Vikings allowed 600+ yards of offense in three straight games against North Dakota (627), Oregon (740) and Weber State (703). That said, the Vikings beat Weber State despite giving up that many yards. The Vikings held Utah Tech to 330 yards on Oct. 10, which remains a seasonal best for the defense.
WHEN IN DOUBT, GIVE IT TO DELON: Delon Thompson has recorded at least 100 all-purpose yards in three straight games. The streak started when he rushed for a career-high 213 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 9.3 yards per carry against Weber State. Against Utah Tech, Thompson gained 78 yards on the ground and 45 through the air for 123 all-purpose yards. Against Northern Arizona, Thompson rushed for 127 yards on 19 carries, including a 63-yard long that stands as the Viking offense's longest play from scrimmage this season.
BALL HAWKS ON DEFENSE: The Vikings have already surpassed their total takeaways from last season with 14 through their first seven games. The Vikings rank second in the Big Sky and 11th in the FCS with their 14 takeaways this season. They rank third in the conference and 11th nationally with seven fumble recoveries. They rank sixth in the conference and 26th nationally with seven interceptions. The Vikings forced six turnovers in their win over Weber State – the most by PSU in a single game in 22 years.
YOU JUST GOT JAX'D: Senior linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler has forced a turnover in three straight games. He had two fumble recoveries against Weber State on Sept. 26, then forced and recovered a fumble against Utah Tech on Oct. 10. Against NAU this past Saturday, Helmstetler caught the first interception of his career. Helmstetler heads into this week leading the Big Sky and the FCS with three fumble recoveries.
STARTING IN THE GAUNTLET: The Vikings opened the season with a four-game gauntlet that featured two FCS top 10 teams in UC Davis (Aug. 29) and North Dakota (Sept. 12), and two FBS opponents in San Diego State (Sept. 5) and Oregon (Sept. 18). The Vikings rank eighth in the FCS in terms of strength of schedule according to the Massey Ratings system.
RANKED OPPONENTS: Three of the Vikings' five FCS opponents have been ranked in the top 10 at the time of their game against the Vikings. UC Davis, North Dakota and Northern Arizona were ranked sixth, seventh and 10th, respectively, in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll at the time of their game. Additionally, Idaho State had been ranked before falling out of the poll this past week. The Vikings are still scheduled to play Montana which is currently ranked 14th in the Coaches Poll.
NEW JERSEYS: The Vikings will be wearing new uniforms this season designed in collaboration with Van Horne Brands. Founder Todd Van Horne has designed every Oregon Duck uniform since 1997 as well as the 1990s rebrand of the Denver Broncos. He also served as Creative Director for the new Hayward Field in Eugene and led the team for the 2015-20 Nike Campus Expansion which included the creation of the Seb Coe Building, Serena Williams Building, Lebron James Building and Coach K Fitness Center. Van Horne described his work for the Vikings as being "for Chris" in reference to Chris Crawford – the Vikings' quarterback for the 1987 and 1988 NCAA Division II championship games and a PSU Hall of Famer who passed away in 2019 from Leukemia. Van Horne worked with Crawford at Nike.
NEW FACES ON DEFENSE: The Vikings returned only one starter on defense in senior linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler. Unsurprisingly, Helmstetler is the Vikings' top returning tackler from last season when he ranked third on the team with 71 total tackles. He also ranked second on the team with 6.5 tackles for loss a year ago.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: The Vikings named their five captains for the season on their second day of fall camp. Tanner Beaman and Terence Loville will captain the offense. Jaxton Helmstetler and Brogan De'Asis will captain the defense, while Brock Fleming will captain the special teams.
MEN OF STEELE: Five Vikings made the Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Sky teams announced in early August. Cru Newman made the list three different times, earning second-team honors as a kick returner to go with third-team honors as a wideout and all-purpose player. Terence Loville joined Newman on the second team as a wideout, while Delon Thompson, Tanner Beaman and Brock Fleming earned third-team honors at running back, tight end and long snapper, respectively.
THE ROSTER: Portland State returned 41 players from the 2025 roster, including 29 letterwinners… seven starters return on offense and one starter returns on defense… 12 redshirts return, including five with game experience… the new coaching staff has signed 67 newcomers, 34 freshmen and 33 transfers.
STARTING OVER: Portland State will strive to be healthier than it was in 2025. The Vikings have eight returning players on the roster for 2026 who never had a chance to compete in 2025 due to preseason injuries. Included in that group were returning lettermen tight end Tanner Beaman, linebacker Davin Beason and defensive end Elijah Eason, all of whom were projected to start last season.

OFFENSE NOTES

DEEP QUARTERBACK ROOM: Three different quarterbacks started the Vikings' first five games of the season, while two different starters have led the team to victory. Tyrese Smith earned his first win as starting quarterback against Utah Tech on Oct. 10. Out of the three quarterbacks, he leads the team in passer rating (127.6), completion percentage (61.2) and passing yards per game (205.7). Gabe Downing has started three games and has a 55.9 completion percentage for 614 total yards and four passing touchdowns. John-Keawe Sagapolutele won the Vikings' game at Weber State, going 9-for-24 for 161 yards and a touchdown.
BREAKTHROUGH ON THE GROUND: The Vikings are averaging 199.3 yards rushing per game over their last three games. Comparatively, they averaged just 74.3 yards per game through their first four games. The Vikings originally broke out on the ground with a season-high 248 yards against Weber State on Sept. 26. Their three highest rushing totals this season have come in their last three games.
EXPLOSIVE VIKS: Delon Thompson's 63-yard rush in the fourth quarter represented the Viking offense's longest play from scrimmage this season. Thompson has eight plays of 20 or more yards this season, the most of any Portland State player. Terence Loville and Tanner Beaman have six and five plays of 20+ yards, respectively. As a team, the Vikings have 25 plays of 20+ yards, 14 of which have come in their last three games.
SCORING FIRST: The Vikings have scored first in five of their seven games this season. They're 2-3 in those five games. They beat Weber State and Utah Tech but lost after taking early leads against UC Davis, San Diego State and Northern Arizona.
DELON APPROACHES MILESTONE: Delon Thompson moved up to 13th in career rushing yards with his 127 yards against Northern Arizona last Saturday. He now needs only seven more yards to hit the 2,000-yard milestone in his career. To move up the career list, he needs…26 yards for 12th…109 yards for 11th…118 yards for 10th…191 yards for ninth…211 yards for eighth.
DEPEND ON DELON: Delon Thompson's breakout game against Weber State – a career-high 213 yards on 23 carries and three touchdowns – put him among the best running backs in the Big Sky statistically this season. Thompson now ranks seventh in the Big Sky in both rushing yards (88.0) and all-purpose yards (104.9) per game. He also ranks eighth in the conference and 44th in the FCS with 5.13 rushing yards per carry.
SPILL THE T AND SPREAD THE LOVE: Senior wide receiver Terence Loville, nicknamed T-Love, recorded his second 100-yard game of the season against Weber State. Loville recorded 130 yards on five catches and a touchdown against Weber State. That bettered a career high he initially set earlier in the season with 130 yards on 10 receptions at San Diego State. Loville has led the Vikings in receiving yards in five of the team's seven games. He heads into this week ranked seventh in the Big Sky and 39th in the FCS with 70.1 receiving yards per game. Loville also ranks 11th in the conference with 4.57 receptions per game.
BEAMAN IS BEAMING: Junior tight end Tanner Beaman proposed to girlfriend Tori Forst – herself a member of the Portland State track & field team – a week before fall camp. Beaman proposed to Forst on the same beach that Forst's parents got engaged in Longboat Key, Florida. The happy home life has translated to the football field where Beaman is making his return from injury this season. He's been a big-play receiver at times this season, with five of his 24 receptions going for 20+ yards. He set a career high with 63 receiving yards on four receptions at San Diego State. He followed with a career-high eight catches for 55 yards and a touchdown against North Dakota. He ranks 25th in the Big Sky in receptions (3.29) and 28th in receiving yards (39.6) per game.
NEED TO FINISH: The Vikings have scored on 18 of their 22 red zone trips this season. That's a higher percentage (81.8%) than their opponents (81.6%, 31-for-38), but opponents are doing a better job at finishing drives in the end zone. The Vikings have scored touchdowns on only 12 of their 22 trips (.545) versus 28 of 38 trips (.737) for Portland State opponents.
WE ROW WITH CRU: Sophomore all-purpose wideout Cru Newman set career highs for all-purpose yards (177), receptions (7) and receiving yards (66) in the Vikings' season opener against UC Davis. He followed up with 51 all-purpose yards on nine total touches against San Diego State. Newman totaled over 1,000 all-purpose yards last year as a freshman when he received freshman All-American honors from FCS Football Central and Stats Perform.
RABY, RABY, RABY, OH: Junior running back Niall Raby has scored a touchdown in back-to-back games. He bounced off a defender to go 33 yards for a score against Utah Tech on Oct. 10. He then went in from three yards for a touchdown in the final minute of the fourth quarter against Northern Arizona. Raby set his season high with 55 yards on five carries against Utah Tech.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, YA OL' BUILDING AND LOAN: Junior transfer wide receiver Darius Bailey was a 1,000-yard receiver for NCAA Division III Puget Sound last season. He caught 64 passes for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Loggers. He caught his first touchdown pass for the Vikings against North Dakota, reeling in a 39-yard bomb from Gabe Downing. He has six receptions for 89 yards so far this season.
BIG PLAY DA: Sophomore wide receiver Devon Anderson caught six passes for 99 yards in his Viking debut against UC Davis. His 38-yard reception in the first quarter helped set up the Vikings' first touchdown of the game. He started against San Diego State but was injured early in the game and has not played since.
A LYNCH-PIN: Senior wide receiver Jaylen Lynch is the active career leader for the Vikings in games played (42). Lynch ranks fourth among active players for the Vikings with 518 career receiving yards.
EXPERIENCE IS A PLUS: On offense, the Vikings have experience. In fact, all three quarterbacks who saw significant action, the top running back, two of the top three receivers and top tight end return. In addition, three starters on the offensive line and one part-time starter are back… Junior quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele (148-261-16-1,623-4TD), sophomore quarterback Tyrese Smith (40-69-4-551-2TD, 98-405-6 rushing) and junior quarterback Gabe Downing (15-26-2-140-0) are experienced signal callers… Junior running back Delon Thompson (191-662-7 rushing, 22-217-1 receiving) led the Vikings in rushing and has over 1,300 career yards on the ground… Senior wide receiver Terence Loville (33-517-1) was given an NCAA waiver for an additional year of eligibility after leading the Vikings in receiving yards last year… Sophomore wide receiver and kick returner Cru Newman (29-302-0, 12-70-1 rushing, 669 return yards) proved to be the Vikings top all-purpose player, earning Freshman All-American and Honorable Mention All-Big Sky honors… Junior tight end Tanner Beaman was a 2024 second team All-Big Sky Conference selection and preseason All-Big Sky choice in 2025. Unfortunately, a foot injury ended his season before it started. He will be back to full health in 2026… the offensive line returns starters senior James Minot (12 starts), sophomore Pule Leatigaga (11 starts), senior Semisi Latu (8 starts) and redshirt freshman Juan Pasillas-Stanton (4 starts).

DEFENSE NOTES

BALL HAWKS: The Vikings did something they hadn't done in 22 years by forcing six turnovers against Weber State on Sept. 26. With two more fumble recoveries against Utah Tech and an interception against Northern Arizona, they have already surpassed their total takeaways from last season with 14. The Vikings now rank second in the Big Sky and 11th in the FCS in turnovers gained this season. They rank third in the conference in fumbles recovered (7) and sixth in passes intercepted (7).
PROGRESS IN TURNOVER MARGIN: The Vikings have won the turnover battle in their last three games, including last Saturday against an NAU team that came into the game leading the FCS in total takeaways. The Vikings are now +0.29 in turnover margin this season, ranking them fifth in the Big Sky. That's a significant improvement over last season when the Vikings averaged minus-1.25 turnovers per game.
TOTAL YARDS: The Vikings held Utah Tech to a season-low 330 yards on Oct. 10. But the Vikings have allowed 600+ yards of offense in three of their seven games, while Northern Arizona finished with 495 last Saturday. The Vikings rank 13th in the Big Sky with 523.3 yards allowed per game.
RUSH DEFENSE: Five of the Vikings' seven opponents have rushed for more than 200 yards against them this season. The two exceptions came against UC Davis and Utah Tech when the Vikings held them to 87 and 102 yards, respectively.
LEADING TACKLERS: Isaac Redford and Jaxton Helmstetler rank 1-2 on the team in total tackles with 54 and 51, respectively. Redford and Helmstetler rank 10th and 13th in the Big Sky, respectively, with 7.7 and 7.3 total tackles per game.
VARIED DEFENSE: Five different players led the Vikings in tackles through their first five games of the season. Isaac Redford was the first repeat leader after he recorded a career-high 13 tackles against Weber State then followed up with 11 against Utah Tech. Gio Kafentzis has led the Vikings in two games now after totaling eighth tackles against UC Davis, then a career-high 12 last Saturday at Northern Arizona. Logan Lisherness (9 tackles vs. San Diego State), Lono Solomon (10 tackles vs. North Dakota) and Jaxton Helmstetler (11 tackles vs. Oregon) have also led the Vikings in tackles this season.
WE LIKE IKE: Junior safety Isaac Redford – nicknamed Ike – picked off passes in back-to-back games against San Diego State and North Dakota. He nearly had a third in a row against Oregon but dropped a ball that would have been a pick in the second quarter. Redford now ranks among the leaders in the Big Sky Conference for both interceptions and tackles. Redford ranks third in the conference and 11th nationally with 5.43 solo tackles per game. He also ranks 10th in the conference with 7.7 total tackles per game. Redford ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 0.29 interceptions per game.
A WOLFE IN THE BACKFIELD: Junior safety Terahiti Wolfe flipped the script late in the win over Weber State, intercepting a ball on the PSU 23-yard line in the final minute and taking it back 32 yards to set up the Vikings' game-winning field goal. It was his second interception of the game. He would rank among the conference leaders in the category but has only played in five of the team's seven games.
SONG OF SOLOMON: Freshman safety Lono Solomon has recorded a team-high 4.5 tackles for loss. He has a tackle for loss in four of the six games he's played this season, including 1.5 tackles for loss against North Dakota on Sept. 12. Solomon ranks 10th in the Big Sky with 4.33 solo tackles per game, and 18th in the conference with 6.7 total tackles per game.
DUCSIK IS A DUDE: Freshman defensive end Avery Ducsik recorded his fourth sack of the season while dropping NAU's Ty Pennington for a loss late in the second quarter last Saturday. Ducsik is averaging 0.57 sacks per game, ranking him fifth in the Big Sky and 41st in the FCS. He recorded two strip sacks against Weber State on Sept. 26, part of the Vikings' six turnovers forced in the game. His 0.29 forced fumbles per game ranks him first in the Big Sky and 24th in the FCS in the category.
THE SWEETNESS OF LISHERNESS: Junior linebacker Logan Lisherness has been steady throughout the season, recording at least five tackles in six of the team's seven games. He also ranks fourth on the team with 2.5 tackles for loss, including one against Northern Arizona last Saturday.
COSMA IS COOKING: Junior defensive end Kekama Cosma has his own cooking Instagram (@kamas_mayjah_grindz) that focuses on Hawaiian food. It's appropriate, because the newcomer got his first sack and second tackle for loss this season against Oregon on Sept. 18.
BIG MAN INTERCEPTION: Junior defensive tackle Eddie Vega collected a tipped ball from Brogan De'Asis against UC Davis for the first interception of his career. The interception came along with three tackles for Vega in the game.
NEW LOOK DEFENSE: On defense, the Vikings lost a number of players to graduation and the transfer portal, particularly on the line. Including redshirts, 20 players return on that side of the football… leading the way is veteran senior linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler (71 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, fumble recovery for touchdown), a starter in all 12 games… the Vikings return eight defensive backs… three of the eight returning defensive linemen were redshirts in 2025… two of the six returning linebackers were also redshirts.
CENTRAL MEN: The Vikings added two transfers from Fisk's former team at Central Washington that figure to make an impact on defense. Junior linebacker Logan Lisherness and senior defensive end Brogan De'Asis both followed Fisk to Portland State. Lisherness was a second-team All-Lone Star Conference selection last season when he ranked third on the team with 49 total tackles. Lisherness also ranked tied for second on the team with 9.0 tackles for loss. De'Asis, meanwhile, played in all 12 games last season, totaling 19 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.
SAFETY MEASURES: The back of the Vikings' secondary will be a sea of new faces as the Vikings added transfers Terahiti Wolfe (Montana), Isaac Redford (Eastern Washington), Gio Kafentzis (Utah State) and Nash Burkart (Sacramento State). Redford had two interceptions for the Eagles last season. Kafentzis recorded a pick for the Aggies against Washington State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
D3 TO D1 ON D: The Vikings added three additions on defense from NCAA Division III schools in the Portland area. Two came from Lewis & Clark in Solomon McDaniel and Kekama Cosma, while a third came from Pacific (Ore.) in Quincy Springs.

SPECIAL TEAMS/MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

A MAN WITH THREE NAMES GETTING US THREE POINTS: Junior kicker Joshua Hossmann delivered the Vikings their dramatic victory over Weber State with a 41-yard field goal as time expired. It came as part of a 3-for-3 day for Hossmann Lees that also included a career-long 42-yarder earlier in the game. He matched that career high with a 42-yarder against Northern Arizona last Saturday. He heads into this week ranked third in the Big Sky in field goal percentage (0.800) and fourth in makes per game (1.14).
ZUI CAN ZIP: Freshman Zui Shelton took a kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter of the Vikings' win over Weber State on Sept. 26. It was the first kickoff return touchdown by a Viking in three years since Christian Grubb took one 99 yards back for a score against Cal Poly on Sept. 23, 2023. He followed up with his first offensive touchdown of the year against Utah Tech on Oct. 10, reeling in a 39-yard pass from Tyrese Smith for the Vikings' first score of the game. He later helped set up the Vikings' final score of the game with a 41-yard kickoff return right before halftime. Shelton now ranks third in the Big Sky and eighth in the FCS with 31.8 kickoff return yards per game. He also ranks second in the conference and fourth nationally in kickoff return touchdowns (1).
THE BALLAD OF JONAH HENRY: Senior linebacker Jonah Henry recorded the first blocked kick of the season for the Vikings against Utah Tech on Oct. 10. Henry blocked a punt on the first play of the second quarter against Utah Tech, setting the Vikings up for their second score of the game. Henry also recovered a fumble on a muffed punt against San Diego State on Sept. 5.
EMILIANO IS EAGER TO PROVE HIMSELF: The most resilient kid on the team through the first quarter of the season may have been freshman punter Emiliano Rodriguez. He shook off two sour games to start the year – fumbling a snap on a punt against UC Davis that led to a safety, while having two punts blocked against San Diego State – to record a strong game against North Dakota. Rodriguez had five punts go for an average of 49.0 yards against UND, two of which were downed inside the five. He added a career-long 59-yard punt against Oregon on Sept. 18, a long he matched with a 59-yard punt against Utah Tech. Rodriguez now ranks second in the Big Sky and 11th in the FCS with an average of 44.6 yards per punt.
ONE MAN WRECKING CRU: Sophomore all-purpose wideout Cru Newman took a punt return 78 yards for a touchdown in the Vikings' season opener against UC Davis. Newman ranks second in the Big Sky and seventh in the FCS with one punt return touchdown this season. He also ranks 10th in the Big Sky with 167 combined kick return yards this season.
NOT SO MANY PENALTIES: One of head coach Chris Fisk's goals this season was for the Vikings to limit their penalties. The Vikings had been better in that regard through their first five games but have recorded seven penalties in each of their last two games. The Vikings now average 6.00 penalties per game for 47.1 yards.
NOT SO NICE: The Vikings' two blocked punts at San Diego State mean they rank ninth in the Big Sky for blocked kicks allowed.
TIME OF POSSESSION: The Vikings have won the time of possession battle in five of their seven games. That said, it's been a poor indicator as the Vikings are 1-4 when winning time of possession but 1-1 when losing it. The Vikings rank sixth in the Big Sky with an average time of possession of 29:32.