KICKOFF
The last time the Portland State football team played on Halloween in 2015, the Vikings beat a 17th-ranked Montana team 35-16 amid a torrential downpour at Providence Park. It was the Vikings' first win over Montana in 11 years and came as part of the Vikings' march to the FCS playoffs that year.
 
And if there's one commonality between all the best Halloween stories, it's that history repeats itself.
 
The Vikings hope it does – the win, not the torrential downpour – as they host Idaho at 1 p.m. on Halloween at Hillsboro Stadium.
 
The Vikings – who are 5-5 over their last 70 seasons on Halloween (dates of specific games are missing before 1957) – will look to put a spook into an Idaho team that represents one of the hottest teams in the Big Sky Conference and Football Championship Subdivision over the last four weeks. After an 0-4 start, the Vandals have won three of their last four games including victories over then-No. 1 Montana State, 35-34, and then-No. 7 Montana, 42-35.
 
The Vandals won two of their three most recent games on last-second plays. They beat Montana State on a 25-yard touchdown pass and subsequent two-point conversion as time expired. They then beat Southern Utah, 31-28, this past Saturday, when kicker Owen Forsman hit a career-long 53-yard field goal as time expired.
 
The Vikings hope to end that run of luck for the Vandals. They come into the game having dropped two straight road games to teams currently ranked in both national polls. The Vikings took a 14-0 lead on a Northern Arizona team currently ranked seventh nationally in both polls before falling 38-25. They then fell behind early against an Idaho State that returned to both polls this week (at No. 23) after a 38-8 win over the Vikings last Saturday.
 
The recent losses dampened the progress the Vikings made over back-to-back wins against Weber State and Utah Tech. The Vikings' 44-41 win over Weber State on Sept. 26 has looked better and better as the weeks have gone on. The Wildcats' only two losses this season within Big Sky play are to the Vikings and to Montana State. The Bobcats, currently ranked third nationally after their loss to the Vandals, were trailing Weber State entering the fourth quarter this past Saturday before scoring two late touchdowns to beat them, 38-33.
 
Weber State is also the lone team to beat the Vandals over the last four weeks, which they did 38-27 in Ogden on Oct. 10. The Wildcats rushed for 307 yards against the Vandals as they owned the line of scrimmage in that game, something the Vikings will have to do if they hope to match them with a win over the Vandals.
 
Teams have been able to run on the Vandals, who rank 13th in the Big Sky with 232.8 rushing yards allowed per game. The Vikings had been running the ball well – averaging 199.3 yards per game over their games against Weber State, Utah Tech and Northern Arizona – before Idaho State held them to just 56 net rushing yards last Saturday.
 
Delon Thompson still passed 2,000 career rushing yards in the game against the Bengals despite the low rushing total. Thompson now ranks 12th all-time with 2,020 career yards. He could move up to 10th all-time (or higher) by the end of this Saturday if he rushes for 100 yards or more against the Vandals.
 
A strong running game would also help the Vikings keep the ball out of Idaho quarterback Joshua Wood's hands. Wood represents one of the most dynamic players in the Big Sky Conference as he leads the league and ranks third nationally in the FCS with 323.1 total yards of offense per game. He ranks third in the conference with 273.6 passing yards per game, while he also leads the Vandals with 49.5 rushing yards per game. He has 22 total touchdowns this season between 14 passing and eight rushing. He's averaging 17.5 points responsible for per game, ranking him second in the conference and eighth nationally.
 
Wood had passed for 300+ yards over four straight games before Southern Utah held him to 151 yards last Saturday. He had 400+ yards of total offense in back-to-back games against Weber State (435) and Montana (420) before the Thunderbirds held him to 199 (151 passing, 48 rushing).
 
The Vikings will look to slow down Wood Saturday. Perhaps there's a spell or incantation that the Vikings can break out again for Halloween. It worked 11 years ago.
 
GAME DETAILS
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (2-6, 2-3) vs. IDAHO (3-5, 3-2)
INFO: Saturday, Oct. 31, 1 p.m. PT, Hillsboro, Ore. (Hillsboro Stadium)
TV: ESPN+/Rose City SportsNet
LIVE STATS: GoViks.com/LiveStats
SCOUTING IDAHO:

• The Idaho Vandals represent one of the hotter teams within the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) over the last four weeks. After an 0-4 start to the year, the Vandals have won three of their last four games including wins over then-No. 1 Montana State, 35-34, and then-No. 7 Montana, 42-35.
• All three recent wins have been by a single score, while two of the three have come on the last play of the game. The Vandals beat Montana State on a 25-yard touchdown pass and subsequent two-point conversion with no time left on the clock. This past week, after Southern Utah had made up a 10-point deficit in the final five minutes of the game, the Vandals hit a 53-yard field goal with no time on the clock to win it, 31-28.
• The Vandals came into the year picked to finish sixth in the Big Sky by conference media and seventh by conference coaches.
• Statistically, the Vandals represent a strong passing offense behind senior quarterback Joshua Wood. They rank fourth in the Big Sky and 13th nationally in the FCS with 275.4 passing yards per game. They also rank second in the conference and 20th nationally with 13.1 passing yards per completion.
• Wood leads the Big Sky and ranks third nationally with 323.1 total yards of offense per game. He ranks third in the conference with 273.6 passing yards per game individually, but he also leads the Vandals with 49.5 rushing yards per game. He has 22 total touchdowns between 14 passing and eight rushing. He ranks second in the conference and eighth nationally with 17.5 points responsible for per game. He also ranks third in the conference individually in passing yards per game (273.6), completions per game (20.6) and passing efficiency (145.1).
• Tony Harste and Ryan Jezioro have been Wood's favorite targets in the passing game. Harste ranks fourth in the Big Sky and 12th in the FCS with 86.7 receiving yards per game. He and Jazioro also rank tied for fourth in the conference with five receiving touchdowns each this season.
• Defensively, opposing teams have been able to move the ball and score effectively on the Vandals. Idaho ranks 10th in the Big Sky in scoring defense (37.9 points allowed per game) and ninth in total defense (456.0 yards allowed per game). The Vandals have limited opponents through the air – they rank second in the conference with 223.3 passing yards allowed per game – but opponents have compensated on the ground where they're averaging 232.8 rushing yards per game against the Vandals.  

SERIES NOTES:

• The Vandals lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 16-2. They lead the Big Sky series, 5-1. Both records represent the best winning percentage by a Big Sky Conference team over the Vikings.
• The Vandals have beaten the Vikings in four straight games, including twice over the last two seasons. The Vandals beat the Vikings, 39-30, in Hillsboro in 2024, while they won 45-6 in Moscow in 2025.
• The Vikings last beat the Vandals in 2019, when they shut out Idaho 24-0 at home. That was the last time the Vikings have shut out a Big Sky opponent.

 
QUICK STORYLINES

• LAST WEEK RECAP: The Vikings got shut out in the first half at Idaho State, 24-0, and couldn't muster enough of a comeback in the second half, instead falling 38-8 to the Bengals. Idaho State out-gained the Vikings 341-to-57 in the first half and finished the game with a 488-to-276 yardage advantage.
• 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. The Vikings have lost to NAU (38-25) and Idaho State (38-8) since those two wins, however.
• FIRST HOME WIN SINCE 2024: The Vikings snapped a seven-game home losing streak with their win over Utah Tech on Oct. 10. The Vikings were 0-5 at home last season and had dropped their opening two home games this season. Saturday's game against Idaho will be the Vikings' first home game since that win over Utah Tech.
• STARTING FAST: The Vikings have scored first in five of their eight 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 6.9 points per game in the first quarter this season, which is a significant improvement over what they averaged last season (4.5 points per opening quarter).
• DUCSIK IS GOING QB HUNTING: Freshman defensive end Avery Ducsik added two sacks to his total last Saturday at Idaho State, including one that resulted in the Vikings' first defensive safety in four years. Ducsik has six sacks, ranking him second in the Big Sky and 15th in the FCS. He's the top-ranked freshman in the country in the category. He needs three more sacks to enter the single-season top 10 at Portland State, something only VJ Malo (10.5 sacks in 2021) has done over the past 20 seasons.
• BUMP IN THE ROAD ON THE GROUND: The Vikings' progress on the ground over their previous three games slowed last Saturday as Idaho State held them to 56 net rushing yards. That was the Vikings' second-lowest total of the season, behind only the game against Oregon on Sept. 18, when the Vikings rushed for only two yards. But the Vikings had run the ball well over their previous three games. They totaled 598 yards against Weber State (248), Utah Tech (168) and Northern Arizona (182). Junior running back Delon Thompson recorded his first 200-yard game against Weber State, 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: Idaho State put up 488 yards of total offense last Saturday. 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 had a streak of three straight games with 100+ all-purpose yards snapped last week when Idaho State held him to 63 between 27 rushing and 36 receiving. 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 15 through their first eight games. The Vikings rank second in the Big Sky and eighth in the FCS for turnovers gained this season. They rank third in the conference and 17th nationally with seven fumble recoveries. They rank fourth in the conference and 23rd nationally with eight 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 four total takeaways this season between three fumble recoveries and an interception. He had turnovers in three straight games before that streak snapped at Idaho State. He leads 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, while John-Keawe Sagapolutele won the Vikings' game at Weber State on Sept. 26. Out of the three quarterbacks, Gabe Downing leads the team in passing yards (787), completions (78) and passing touchdowns (4). Smith leads the team in completion percentage (57.4%) and passer rating (117.2).
• RUN, RUN, RUN: It's a simple adage about football, but teams are at their best when they're able to run the ball. That's been true for the Vikings. They rushed for a season-high 248 yards in their 44-41 win over Weber State on Sept. 26. They also rushed for 168 yards in a 30-14 win over Utah Tech on Oct. 10. The Vikings ran the ball effectively against Northern Arizona on Oct. 17, too – 182 yards on 37 carries – but lost 38-25 to the Lumberjacks.
• EXPLOSIVE VIKS: Idaho State limited the Vikings to just two plays of 20+ yards last Saturday, part of a strong defensive showing from the Bengals. For comparison, the Vikings had five or more in their two wins over Weber State and Utah Tech. Delon Thompson leads the team with eight plays of 20 or more yards this season. Terence Loville and Tanner Beaman have seven and six plays of 20+ yards, respectively.
• SCORING FIRST: The Vikings have scored first in five of their eight 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 IN 2K: Delon Thompson hit the 2,000-yard milestone in his Portland State career despite Idaho State holding him to only 27 yards last Saturday. He now ranks 12th in the all-time rankings. To move up the career list, he needs…82 yards for 11th…91 yards for 10th…164 yards for ninth…184 yards for eighth…239 yards for seventh…258 yards for sixth.
• 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 rushing yards (80.4) and 10th in all-purpose yards (99.6) per game. He also ranks ninth in the conference and 55th in the FCS with 4.95 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 on Sept. 26. Loville recorded 130 yards on five catches and a touchdown against the Wildcats. That bettered a career high he initially set earlier in the season with 119 yards on 10 receptions at San Diego State. Loville has led the Vikings in receiving yards in five of the team's eight games. He heads into this week ranked seventh in the Big Sky and 43rd in the FCS with 69.1 receiving yards per game. Loville also ranks 11th in the conference with 4.50 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 this season, with six of his 28 receptions going for 20+ yards. He set a career high with 70 receiving yards on five receptions at Idaho State last Saturday. He also set a career high with eight catches for 55 yards and a touchdown against North Dakota on Sept. 12. He ranks 21st in the Big Sky in receptions (3.50) and 27th in receiving yards (43.4) per game.
• NEED TO FINISH: The Vikings have scored on 19 of their 23 red zone trips this season. That's a comparable percentage (82.6%) to their opponents (83.3%, 35-for-42), but opponents are doing a better job at finishing drives in the end zone. The Vikings have scored touchdowns on only 13 of their 23 trips (.565) versus 32 of 42 trips (.762) 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. His best game since that season opener came in the Vikings' win over Weber State on Sept. 26, when he totaled 46 yards rushing on five carries, to go with 25 yards in kickoff return. 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 scored a touchdown in back-to-back games, finding the end zone against Utah Tech and Northern Arizona on Oc. 10 and 17, respectively. 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 seven receptions for 97 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. That set the tone for the season as the Vikings have forced at least one turnover in all but their game against Oregon on Sept. 18. The Vikings now rank second in the Big Sky and eighth in the FCS in turnovers gained with 15 this season. They rank third in the conference in fumbles recovered (7) and fourth in passes intercepted (8).
• PROGRESS IN TURNOVER MARGIN: The Vikings have won the turnover battle in three games this season while they finished tied in three more. While they finished last Saturday minus-1 in the turnover battle, they still rank sixth in the Big Sky with a +0.13 turnover margin this season. 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 eight games, while Northern Arizona and Idaho State finished with 495 and 488 yards, respectively, over the last two weeks. The Vikings rank 13th in the Big Sky with 518.9 yards allowed per game.
• RUSH DEFENSE: Five of the Vikings' eight opponents have rushed for more than 200 yards against them this season. Idaho State rushed for 154 yards on 30 carries last week. The Vikings' best two games defensively came against UC Davis and Utah Tech when they held them to 87 and 102 yards, respectively.
• LEADING TACKLERS: Jaxton Helmstetler and Isaac Redford rank 1-2 on the team in total tackles with 65 and 60, respectively. Helmstetler had 14 tackles last Saturday against Idaho State, the most by a Viking in a game this season.
• DUCSIK IS A DUDE: Freshman defensive end Avery Ducsik started his first game of the season last Saturday at Idaho State. He earned the spot with what's been a standout freshman season. His six sacks rank him first among all freshmen in the FCS while he ranks second overall in the Big Sky and 15th nationally. He also leads the conference with 0.25 forced fumbles per game, while ranking sixth in tackles for loss per game (0.88).  
• 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 (8 tackles vs. UC Davis, 12 at NAU) and Jaxton Helmstetler (11 tackles at Oregon, 14 at Idaho State) have also led the Vikings in two games each. The other game leaders came from Logan Lisherness (9 tackles vs. San Diego State) and Lono Solomon (10 tackles vs. North Dakota).
• HELMSTETLER AT THE HELM: Senior linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler led the Vikings with 14 tackles last Saturday at Idaho State, the most by a Viking in any game this season. Helmstetler ranks tied for third in the Big Sky and 15th in the FCS with 5.0 solo tackles per game. He also ranks seventh in the conference with 8.1 total tackles per game. He ranks second on the team with 5.0 tackles for loss this season, four of which have come over the last three weeks.
• 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 tied for third in the conference and 15th nationally with 5.00 solo tackles per game. He also ranks 11th in the conference with 7.5 total tackles per game. Redford ranks seventh in the Big Sky with 0.25 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 ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 0.33 interceptions per game this season.
• SONG OF SOLOMON: Freshman safety Lono Solomon has recorded 4.5 tackles for loss, ranking him third on the team this season. He has a tackle for loss in four of the seven games he's played this season, including 1.5 tackles for loss against North Dakota on Sept. 12. Solomon ranks ninth in the Big Sky with 4.13 solo tackles per game, and 22nd in the conference with 6.1 total tackles per game.
• THE SWEETNESS OF LISHERNESS: Junior linebacker Logan Lisherness has been steady throughout the season, recording at least five tackles in seven of the team's eight games. He also ranks fourth on the team with 3.5 tackles for loss, including one in back-to-back games against Northern Arizona and Idaho State the last two weeks.
• 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 he was a safety for Lewis & Clark at the start of his football career, but bulked up and is now playing defensive end for the Vikings.
• 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 sixth in makes per game (1.00).
• 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 11th in the FCS with 27.9 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, 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, then 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 had a punt downed at the one-yard line against Idaho State last Saturday, which set up the Vikings' first defensive safety in four years. Rodriguez now ranks third in the Big Sky and 14th in the NCAA with 44.0 punt return yards per game.
• 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 13th in the Big Sky with 176 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 19 total penalties over their last three games. They rank 10th in the Big Sky with 5.88 penalties per game while they're eighth in the conference with 46.3 penalty yards per game.
• NOT SO NICE: The Vikings' two blocked punts at San Diego State mean they rank eighth in the Big Sky for blocked kicks allowed.
• TIME OF POSSESSION: The Vikings have won the time of possession battle in five of their eight games. That said, it's been a poor indicator of success as the Vikings are 1-4 when winning time of possession and 1-2 when losing it. The Vikings rank seventh in the Big Sky with an average time of possession of 29:23.