Vikings Back Home to Host Utah Tech Saturday Looking for Back-to-Back Wins

KICKOFF
The Portland State football program broke through for its first win under head coach Chris Fisk the last time out, beating Weber State 44-41 in dramatic fashion on Sept. 26.

Joshua Hossmann Lees kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to deliver the win, after Terahiti Wolfe gave the Vikings the ball back with 16 seconds left with an interception deep in PSU territory. Wolfe returned it 32 yards to the Weber State 45-yard line, and Delon Thompson – capping a 200-yard day on the ground – did the rest to get the Vikings in field goal range.

Something to celebrate, for sure. But the message almost immediately after the celebration? That's only the beginning.

Fisk and the Portland State coaches put the Vikings to work over their bye week to ensure that the breakthrough win over Weber State isn't their only one this season. The test of how the Vikings respond to that comes Saturday, when they return home for the first time in four weeks to host Utah Tech for a 1:05 p.m. kickoff at Hillsboro Stadium.

Run the ball like they did against Weber State, and the Vikings should give themselves a good chance at another victory. Thompson finished with 23 carries, a career-high 213 yards and three touchdowns against Weber State. He averaged 9.3 yards per carry, including touchdowns from 35- and 33-yards out to go with a long of 57 yards.

The Vikings rushed for 248 yards as a team, dwarfing their previous season high which had been 111 yards against North Dakota on Sept. 12. The offense also set season highs for points (44) and total yards (409) against the Wildcats.

Opposing teams have been able to move the ball against Utah Tech this season, especially on the ground. Four of the Trailblazers' six opponents have rushed for 200+ yards, including two over 300 yards in BYU (308) and Southern Utah (344).

But the Trailblazers have also been able to move the ball themselves despite their 0-6 start to the season.

Both Portland State and Utah Tech's records are a little misleading since both teams opened with a four-game gauntlet to start the season. For the Vikings, that gauntlet featured two FCS top 10 teams at the time in UC Davis and North Dakota to go with two FBS programs in San Diego State and Oregon. For Utah Tech, they played two FCS top 10 teams in Montana State and Montana, another FCS nationally ranked opponent in Northern Arizona, and a BYU team that's nationally ranked at the FBS level.

And with that gauntlet, the Trailblazers have been able to pass the ball on teams. They've thrown for over 300 yards twice, including a season-high 391 yards last Saturday against Southern Utah. The 391 yards against the Thunderbirds came as part of a season-high 572 total yards of offense.

Fifth-year quarterback Deacon Hill sparked the Utah Tech offense to that season high. He made his first start of the season and finished 9-for-17 for 226 passing yards. Hill also led the Trailblazers to over 500 yards of offense the last time he made a start in 2024.

Junior quarterback Bronson Barben also saw time for the Trailblazers against Southern Utah, however. He went 11-for-21 for 165 yards and a touchdown. He had been the regular starter this season and still leads the team with 1,029 total passing yards.

Who starts for the Trailblazers will be a question going into Saturday's game, though to be fair that'll be a question about the Vikings as well. John-Keawe Sagapolutele became the third different starter out of the first five games for the Vikings when he started against Weber State. All three quarterbacks have had their bright spots, so it's anyone's guess who will be the starter come Saturday.

Whoever it is could have a simple job in front of them if Thompson runs like he did against Weber State. Repeat that, get the defense to force six turnovers again, and have Hossmann Lees ready when called upon late.

It worked once before. Fisk and the Vikings coaches just want to ensure it works again.

GAME DETAILS
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (1-4, 1-1) vs. UTAH TECH (0-6, 0-3)
INFO: Saturday, Oct. 10, 1 p.m. PT, Hillsboro, Ore. (Hillsboro Stadium)
TV: ESPN+ / Rose City SportsNet (Channel 49.1 with an antenna; Channel 13 or 713 with cable)
LIVE STATS: GoViks.com/LiveStats
SCOUTING UTAH TECH:

The Utah Tech Trailblazers opened the season with their own four-game gauntlet. Their first four games were against three nationally ranked FCS teams in Montana State, Montana and Northern Arizona as well as a nationally ranked BYU team from the FBS. They followed that with games against Northern Colorado and Southern Utah these past two weeks, losing 37-13 at Northern Colorado and 46-33 at home against Southern Utah.
The recent loss to Southern Utah came despite the Trailblazers setting season highs for points (33) and total offense (572 yards). Running back Ace Chatman also tied a school record with four total touchdowns in the game.
Fifth-year quarterback Deacon Hill started his first game of the season for the Trailblazers against Southern Utah. His last start for the Trailblazers came in 2024 and was also the last time Utah Tech went for more than 500 yards of total offense.
Passing has been a strength for the Trailblazers this season. They passed for 391 yards against Southern Utah last Saturday, while they also went over 300 yards against Montana on Sept. 12. They head into this week ranked eighth in the Big Sky with 236.0 passing yards per game.
The Utah Tech offensive line has been stout in their pass protection, allowing only 1.33 sacks per game, ranking them second in the Big Sky and 28th in the FCS. The Trailblazers also rank fifth in the Big Sky and 28th in the FCS with 4.33 tackles for loss allowed per game.
Opposing teams have been able to run on the Trailblazers. Southern Utah rushed for 344 yards against Utah Tech last Saturday, while BYU (308), Montana (216) and Northern Colorado (215) all went for 200+ yards.
Junior quarterback Bronson Barben started the year atop the depth chart for the Trailblazers. He still leads the team with 1,029 passing yards this season while completing 53.6 percent (89-for-166) of his passes.
Chatman is the lone rusher with over 100 yards this season for the Trailblazers. He leads the team with 409 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 4.3 yards per carry.
Mike Williams and Darnell O'Quinn lead the Utah Tech receiving corps with 311 and 251 yards, respectively. Chatman also has 13 catches for 103 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, Brevin Czosnyka and Moe Passi lead the team with 35 and 34 total tackles, respectively.

SERIES NOTES:

This will be the first-ever meeting between the Vikings and Trailblazers in football.

QUICK STORYLINES

FIRST WIN OF A NEW ERA: The Vikings won their first game under head coach Chris Fisk the last time they played, beating Weber State, 44-41, on Sept. 26. It was Fisk's first win as a Division I head coach after he went 48-22 at NCAA Division II Central Washington.
DRAMATIC FIRST WIN: The Vikings made their new head coach sweat out his first win as the Vikings won 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. Twenty-one years ago, Eric Azorr hit a 40-yard to deliver the win for the Vikings.
SEASON'S BEST OFFENSIVE SHOWING: The Vikings' win over Weber State came behind a season's best offensive performance. Among the season highs the Vikings set were:
- 44 points – previous best was 24 against UC Davis
- 248 rushing yards – previous best was 111 against North Dakota
- 409 total yards – previous best was 375 yards against San Diego State
WHEN IN DOUBT, GIVE IT TO DELON: The last two wins for the Vikings have both featured a standout game from junior running back Delon Thompson. Against Weber State, Thompson rushed for a career-high 213 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 9.3 yards per carry. Against Cal Poly last season, Thompson totaled 238 yards (184 rushing, 54 receiving) and four total touchdowns in a 40-35 PSU win.
BALL HAWKS ON DEFENSE: The Vikings needed every one of their six turnovers against Weber State to pull out the victory. The six turnovers – three fumbles and three interceptions – were the most by a Viking team since Nov. 20, 2004. The defense also turned the Wildcats over on downs twice within the PSU 10-yard line.
BEND DON'T BREAK DEFENSE: The Vikings' last three opponents have all totaled 600 yards of offense or more. North Dakota had 627 against the Vikings on Sept. 12 while Oregon and Weber State followed with 740 and 703 yards, respectively, over the next two weeks.
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). Despite the tough start, the Vikings nearly pulled off an upset in their opener. They led UC Davis 21-0 at halftime when they were out-gaining the Aggies 257-to-84. But the Aggies, ranked sixth in the FCS at the time, outscored the Vikings 31-3 in the second half to complete a 31-24 comeback win.
RANKED OPPONENTS: As the rankings stand now, the Vikings have either played or are scheduled to play five teams ranked in the STATS Perform FCS Top 25 and AFCA FCS Coaches Polls. That list includes Montana (2nd/3rd), North Dakota (4th/7th), UC Davis (14th/11th), Northern Arizona (13th/14th) and Idaho State (16th/17th).
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

AIRING IT OUT: The Vikings passed for 250+ yards in their first two games of the season, while they went for 233 yards against North Dakota. While Oregon and Weber State held the Vikings to 101 and 161 passing yards, respectively, the Vikings' strong start through the air has been a marked improvement. For comparison, the Vikings only passed for 250+ yards three times last season.
DEEP QUARTERBACK ROOM: The Vikings have started three different quarterbacks out of their five games so far this season. All three have had their bright spots. Tyrese Smith went over 300 yards of total offense against UC Davis on Aug. 29, finishing 23-for-36 for 268 yards passing while rushing for 33 yards and two touchdowns. Gabe Downing, meanwhile, started three games for the Vikings and is completing 55.9 percent of his passes for 204.7 yards per game and five total touchdowns. He has set career highs for completions (31, against San Diego State), yards (280, against San Diego State) and passing touchdowns (3, against North Dakota). John-Keawe Sagapolutele, then, started the Vikings' game against Weber State and while his stats weren't outstanding – 9-for-24 for 161 yards and a touchdown – he did enough to lead the Vikings to the win.
BREAKTHROUGH ON THE GROUND: The Vikings' 248 yards rushing against Weber State was more than double what they've had in any other game this season. Their previous season high was 111 rushing yards against North Dakota on Sept. 12. The Vikings averaged 6.36 yards per carry as a team against the Wildcats. Leading rusher Delon Thompson averaged 9.3 yards per carry.
EXPLOSIVE VIKS: The Vikings had six offensive plays go for 20+ yards from scrimmage against Weber State. That's double the amount they've had in any other game. Three of the six went for touchdowns between 35- and 33-yard touchdown runs from Delon Thompson, and a 58-yard touchdown catch from Terence Loville.
SCORING FIRST: The Vikings have scored first in three of their five games this season. They built a 21-0 lead on UC Davis before the Aggies finally scored in the third quarter. They also led San Diego State 6-0 behind two early field goals before the Aztecs scored. Against Weber State, they scored the opening touchdown and built a 28-7 lead before Weber State came back to tie it late.
DEPEND ON DELON: The Vikings go as junior running back Delon Thompson goes, and after his big game against Weber State – 23 carries for 213 yards and three touchdowns – Thompson now finds himself ranked among the best backs in the Big Sky Conference. He ranks sixth in the Big Sky in rushing yards (411), yards per carry (5.07) and rushing yards per game (82.2). Additionally, he ranks 11th in the conference with 94.0 all-purpose yards. Thompson now has 1,788 career rushing yards at Portland State. He will move into the top 15 in career rushing with 152 more yards.
SPILL THE T AND SPREAD THE LOVE: Senior wide receiver Terence Loville, nicknamed T-Love, recorded his second career high of the season. Loville topped the 119 receiving yards he totaled against San Diego State with 130 yards on five catches and a touchdown against Weber State. Loville also set a career high with 10 receptions at San Diego State. He heads into this week ranked seventh in the Big Sky and 25th in the FCS with 80.2 receiving yards per game. Loville also ranks 11th in the conference with 4.40 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 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 17th in the Big Sky in receptions (3.80) and 25th in receiving yards (38.8) per game.
ALWAYS THANK YOUR O-LINEMEN: In two matchups against FBS teams, the Vikings only gave up six combined tackles for loss against San Diego State and Oregon. That's an impressive number considering FBS teams usually overpower FCS teams at the line of scrimmage. The Vikings head into this week ranked 10th in the Big Sky and 70th in the FCS while only allowing 5.60 tackles for loss per game this season.
NEED TO FINISH: The Vikings were much better in the red zone against Weber State, one of the keys to their win over the Wildcats. They held Weber State without a score on three different trips to the red zone, including two turnovers on downs inside their own 10-yard line. The Vikings still need to be better in the red zone. They've scored touchdowns on seven of 13 trips (53.8 percent) this season while opponents have scored on 22 of 30 trips (73.3 percent).
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.
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 (41). 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. The Vikings now rank second in the Big Sky and 14th in the FCS with 11 turnovers gained this season. They rank fourth in the conference in both fumbles recovered (5) and passes intercepted (6).
PROGRESS IN TURNOVER MARGIN: The Vikings' six forced turnovers against Weber State brought them level on the season in turnover margin. The 0.00 turnover margin is a significant improvement over last season when the Vikings averaged minus-1.25 turnovers per game.
RECENT STATS: The Vikings' last three opponents have all been able to move the ball on them. North Dakota, Oregon and Weber State have all finished with 600 or more yards of total offense. The Vikings rank 13th in the Big Sky with 567.6 yards allowed per game as a result. The Vikings were better in their first two games, however, as they held UC Davis and San Diego State both below 400 yards of offense.
RUSH DEFENSE: The Vikings' rush defense opened the season by holding UC Davis to only 87 yards despite the Aggies returning All-Big Sky honorable mention running back Jordan Fisher. The Vikings' last four opponents have had an easier time of it, however. San Diego State, North Dakota, Oregon and Weber State have all rushed for 200+ yards against the Vikings.
LEADING TACKLERS: Isaac Redford took over the team lead with 40 tackles this season behind a career-high 13 against Weber State. Jaxton Helmstetler had led the team and still ranks second with 38 total tackles. Gio Kafentzis has only played in two games but is averaging 9.0 tackles per game this season.
VARIED DEFENSE: Five different players have led the Vikings in tackles through their first five games of the season. Gio Kafentzis (8 tackles vs. UC Davis), Logan Lisherness (9 tackles vs. San Diego Stateo) Lono Solomon (10 tackles vs. North Dakota) and Jaxton Helmstetler (11 tackles vs. Oregon) led the Vikings in their first four games. Isaac Redford became the fifth different player to lead the Vikings when he recorded a career-high 13 tackles against Weber State.
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 fourth in the Big Sky and 22nd in the FCS with 0.40 interceptions per game. He also had a forced fumble against Weber State.
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 day.
SONG OF SOLOMON: Freshman safety Lono Solomon recorded a tackle for loss in three straight games before sitting out the Vikings' game against Weber State. He ranks second on the team with 3.5 tackles for loss this season. Solomon had 1.5 tackles for loss while adding two pass break ups against North Dakota on Sep. 12. He now ranks 18th in the Big Sky with 6.80 tackles per game.
SO GOD MADE A FARMER: Freshman safety Deryk Farmer recorded a career-high 10 tackles while making his second-career start against Oregon on Sept. 18. Farmer ranks 23rd in the Big Sky with 6.00 tackles per game this season. He did not play against Weber State, however.
JAXTON AT THE HELM: Senior linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler jumped on two fumbles in the Vikings' win over Weber State. He now leads the Big Sky and the FCS with his two fumble recoveries. Helmstetler recorded a career-high 11 tackles to lead the Vikings against Oregon on Sept. 18. The senior ranks 13th in the Big Sky and 79th in the FCS with 7.60 tackles per game.
DUCSIK IS A DUDE: Freshman defensive end Avery Ducsik forced two of the three fumbles the Vikings recovered against Weber State. Both forced fumbles came on strip sacks. Ducsik now leads the Vikings with four tackles for loss this season. His 0.40 forced fumbles per game rank him first in the Big Sky and 10th in the FCS.
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.
STOUT START AGAINST UC DAVIS: The Vikings' 21-0 halftime lead against UC Davis on Aug. 29 was thanks to a standout defensive effort through the first 30 minutes of the game. The Vikings held the Aggies to just four first downs and 84 total yards in the first half.
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 was named Big Sky and Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week as a result. Hossmann Lees ranks fourth in the Big Sky in both field goal percentage (0.750) and makes per game (1.20).
RUN, ZUI, RUN: Freshman Zui Shelton took a kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter of the Vikings' win over Weber State. It was the first kickoff return touchdown by a Viking since Christian Grubb took one 99 yards back for a score against Cal Poly on Sept. 23, 2023. Shelton now ranks second in the Big Sky and seventh in the FCS with 30.4 kickoff return yards per game. He also ranks tied for the conference and national lead for kickoff return touchdowns (1).
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. Rodriguez now ranks fourth in the Big Sky and 25th in the FCS with an average of 43.3 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 ninth in the Big Sky with 168 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. A year after they ranked 10th in the Big Sky in penalties per game (6.17) and 11th in penalty yards per game (56.1), they've been better in both regards. The Vikings head into this week ranked eighth in penalties per game (5.60) and fourth in penalty yards per game (38.8).
NOT SO NICE: The Vikings' two blocked punts at San Diego State mean they rank 10th in the Big Sky for blocked kicks allowed.

VIKING BACKGROUND TRIVIA

CHARACTER, STRENGTH & HONOR: Coach Fisk lists the core values of his program as Character, Strength and Honor. The principle of strength is focused on building strong young men, strong decision makers and strong leaders for the Portland State campus. The principle of honor means the Vikings will honor those who came before them in the program, honor their family, honor their fellow students and honor the community around them.
FOURTH-QUARTER PROGRAM: Portland State players, like a lot of programs will hold up four fingers at the start of the fourth quarter. But for the Vikings, the four fingers each represent a tenant of the Vikings' Fourth Quarter program. Those being, effort, toughness, commitment and pride.
FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN: Sophomore all-purpose player Cru Newman was named a Freshman All-American by Stats Perform and FCS Football Central. Newman led the Vikings with 1,041 all-purpose yards in 2025. Previously running back Delon Thompson (2024) and linebacker Michael Montgomery (2023) were Freshman All-Americans for the Vikings… in addition, Newman did it all against Weber State last October 18. He returned five kicks for 91 yards, completed one pass attempt for five yards, rushed twice for 12 yards and caught three passes for 50 yards. He had 153 all-purpose yards and he also made a tackle.
2025 ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS: Honorees from the 2025 roster include: Sophomore all-purpose player Cru Newman (Freshman All-American, HM All-Big Sky Conference); senior linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler (Academic All-District); junior quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele (Academic All-District)… Portland State had a program record 3.22 team GPA in the fall of 2025 and bettered that with a 3.36 GPA in the winter of 2026.
BUY LOCAL: Portland State has 50 players on the roster from the states of Oregon and Washington.
OH, BROTHER: Junior quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele's brother Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is the starting quarterback for the Cal Bears.
FAMILY AFFAIR: Senior offensive lineman Braylon Cornell has had a cousin, Jake Porter, play on the Viking Football team (2018-22), another cousin played on the Viking volleyball team, Ellie Snook (2019-22), and two uncles played at PSU, Jamie Snook (basketball, 1996-99) and Jason Porter (baseball, 1991-94).
FAMILY AFFAIR, PART TWO: Freshman safety Marcus Post is the son of Katie (Rose) Post and Josh Post (both Portland State, 1992-95). Katie played on the women's basketball team (and competed in the NCAA Division II National Championship game in 1995) and Josh pitched on the baseball team.
ISLAND LIFE: Senior safety Tre Kramer-Taylor is a native of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. He is the only Marshall Islander competing in Division I football. Taylor played high school football in Hawai'i.
STUDENT-ATHLETES: Portland State has two players on the roster who were named Academic All-District by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) in 2025: Senior linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler and junior quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele.
VIKINGS' PRESENCE IN THE NFL: Entering the 2026 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.